In a way players at the top should try to promote the game in their own countries as that is the legacy that makes you feel proud. If you have not done that you have failed as a sportsperson.

Preparedness for a game that usually lasts four-five hours requires good physical condition and also steady nerves.

Each match I play is the most important one yet.

I was very lucky that while I was a chess player in a country where chess was not a big deal, I happened to be in the one city where there was a sprouting chess team: Chennai.

I attend to my fitness. I go the gym every day and try to maintain my physical fitness; without that, it is tough to take challenges on the chess board.

Intuition in chess can be defined as the first move that comes to mind when you see a position.

Before a match, I do not follow any chess news except the games.