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.