It's easy for me to get along with chess players. Even though we are all very different, we have chess in common.

I get more upset at losing at other things than chess. I always get upset when I lose at Monopoly.

Once you're a chess player, you spend a lot of time thinking about the game and you can't get it completely out of your head.

Chess only appeals to quite a small minority. It does not have the cachet of a mainstream popular sport.

I started by just sitting by the chessboard exploring things. I didn't even have books at first, and I just played by myself. I learnt a lot from that, and I feel that it is a big reason why I now have a good intuitive understanding of chess.

My father, a fine chess player himself, has been a massive influence throughout my life.