YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 14, ARMENPRESS. The Candidates Tournament 2018, an eight-player chess tournament to determine the challengers for defending world champion Magnus Carlsen in the World Chess Championship, will be held in Berlin, Germany, from 10–28 March.

The eight players include Russian grandmaster Alexander Grischuk.

Ahead of the tournament, Grischuk answered a few questions in an ARMENPRESS exclusive.

• What are your expectations from the Candidates Tournament?

• I never have expectations ahead of the beginning of the tournament. One thing is clear – it’s gonna be difficult.

• Who are the main favorites of the tournament?

• The main favorites in alphabetical order are – Aronian, Liren, Caruana, Karjakin, Karmnik, Mamedyarov and So.

• What kind of a preparation round will you take?

• I am trying to train seriously.

• What kind of an opponent is Levon Aronian for you?

• Levon Aronian is a difficult and serious opponent.

Interview by Varvara Hayrapetyan