In my country, at that time, being a champion of chess was like being a King. At that time I was a King and when you are King you feel a lot of responsibility, but there is nobody there to help you.

Often, in the Ruy Lopez, one must be patient, wait and carry on a lengthy and wearisome struggle.

The place of chess in the society is closely related to the attitude of young people towards our game.

Bobby Fischer has an enormous knowledge of chess and his familiarity with the chess literature of the USSR is immense.

The best tournament that I have ever played in was in 1950. It was great - a waiter came to you during the game, and you could order anything you wanted to drink (even some vodka, if you liked). Pity, there are no longer tournaments organized in this manner.

The best indicator of a Chess Player's form is his ability to sense the Climax of the game.

Nowadays there is more dynamism in chess, modern players like to take the initiative. Usually they are poor defenders though.