If you don't win, it’s not a great tragedy - the worst that happens is that you lose a game.ĭon't even mention losing to me. If I win a tournament, I win it by myself. The turning point in my career came with the realization that Black should play to win instead of just steering for equality. What does it really mean? If I win I'm a genius. I am the best player in the world and I am here to prove it. There are tough players and nice guys, and I'm a tough player. I like the moment when I break a man's ego. One day you give your opponent a lesson, the next day he gives you one. You have to force moves and take chances. The object is to crush the opponent's mind. It’s just you and your opponent at the board and you're trying to prove something.Ĭhess is war over the board. People have been playing against me below their strength for fifteen years. Psychologically, you have to have confidence in yourself and this confidence should be based on fact. Your chess deteriorates as your body does.
I give 98 percent of my mental energy to chess. You can only get good at chess if you love the game.Ĭhess demands total concentration and a love for the game. I believe in good moves.Īll that matters on the chessboard is good moves. All I want to do, ever, is just play chess.