Each match I play is the most important one yet.

When there’s an important tournament going on, I try and stay in a bubble. It’s easy that way because then you don’t have to worry about anything else.

In any match, there are few critical moments where there’s no second best decision. The rest of the moves are intuitive.

It’s important, according to me, to train in small doses so as to not lose the joy of playing chess. I personally think too many coaching and training classes may take away a child’s interest...

I appreciate the support and anyone who takes up a position on my behalf. Especially in matches, this feeling that there are people behind you, gives me a lot of strength.

There is always the risk of being over-confident when you are preparing to face a weaker player.

Grandmasters decline with age. That’s a given. There is nothing special about the age of 40, but age eventually takes its toll. That much is clear. Beyond that, it’s about how long you can put...

Preparedness for a game that usually lasts four-five hours requires good physical condition and also steady nerves.

I don’t know how many calories an average chess player burns per game, but it often exceeds that of a player in ball games. It is not only the chess as such: You need to...

I feel that schools and corporates should help the government in popularising sports in the country. Blaming the government for every sporting debacle will not be fair.

We want more women players to take up chess. There are few participants at the national level and hope it will grow.

I honestly don’t remember when and why I started calling my mom ‘Momsi’. These are family things; it starts for some reason. It’s not that I just call her Momsi; I call her other things...

When you play with the best in the world, it is important that you not lose focus. You must be fully focused. Even a minor error could result in a massive defeat.

Parents, first and foremost, it is important to… understand and recognise the activities your child is naturally gravitating towards. It’s important also to ensure that your child likes what he or she is doing. I...

I go to the gym every day. That tends to taper off when I’m at a tournament. During tournaments, I’m not trying to build fitness. I’m simply trying to keep away any kind of tension....

I don’t bench press, but I use machines to work 10-12 muscle groups. Biceps, triceps, a few things for the back, calves, shoulders and so on – and then I’ll go on the running machine,...

I personally prefer long-distance walking, but we are talking about pre-tournament preparation. During a tournament I make do with walking, mainly to concentrate before a game.

My practice schedule is not constant and changes a lot and depends on my moods also.

In chess, knowledge is a very transient thing. It changes so fast that even a single mouse-slip sometimes changes the evaluation.

I like to keep myself physically and mentally fit before any important match. I usually take a short nap just before the game and do not practice immediately before the tournament.

I have a love for astronomy; Aruna, my wife, and I love travelling, so whenever we get an opportunity, we set off to explore places that have tickled our interest. We are also wildlife enthusiasts.

I was very lucky that while I was a chess player in a country where chess was not a big deal, I happened to be in the one city where there was a sprouting chess...

In Gujarat, we had the world record of largest number of chess games in a single venue – 20,500 – and in Tamil Nadu, I have been emphasizing on the positives of chess to the...

I love travelling and going on wildlife safaris. I have an interest in astronomy. I like reading on current affairs, business and science. I love doing nothing if I can help it.

I was reasonably interested in mathematics in school. Typically what happens is… when you start playing chess, it takes up a lot of your attention. But about 10 years ago, I found that the Internet...

Before a game, I avoid having a heavy meal so that I don’t feel sleepy at the board. You eat to be healthy, and that generally takes care of everything. Also, you can’t be too...

Professional players work almost every day, for hours on end, and the emphasis is on the word ‘work.’ It can be with a partner or it can be alone, but professional chess is always a...

My parents were very supportive of my chess. When I got home after a game of chess, having missed school or something, they always made me feel very welcome; I didn’t feel guilty at all...

In the knockout tournaments, it’s futile to prepare for a grand finale. You may have worked out many strategies for the final. But you may lose in the first round itself.

My job is to play chess, the game that I love. I achieve what I can in chess. That is what I focus on. Basically, I am always focused on playing the game, and this...

If you have a strong opponent, a competition is stimulating. I am generally most open to ideas when I have had a bad result. In chess, too, players specialise. This specialty then becomes an entry...

The Internet gives you access to a lot of material, and it’s fun to sit and read. I go to something like Wikipedia and look at different topics… I find the subject fascinating. I like...

Sometimes, if you are nervous, it could actually turn out to be a manifestation of your exhaustion. The point is that any setback is bad, but if you see it from a perspective, you’ll recover.

You bring to chess facets of your personality and what you are. I have interests other than chess, like music and world and current affairs. I also have many friends around the world with whom...

Of course, you feel good to play in a familiar environment. I enjoyed Delhi 2000 a lot. But the advantage doesn’t work during a game. There, only the moves count.

Sometimes an opponent stops breathing, and you realise something drastic has happened and they are trying not to let on. Or they go quiet, or they get fidgety. After a while you pick these things...

He conducted the attack quite well and I had an unpleasant position despite the extra pawn. Alexander just played better than me today.

If revenge motivates you, go for it! But the main thing is to set your game in order.

The broader the chess player you are, the easier it is to be competitive, and the same seems to be true of mathematics – if you can find links between different branches of mathematics, it...

For me, each game is a new challenge, which has to be dealt with rationally and systematically. At that time, every other thought fades into oblivion.

A win is a win, which is about that particular moment.

There are some aspects of work you need to keep working on and no matter what environment you are in. Continuous learning is very important. It’s what I call ‘competitive tension’, which is about having...

Each game will be very closely fought. All of us are at the cutting edge of theory and I am sure you will face top class preparation in each game. I just expect a very...

I attend to my fitness. I go the gym every day and try to maintain my physical fitness; without that, it is tough to take challenges on the chess board.

There is technology where you can watch the match live online and also on TV. If people understood the game, I’m sure we would have a lot of chess fans by now.

India has lot of talent. What I am happy with is that the talent keeps on coming. Certainly it could be nice, though I am not terribly keen on seeing my successor yet.

Before a match, I do not follow any chess news except the games.

Each match I approach like a new one. The work is so immense that you don’t have time to sit and ponder.

My aim is also to increase my physical stamina and have been doing cardio vascular regimens. Now I will try to relax and get to Argentina well rested and ready to play.

Chess as a sport requires a lot of mental stamina, and this is what that makes it different from a physical sport. Chess players have a unique ability of taking in a lot of information...