The point of modern propaganda isn't only to misinform or push an agenda. It is to exhaust your critical thinking, to annihilate truth.
Putin is like Al Capone.
I may play some exhibition games so I don't want to quit the game of chess completely. I just decided and it's a firm decision not to play competitive chess anymore.
In chess, we have styles - like in any other field. There are also fashions in the kinds of systems that people play. So I'm trying to know my opponent as much as possible.
It didn't take long to recognise the shortcomings of the Soviet regime and to see the values of the free world.
More and more people in my country recognise the dangers of having their governors appointed by Putin and having no influence in parliament because Parliament today is also following instructions from Kremlin and no longer represents its people.
I think that it's a vital moment now for Russian democracy to convince people that it's only our actions, our joined actions and protests that could force Kremlin to reconsider its plans to abolish presidential elections.
There are many ways of showing your protest and discontent without the actions of Kremlin.
Russian Parliament today is a bunch of puppets that just fall in with the instructions from Kremlin.
We have to stop the propaganda, the shameful propaganda used by Kremlin to rehabilitate these old types.
I think Russians today have a distorted picture of capitalism, liberal democracy and market economy.
I wouldn't overestimate the importance of my popularity in the country and abroad but at the end of the day it's not as important because I believe that my presence here could make some difference and it could encourage people.
I learned that fighting on the chess board could also have an impact on the political climate in the country.
The real political life in Russia unfortunately is not in the parliament but on the streets and in the media.
Putin can't afford to leave the office because he will be in real danger of being prosecuted for things he and his people did during their stay in power.
I'm still number one and I just recently won a major tournament ahead of my toughest rivals so I think I had a few years ahead of me if I decided to stay.
I think Russian people are learning that democracy is not an alien thing; it's not a western invention.
The only successor to President Putin is President Putin himself and we could of course dream about President Putin stepping down voluntarily and picking out successor which would be probably as bad as him.
I started playing chess when I was five years old. I learned the moves from my mother, then worked with my father - and later trainers. My style became very technical. I sacrificed a lot of things. I was always hunting for the king, for the mate. I'd forget about my other pieces.
Ukraine had quite serious impact on the many Russians. They could see that ordinary people in Ukraine which is a bordering state, very close to Russia, the people of this state are, they didn't want to tolerate anymore the power abuse by Ukrainian officials.
