I can’t count the times I have lagged seemingly hopelessly far behind, and nobody except myself thinks I can win. But I have pulled myself in from desperate [situations]. When you are behind there are two strategies - counter-attack or all men to the defences. I’m good at finding the right balance between those.

Unfortunately I'm still not a fashion expert.

People ask what my goal is. I don't have a goal.

If you want to get to the top, there's always the risk that it will isolate you from other people.

Chess only appeals to quite a small minority. It does not have the cachet of a mainstream popular sport.

Self-confidence is very important. If you don't think you can win, you will take cowardly decisions in the crucial moments, out of sheer respect for your opponent. You see the opportunity but also greater limitations than you should. I have always believed in what I do on the chessboard, even when I had no objective reason to. It is better to overestimate your prospects than underestimate them.

Once you're a chess player, you spend a lot of time thinking about the game and you can't get it completely out of your head.