Boris Spassky

Time control directly influences the quality of play.

On the other hand, chess is a mass sport now and for chess organisers shorter time control is obviously more attractive. But I think that this control does not suit World Championship matches.

When I am in form, my style is a little bit stubborn, almost brutal. Sometimes I feel a great spirit of fight which drives me on.

Nowadays the dynamic element is more important in chess – players more often sacrifice material to obtain dynamic compensation.

The Soviet Union was an exception, but even there chess players were not rich. Only Fischer changed that.

We were like bishops of opposite color.

When I played Bobby Fischer, my opponent fought against organizations – the television producers and the match organizers. But he never fought against me personally. I lost to Bobby before the match because he was already stronger than I. He won normally.

For example, computer defends well, but for humans its is harder to defend than attack, particularly with the modern time control.

Recently I saw Kasparov and he looked to me as still young and potent champion.

We can compare classical chess and rapid chess with theatre and cinema – some actors don’t like the latter and prefer to work in the theatre.

I also follow chess on the Internet, where Kasparov’s site is very interesting.

Nowadays young people have great choice of occupations, hobbies, etc, so chess is experiencing difficulties because of the high competition. Now it’s hard to make living in chess, so our profession does attract young people.

Nowadays there is more dynamism in chess, modern players like to take the initiative. Usually they are poor defenders though.

Bobby Fischer has an enormous knowledge of chess and his familiarity with the chess literature of the USSR is immense.

I don’t play in tournaments, but I follow some.

I think that the World Champion should try to defend the quality of play more than anyone else.

The place of chess in the society is closely related to the attitude of young people towards our game.

I try to help developing junior chess. When I lived in USSR, I got a lot of free help from very good coaches – now I am trying to repay that debt.

I don’t want ever to be champion again.

Nowadays it would be reasonable to have an annual world championship.

When you play Bobby, it is not a question if you win or lose. It is a question if you survive.

In my country, at that time, being a champion of chess was like being a King. At that time I was a King – and when you are King you feel a lot of responsibility, but there is nobody there to help you.