Maybe if I didn't have the talent in chess I'd find the talent in something else. The only thing I know is that I have talent in chess, and I'm satisfied with that.

My father, a fine chess player himself, has been a massive influence throughout my life.

For me right now I think being the world number one is a bigger deal than being the world champion because I think it shows better who plays the best chess. That sounds self-serving but I think it's also right.

Right now I'm really happy with how things are going with my chess career, so I'm not thinking of doing anything else.

My former coach, Simen Agdestein, used to be the best player in Norway.

I'm not really into rap.

Not winning a tournament is not an option for me, unless it's no longer theoretically possible - then of course winning becomes impossible. But up to that point, not winning is just not an option.