To be champion requires more than simply being a strong player; one has to be a strong human being as well.
Chess is a very tough game, and psychologically a tough game. And of course, chess needs a lot of qualities, human qualities. And so you must have a very strong nervous system, and then you must be well prepared; you must be able to work a lot.
My idea is to make moves to bring chess back to the world's map, to make it part of the world's geography again.
If the opponent offers keen play I don't object; but in such cases I get less satisfaction, even if I win, than from a game conducted according to all the rules of strategy with its ruthless logic.
As a personality, I'm fighter, you know. And I don't give up, and if I believe I'm correct, I'm right, then I work, and I fight. Okay, this could be over a chess board, this could be in life, and so I defend my principles.
Bulgaria is the first state that has been awarded for its excellent fight against iodine deficiency by UNICEF.
After that, Kasparov stepped back from chess which is, and I want this to be clear, not good for chess in general at all. As a whole, the current situation in the chess world leaves a lot to be desired.
Children can take lessons in that school via the Internet and can score extra points like e.g. in Geography or History. That sounds very promising and is a fantastic basis for future steps.
I am thinking about chess in schools in particular. In the USA more than 3200 children competed in an event.
I like to do projects in which you can see statistical results. I am very happy for all these small children, who have been the biggest group of victims of iodine deficiency.
The priority must be the unification of the world titles to straighten things out. But we should not wait that long anymore to change the situation, because we are running out of time.
This whole fuss did not only damage Fischer's image, but that of the USA as well. The way the Americans treated one of their most popular citizens did not make a positive impression worldwide.
I didn't know so well chess theory, the theory of chess openings. And so, of course I knew the theory, but not on the level of the best players, so this was my... this was always my weakness.
Russia is a state within a state. To understand the population of Russia, you need to know the areas of the country; you need an understanding of the people and their interests.
Putin needs strong moves to keep the country as one. There is some criticism that he is centralizing power, but in Russia, if you don't centralize power, you have the risk of losing the country.
If, in our first match for the world champion's title, I had managed to make the score 6-0, there would have been no Kasparov as a good chess player at all.
Las Vegas is a beautiful place. I like it more and more and plan to be here often. It's a great place for chess.
To be a champion requires more than simply being a strong player; one has to be a strong human being as well.
Just make the right estimation of your own strengths and weaknesses, and also that of your opponent.
Pawns not only create the sketch for the whole painting, they are also the soil, the foundation, of any positionCollection: Pawns
Chess is everything: art, science, and sport.Collection: Sports
Blunders rarely travel alone.Collection: Blunders
By all means examine the games of the great chess players, but don't swallow them whole. Their games are valuable not for their separate moves, but for their vision of chess, their way of thinking.Collection: Moving
It is dangerous to maintain equality at the cost of placing the pieces passively.Collection: Pieces
Happiness should always remain a bit incomplete. After all, dreams are boundless.Collection: Funny
The ideal in chess can only be a collective image, but in my opinion it is Capablanca who most closely approaches this.Collection: Chess
I don't pretend to anything more than harmony.Collection: Harmony
You can't play chess if you're groggy from pills.Collection: Play
I still remember Botvinnik's reaction to each of my games, right from the opening moves. At first he would express amazement, then annoyance, and, finally irritation.Collection: Moving
Chess is a very tough game, and psychologically a tough game. And of course chess needs a lot of qualities, human qualities. And so you must have very strong nervous system and then you must be well prepared, you must be able to work a lot.Collection: Strong
Style, I've got no style.Collection: Style
I lost the match. I blame only myself for this. There were many opportunities to win. But I missed them, no one else.Collection: Mistake
The fact that a knight is temporarily on the edge of the board is of no great significance.Collection: Knights
I have found after 1.d4 there are more opportunities for richer play.Collection: Opportunity
The first great chess players, including the world champion, got by perfectly well without constant coaches.Collection: Player
It doesn't require much for misfortune to strike in the King's Gambit - one incautious move, and Black can be on the edge of the abyss.Collection: Kings
I like 1.e4 very much, but my results are better with 1.d4.Collection: Chess
Like dogs who sniff each other when meeting, chess players have a ritual at first acquaintance: they sit down to play speed chess.Collection: Dog
Furman astounded me with his chess depth, a depth which he revealed easily and naturally, as if all he were doing was establishing well-known truths.Collection: Depth
Combinations with a queen sacrifice are among the most striking and memorable.Collection: Queens