In January 15, 2009 a meeting with International Grandmaster Valery Salov, second of the matches Karpov-Kasparov, took place at 18.00 in the City. Chess club named after Chigorin (B.Konyushennaya, 25). There is so little information of this event that I've decided to relate about it. It continued approximately during two hours. It is not so simple to describe its course. But I shall try to make it objectively to the maximum. The fact itself of the meeting of the famous Grandmaster, number 3 - rating chessplayer in the world, with chess amateurs and pupils of the SDYuShOR can only be greeted. Practically Valery Borisovich at once came up to answering questions. They were in the main short. In particular he recognized that he saw no one game of the match for World Championship between W.Anand and V.Kramnik and also that he is quite not busy with chess at present time. One could see that the speaking Grandmaster has not been interested in chess now, but he has mentioned his electronic magazine "Chess Satiricon" issued by him for the last five years. In answer to the question the meaning of which was "Does it seem to You, that wins now who knows more (than others) Grandmaster has answered in the alternative, adding up:

- Chess has stopped to be a struggle of personates, struggle of ideas and has trans formed into a purely technical and tedious work at remembering a big number of variations and their reproduction. A human element in play is lost completely. I've tried to fight against it, 10-12 years ago it seemed to me that "Fisher's chess" was a way out of the situation arisen. But I've understood then that it is difficult to do. In this sense chess is a reflection of that what takes place in other fields of human activities. A creative element is less and present in the world! Chess came to this brink 20 years ago. But the topical articles on the subject were written in the 19th century yet.

- Here, of course, the computer has in flounced much. Professional chess has fully lost its sense because of too many possibilities of swindle. Some exertions are made in other kinds of sports, for example, doping control, though it is rather a formality. There is nothing of the rider in chess besides; there is possibility to involve technical means. Now chess programs are playing better than a person (man and woman) and at a short control one cannot fight at all! I understood it at the end of 90-ies. It is a serious problem, serious...

- Who is Your favorite chessplayer and what do You like in him?

- Favorite... I cannot say, but the first whose games I studied was R-J.Fisher. His book "My 60 memorable games" influenced me substantially. Fisher is a separate big theme. I respect Bent Larsen very much as a personality. He played very interestedly, brilliantly, a man with outstanding intellect a great rarity in the chess world. But on a chess plane we are not combined completely. In one position one can choose several approximately equal continuations. And the choice depends upon a personality of players B.Larsen's personal was developed strongly.

- When is a collection book of your games to be issued?

- I think, never. Nobody is busy with it, I'm engrossed in other problems. We're suffering now rather from excess of books than for want of them. There are very good old books, in particular tournament collections. It is more difficult to understand modern books, pure theory and analysis begins to dominate therein, it is not interesting to look into.

- What did you feel when you lost the game to Anand in 2.5 minutes?

- Yes I remember well that encounter in rapid chess in Paris. I played Black. Anand employed a strong novelty and won very quickly. It was awfully unpleasant. But Anand is a unique chessplayer. I even wanted to dedicate an entire issue of my magazine to him, but it didn't come out...

Further on, Valery Borisovich asked children to go out because topics which would be spoken of were not understandable to them. It was recommended to all the present to real two books: "Russia in concentration camp" by I.Solonevich, M., 2005 and "Masonry Culture and Russian history" by Viktor Ostretsov, M., 1998. The last one the Grandmaster considers the best, which has been issued in Russia for the last 90 years.

- "Russia is now experiencing a fearful religion crisis and the whole world as well. But the existence of Russia as a country is absolutely impossible without the Orthodoxy. Now as you know the Orthodox Church is being restored on the material plane, but nothing is being restored on a spiritual one..."

- Why have you still left your professional chess activities, after all considering your style you have been able to play for a very long time?

- I've stopped gradually to get invitations after I expressed severely several times my opinion against G.Kasparov. Everything is very hard in the West. If you do something wrong then "oxygen is being stopped". And I left gradually a practical chess play.
After this Salov has displayed the 162-nd game of A.Karpov and G.Kasparov which was played in Linares (1993).

- Do you return to ours?

- It's probably so. Still it is hard for a Russian to live in for a Russian to live in foreign parts...
I don't consider headed to relate everything what has been said by Salov further. I can refer readers to one of his sites. I would like to add from myself that it is always interesting to associate with and see a man who has an active life and civil position. Even if you don't share his views in the form of his interpretation, or in essence. The meeting was ended with signing autographs and photographing. Well, with home-coming, Valery Borisovich!