Vladislav Artemiev reflected on chess wisdom from his early training days while discussing his opening philosophy in a 50-question interview for Team Spirit Chess. The grandmaster recalled his first coach’s advice about play and opponent respect, revealing how these lessons continue to influence his approach to chess despite his attacking instincts.

GM Vladislav Artemiev

GM Vladislav Artemiev

I had a first coach at the Omsk chess club, and he loved to say such concise phrases, some of which I remembered. That is, he said that the e5 pawn is a knife to the king’s throat, for example. [original RU: У меня был первый тренер в Омском шахматном клубе, и он любил говорить такие емкие фразы, некоторые из которых запомнились мне. То есть, он говорил, что пешка Е5 — это нож к горлу короля, например]

Artemiev will next compete at the Esports World Cup 2025 chess tournament in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 29 to August 1. The tournament marks chess’s historic debut at the EWC, featuring a $1.5 million prize pool with 16 players competing in 10+0 rapid format. The top 12 players qualified through the Champions Chess Tour 2025, with four additional spots determined through a Last Chance Qualifier in Riyadh from July 24-26.

photo: Team Spirit Chess