‘It’s just a game’

“I am very eager to improve and have to make some serious changes in my preparations. It was unfortunate, but the experience was very useful”, says Vladimir Kramnik in this chat with Rakesh Rao.

For eight years, Vladimir Kramnik was the unbeaten king in world-title matches. As an 11-year-old, Kramnik caught the attention of the legendary Mikhail Botvinnik and went on to assist Garry Kasparov in the 1995 World Championship match against Viswanathan Anand. His consistent display at the highest level has truly made Kramnik a worthy successor to Kasparov whom he dethroned in 2000.

After denying Kasparov even a single win in their famous world-title match, Kramnik went on to defend the title against Peter Leko (in 2004) and Veselin Topalov (2006).

Last year, Kramnik agreed to play in the World Championship in Mexico and became part of the eight-player field to find a “unified” world champion. But Kramnik’s condition was: in case there was a new winner, he would exercise his one-time right to challenge the champion. Anand finished a point ahead of Kramnik. A series of negotiations followed and led to the famous ‘Battle of Bonn.’

Eventually, Anand emerged stronger, winning with one game to spare in the best-of-12-game contest. The showdown also saw Anand removing all doubts of his match-playing skills by conquering the much-respected Russian.

After the match, Kramnik was gracious in accepting defeat and aired his views on several topics:

On Viswanathan Anand’s superior preparations:

It’s normal. Like me, I am sure, Vishy also made a lot of preparation for this match. In the first half of the match, you might have got the impression that my preparations were not good, but it is not true. I was also preparing. It just happened that his preparations were, may be, more clever and more precise. In the beginning, I could not keep up with him, I was not able to get what I wanted. But in the second half of the match, there was something I changed a little bit and I started to get some decent positions that I actually wanted.

On Anand’s choice of opening:

It was not a surprise that he could play so many different openings every time. It was more than chess. You have to always try to get something new. It was no surprise but awkward for me to get into his precise preparation in Games Three and Five. Especially the fifth game which, probably, was decisive in the match. May be, it was a mistake to repeat this variation. I mean, we are humans and we make mistakes.

On the 11th-round draw that earned Anand the title:

It was difficult to try and find a forced win for black against an opponent who was strong and serious. Then at one stage, I did not know much about the position. But I played fine and kept the game sharp. If I hadn’t done anything, then white would have got better. There were no tricks on the board. So there was very little I could do. The position that emerged was clearly better for white. So I decided to go ahead with a draw. I did my best. I know miracles happen, but very rarely.

On the positives from the match:

I am very eager to improve. I have to make some serious changes in my preparations. It was unfortunate, but the experience was very useful. My plan is to relax a bit and then go on and improve my chess. I still feel very interested in playing chess. Even here, when it was a very difficult match for me from the very beginning, I was happy to play. It’s even happier to have played such an opponent as Vishy. He is a great player and for me it was very interesting, not only to fight for the title, but also for the fact that it was a very interesting chess experience. Basically, I am disappointed, but it is not over. I am going to make use of the lessons that I’ve learnt here.

On how he kept himself motivated in the second half:

Things cannot go so badly all the time. I mean, I was in a fighting mood from the beginning, but I couldn’t get what I wanted. Things were going totally wrong in the first six games. My opening began to get different, the positions were different. The problem was not that I was tense or something. I was not getting what I wanted in terms of positions.

On how he kept the media in good humour despite the losses:

We are professionals. You don’t look very good after losing. It is not the fault of the journalists and all the people around. But it doesn’t mean you have to explain all the reasons.

On how he managed to keep his sense of humour irrespective of three losses:

We should not forget it is just a game. There is a lot at stake, world championship title and add what you have, but it is only a game. There will be reason to be depressed. Sometimes losing is inevitable when you play an opponent like Vishy. You can hope before the match that you would win, but you can also lose. It is a possibility. I try to do my best and in a way that is my motto in life. You are responsible for the quality of your work but you are not responsible for the result of the game. I am just trying to be responsible and make it work. Sometimes, it doesn’t work, like this time but what can I do? It was not my match and Vishy was better. He is a great player.

On the feelings he was left with:

Difficult to express the feeling. There is no relief that it is over. You are relieved when you win. When you lose, you are disappointed. Life is like this and you don’t win all matches you play. I clearly made certain mistakes in my preparations.

On his future:

If there is an opportunity to fight for the World Championship again, I will take it. I will play. I am enjoying chess. The last two years were very tough. I played a lot of matches, with Topalov, computer etc. Now I have no such pressure. I can rest and improve my chess. Finally enjoy life a little bit. If I play well, I am sure I will get an opportunity to play for the World Championship. I will try and do it. But I don’t have any concrete ideas in my mind.