The sanctions and travel restrictions would have to be far more comprehensive to be truly painful for [Vladimir] Putin and his inner circle. And the new middle class should also feel the effects of what he is doing. For instance, we should ask those who wish to enter the EU whether they have visited illegally occupied Crimea in the last few months and, if the answer is "yes," deny them a visa.

You can't overestimate the importance of psychology in chess, and as much as some players try to downplay it, I believe that winning requires a constant and strong psychology not just at the board but in every aspect of your life.

Of course, if people do not want to do any work then it is better to start the game from a random position.

I think we have very steady records of President Putin, who inherited the country with democratic values.

It's true that in chess as in politics, fund-raising and glad-handing matter.

At the northern border of Azerbaijan, Daghestan by no means contributes to the democratization of the Caucasus.

Many people think they are too refined, or too rational, to entertain a real sense of wonder in themselves or in others. This is preposterous to me, since the natural world is full of endless wonders, both on Earth and especially in space, no matter how you think it was created.