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

It's nice to be financially secure. Apart from that, I really don't care too much about money.

Without the element of enjoyment, it is not worth trying to excel at anything.

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.

There are certainly loads of players that I admire; I try to learn from all of the great masters both of the past and contemporary as well.

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

I'm more interested in the games than the people.