"I never really thought I would make it big. I just enjoyed playing chess."
"The Holy Grail of Indian chess till 1987 was when and who would become India's first Grandmaster."
"Sometimes when you have a goal in front of you it is easy to focus."
"As long as you know what your destination is, you know how fast you want to get there. But once you have reached your destination you start looking back rather looking at new peaks."
"It is extremely difficult to change a wining formula, but one has to experiment even when you succeed."
"Defeat gives you the courage to experiment. Success can never motivate you the same way."
"You don't have to search for big challenges or goals. Doing what you do a little better is a challenge in itself."
"Your chess and thought process has to change accordingly. Working with new people gives you a fresh perspective."
"The most important lesson I learnt was that one had to experiment even when the going is good."
"Passion is something that you need to keep, however small the event. Process and perfection are all good qualities, but passion has to be the guiding force."
"It is difficult to be objective about success or failure, but they are the two pillars on which you hinge your performance."