In chess one cannot control everything. Sometimes a game takes an unexpected turn, in which beauty begins to emerge. Both players are always instrumental in this.

No - I'm quite calm inside during the game for most of the time - not 100%, but generally very calm.

Intellectual effort gives me enormous pleasure

I don't like to show my emotions at the board, not because they might give something away to an opponent, but because that's my style: I like to keep it to myself.

When I speak of the beauty of a game of chess, then naturally this is subjective. Beauty can be found in a very technical, mathematical game for example. That is the beauty of clarity.

I go to bed at 4 a. m. Almost all chessplayers do.

When I was a child I liked the games of Capablanca, and later I was captivated by Alekhine's play.