Quotes from Vladimir Kramnik

With the Berlin I was able to set up a fortress that he could come near but not breach.

The strength of the playing ability is much more important. Only if the strength of the opponent's playing ability is comparable, does the game develop.

For me art and chess are closely related, both are forms in which the self finds beauty and expression.

Chess is an infinitely complex game, which one can play in infinitely numerous and varied ways.

I don't like to show my emotions at the board, not because they might give something away to an opponent, but because that's my style: I like to keep it to myself.

In chess one cannot control everything. Sometimes a game takes an unexpected turn, in which beauty begins to emerge. Both players are always instrumental in this.

In chess one cannot control everything. Sometimes a game takes an unexpected turn, in which beauty begins to emerge. Both players are always instrumental in this.

Even if you play perfectly, a fault of your opponent's can destroy the entire beauty of the game.

I feel that my relationship with Kasparov now is much the same as it had been before the match - good. As for his reaction, well it can't be nice to lose your title after so long, but he was very generous.

The strength of the playing ability is much more important. Only if the strength of the opponent's playing ability is comparable, does the game develop.

Okay, when you start to fight for equality, like Anand did in 1995, you could end up losing game 10, like he did, without putting up any kind of fight.

For me art and chess are closely related, both are forms in which the self finds beauty and expression.

In this respect I suppose I'm the total opposite of Garry. With his very emotive body language at the board he shows and displays all his emotions. I don't.

When I speak of the beauty of a game of chess, then naturally this is subjective. Beauty can be found in a very technical, mathematical game for example. That is the beauty of clarity.

I believe every chess player senses beauty, when he succeeds in creating situations, which contradict the expectations and the rules, and he succeeds in mastering this situation.

The development of beauty in chess never depends on you alone. No matter how much imagination and creativity you invest, you still do not create beauty. Your opponent must react at the same highest level.