TheGameNarrative

TGN: Where in Belarus were you born, and what do you like best about where you grew up?

DL: I was born in Minsk and still live here. First of all, it is my home, my family and people close to me live here, as well as most of the memorable moments took place here in Minsk, this is what distinguishes this city from others and what I like most of all in it.

TGN: What age did you start playing chess?

DL: I started playing chess at the age of 6 or 7, mostly with my dad and grandpa, they taught me. At the age of 7, in the first grade, I went to the chess club at school, where I already had the opportunity to play with my peers. A year later I started to study at the chess center, where my game began to improve, and after a few years I already achieved my first serious result, becoming the Belarusian under-10 champion in 2016.

TGN: Did you play other games in your childhood? (Board games, card games, video games etc)

DL: Yes, I have always enjoyed playing various games. Board games, card games, some sport like table tennis and billiards, less often video games, but I can play them. In general, I’ve never limited myself to chess.

TGN: When did you obtain the title Grandmaster?

DL: I became a grandmaster in mid-2022, at the age of 15 and a half.

TGN: How do you usually prepare for a tournament? Do you eat a certain diet and regulate sleep to prepare?

DL: I will start with the second part of the question. No, I have never followed any special diet neither during the tournament nor in preparation for it, the only thing I try not to eat frankly bad food, eat in more or less not bad places during the tournament to feel normal. I try to sleep every day for 8-9 hours, lie down plus or minus at the same time, that’s all.
The first part of the question. I try to practice chess every day and increase my knowledge, even if I don’t know what the next tournament will be, I can say that I’m still preparing for it and trying to stay in shape. When you already know that the next tournament will be in a month, it can give you extra motivation to add more effort and time to your chess studies at that particular moment before the tournament. Otherwise it all depends on the format of the tournament and what you think it will be more important to work on. There are chess players who play non-stop, maybe for them the best preparation for the next tournament is just a couple of days rest, it all depends on your condition and the upcoming tournament.

TGN: What is your favorite style of chess to play?

DL: I like it when the game managed to make a lot of good decisions and make few mistakes, and in what style it was played it is a secondary issue.

TGN: Who has been your favorite oppenent?

DL: I don’t have any favorite opponents, but obviously it’s much more interesting to play with strong chess players than with others.

TGN: Beyond chess, do you have any other hobbies or interests?

DL: I consider chess to be my job, so I don’t think it would be right to put it on a par with hobbies and interests. Otherwise, I like to learn new information about history, politics, different things that directly surround me.

TGN: Thank you Denis for the interview. I really enjoyed the chat!