Vladimir Kramnik quotes

Vladimir Kramnik is a Russian chess grandmaster, renowned for becoming the World Chess Champion by defeating Garry Kasparov. His strategic style and deep understanding of the game have had a major influence on modern chess. He is celebrated for his contributions to chess theory and for popularizing the sport worldwide. Here are 29 of his quotes:

An impatient person plays differently than a more patient person.

Vladimir Kramnik

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

Vladimir Kramnik

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.

Vladimir Kramnik

I am convinced, the way one plays chess always reflects the player's personality. If something defines his character, then it will also define his way of playing.

Vladimir Kramnik

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

Vladimir Kramnik

For us chess players the language of artist is something natural.

Vladimir Kramnik

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.

Vladimir Kramnik

So basically it's very simple: to start with, if you want to win the match, you shouldn't be afraid of him. There are still many, many things to do, but above all this is the most important: Don't be scared of him!

Vladimir Kramnik

Once he had selected the path he was going down he really had to stick with it in a 16 game match. He had to try and hit in the one direction but unfortunately for him - though fortunately for me! - he hit in the wrong direction.

Vladimir Kramnik

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.

Vladimir Kramnik

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.

Vladimir Kramnik

Every top player has his own style, just as every painter has his own personal signature.

Vladimir Kramnik

Only he, who penetrates into the depth of the game, can express his personality in it.

Vladimir Kramnik

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

Vladimir Kramnik

The Berlin Defence suited my strategy for the match. I had a defensive strategy - Actually, I had in my pocket some other sharper stuff to fall back on - but first I wanted to try the defensive strategy with Black and it worked so well.

Vladimir Kramnik

At some point he seemed to lose all confidence trying to break down the Berlin Wall. He was still fighting as only Kasparov can, but I could see it in his eyes that he knew he wasn't going to win one of these games.

Vladimir Kramnik

But with the Berlin, I was able to allow him to get near, but not quite near enough, and I knew where to draw the line with the fortresses I had set up.

Vladimir Kramnik

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.

Vladimir Kramnik

Now, two years have passed and the situation is completely different: no one wants to organise this match.

Vladimir Kramnik

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.

Vladimir Kramnik

No - I'm quite calm inside during the game for most of the time - not 100%, but generally very calm.

Vladimir Kramnik

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

Vladimir Kramnik