While the matches were going on, Levon Aronian said, you were ready to take risks. Is it true? When you went for the championship, were you ready to take risks?
Definitely. I knew that in order to unseat Vlady, you have to get him out of his comfortable zone. Against Kramnik, not taking a risk is a risk because he then starts to become very comfortable, and would put a lot of pressure on you. At least, here, I could control the pace.
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Game 5 is described by many as a thriller. The finish also was described by experts as one of the most elegant finishes in the history of chess. Are you aware of all this?
I don't follow what is being written while the match is on. During the match, my seconds only told me anything that is of relevance. Later on, after the match, I saw that a lot of people really liked the finish.
The game was particularly nice because I repeated the same sharp line that I did in Game 3 and still managed to put a lot of pressure on Kramnik.
Those who watched the game enjoyed it. Did you enjoy while playing? Or, was there a lot of pressure?
Yes, in every game, you are under pressure. But in Game 3 and 5, it is clear that he was under more pressure than me. We also had our problems but we were further ahead in our preparation than he was. So, the quantum of problem was unfavourable for him.
Ultimately, is it the preparation that makes the difference?
It is impossible to separate. Good preparation has to be followed by good chess. You have to convert your preparation well. Without preparation, you may not even start the game. I played the match very well. I was sharp and all that but in the 10th game, he delivered a new idea. Luckily I was not in that situation more often!
Did his win in the 10th game come as a shock to you?
I wouldn't say it was a shock. You expect in a match something will go wrong, and you allow space for that. If it did not have happened, it was well and good but you cannot expect not to have a single problem in a match.
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