Levon Aronian: Chess programs are our enemies,.. Women cannot play chess

He said so.

These were heavy words. Levon Aronian speaks about his thoughts on computer programs and the "fairer sex" involvement in chess. As most of the cases, great chess players are excellent speakers as well.

"Chess programs are our enemies, they destroy the romance of chess. They take away the beauty of the game. Everything can be calculated. But we still have twenty years, at least...They (chess computer programs) are becoming better, but not more human. Computers don’t have plans, they don’t have ideas, philosophy, aesthetic feelings. Unlike humans they don’t have an inkling of how rooks, knights and pawns should be moved around the board. You know, sometimes when I am playing my games I have the feeling that I am in a fairy tale, that I have been immersed into a world full of fantasy."

Well said Mr. Aronian, but how about this one folks? Also, for obvious reasons, I follows mainly the men's and open category at the Olympiad.

"Women cannot play chess...That is true, but women are generally much too emotional for chess. If they want to play really well they have to change their character and suppress their natural instincts. They have to take on male qualities. After all chess is a rough and hard game."

Miss Arianne Caoili are you hearing this one from Mr Aronian?

Interview conducted by Christian Schwager and Markus Lotter of Berliner Zeitung English translation from chessbase.com

-Photo from Wikipedia