There isn't a woman player in the world I can't give knight-odds to and still beat.

I felt that chess... is a science in the form of a game... I consider myself a scientist. I wanted to be treated like a scientist.

I play honestly and I play to win. If I lose, I take my medicine.

Its just you and your opponent at the board and you're trying to prove something

I love the game - and I hate the Russians because they've almost ruined it. They only risk the title when they have to, every three years. They play for draws with each other but play to win against the Western masters. Draws make for dull chess, wins make for fighting chess.

Chess demands total concentration

It's the fault of the chess players themselves. I don't know what they used to be, but now they're not the most gentlemanly group. When it was a game played by the aristocrats it had more like you know dignity to it. When they used to have the clubs, like no women were allowed and everybody went in dressed in a suit, a tie, like gentlemen, you know. Now, kids come running in their sneakers. Even in the best chess club-and they got women in there. It's a social place and people are making noise, it's a madhouse.