Q: In other sports, as folks head into big competitions, they taper, or slow down training to reserve energy. What does your training look like heading into big competitions, and do you have any sort of “tapering”?
A: In general, yes, one should preserve energy for tournaments, and probably [Garry] Kasparov and [Bobby] Fischer are good examples of that. For me, I try to do both; I try to stay relaxed and at the same time stay sharp. To stay sharp, I do problems and to stay relaxed, I watch sports and basically take my mind off the game.
Q: But in the moment, you were just focused on winning the game. It was stressful just reading about it because it was a nail-biter, but that buzzer beater won you a monumental achievement overall. How did you stay focused in the moment?
A: There was a lot of pressure on me, and I tried to basically focus on just the game. But at some point, I got really deep into the variations. I had very low time, but I made the game very sharp, and my opponent then also kept getting lower and lower on time.
Q: Now we’re thinking ticking time bomb …
A: At some point, I even had only one second on the clock, and I had to make my move extremely fast.
Q: And looking back, was it the right instinct?
A: Yes, I think it was the correct move.
Q: Trash talk isn’t really a big part of the culture of chess. What kind of mental intimidation occurs over the board between opponents?
A: Sometimes people try to stare down their opponents, but …
Q: But you have a mind of steel, Professor X …
A: Well, I will just stare right back.
Q: I understand that you have your eyes on a world championship. What do you need to do to get there?
A: Anyone who plays the game has eyes on the World Championship title, and if they say otherwise, don’t believe them. Basically, though, it comes down to work ethic, and when I say I want to become world champion, I think that time will show. I just became a grandmaster, and there are still so many steps to get to that title.
Q: How do you sustain yourself –mentally, physically and emotionally – from exhaustion in long matches?
A: Well basically during tournaments, a win really adds to your confidence, and I don’t really get hungry.
Q: Because of the adrenaline?
A: I drink water, but I don’t need anything else. But I do stay physically fit in general. I go to the gym. I run and swim and play sports, which you should do for these long games that can last so many hours.
Q: With all that water over those hours, can you get up and go to the bathroom?
A: [Laughs.] Of course, you can do that as much as you need.
Q: How much of chess, then, is playing against your opponent versus playing against yourself?
A: When it comes to playing your opponent, you especially want to be up on time or at least equal on time to keep the pressure on.
See Guardian's interview.
A: In general, yes, one should preserve energy for tournaments, and probably [Garry] Kasparov and [Bobby] Fischer are good examples of that. For me, I try to do both; I try to stay relaxed and at the same time stay sharp. To stay sharp, I do problems and to stay relaxed, I watch sports and basically take my mind off the game.
Q: But in the moment, you were just focused on winning the game. It was stressful just reading about it because it was a nail-biter, but that buzzer beater won you a monumental achievement overall. How did you stay focused in the moment?
A: There was a lot of pressure on me, and I tried to basically focus on just the game. But at some point, I got really deep into the variations. I had very low time, but I made the game very sharp, and my opponent then also kept getting lower and lower on time.
Q: Now we’re thinking ticking time bomb …
A: At some point, I even had only one second on the clock, and I had to make my move extremely fast.
Q: And looking back, was it the right instinct?
A: Yes, I think it was the correct move.
Q: Trash talk isn’t really a big part of the culture of chess. What kind of mental intimidation occurs over the board between opponents?
A: Sometimes people try to stare down their opponents, but …
Q: But you have a mind of steel, Professor X …
A: Well, I will just stare right back.
Q: I understand that you have your eyes on a world championship. What do you need to do to get there?
A: Anyone who plays the game has eyes on the World Championship title, and if they say otherwise, don’t believe them. Basically, though, it comes down to work ethic, and when I say I want to become world champion, I think that time will show. I just became a grandmaster, and there are still so many steps to get to that title.
Q: How do you sustain yourself –mentally, physically and emotionally – from exhaustion in long matches?
A: Well basically during tournaments, a win really adds to your confidence, and I don’t really get hungry.
Q: Because of the adrenaline?
A: I drink water, but I don’t need anything else. But I do stay physically fit in general. I go to the gym. I run and swim and play sports, which you should do for these long games that can last so many hours.
Q: With all that water over those hours, can you get up and go to the bathroom?
A: [Laughs.] Of course, you can do that as much as you need.
Q: How much of chess, then, is playing against your opponent versus playing against yourself?
A: When it comes to playing your opponent, you especially want to be up on time or at least equal on time to keep the pressure on.
See Guardian's interview.
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