Here's a brief interview we did with the 14th World Champion Vladimir Kramnik, who looks back at the London Chess Classic where he finished second behind Magnus Carlsen.

[Transcript:]

How do you look back at your tournament?

I'm very rarely satisfied with my chess. OK, that's just my character, I'm a perfectionist. I always feel that I did something wrong and that I can do better but this time I'm really satisfied with almost everything. Only my game with Anand, starting from move 25 I didn't play so well for a few moves and that's basically it. In the the rest I didn't make a few inaccuracies and actually I played very good chess, I think even better than last year. Last year I made exactly the same performance, plus four (four wins, four draws) but I think this year I was even playing better. I'm happy with my play, I'm happy with the result, with my plus four, only it's a little bit of a pity... usually of course it should be enough to win such a tournament but OK, Magnus was winning every game so what to do! [Smiles.]

I played very good chess, I think even better than last year.

What was your best game in London?

I think all games I won were quite a high level. It's a matter of taste. Probably the game against Luke McShane was more entertaining because there were two exchange sacrifices, it was quite spectacular. But in fact also to win with Black against Nakamura is not easy at all and I think I played quite a good game, very positional. Everything was very logical in the game and I managed to outplay him slowly, although he had good drawing chances at some point. But anyway, you know, actually I didn't analyze my games yet, I simply didn't have time. I was preparing for the next games, so I didn't even check with the computer any of the games. So it's difficult for me to say, but all in all again, yeah, maybe if you ask me I would say yes, my game with McShane.

Against Anand in Bonn you played the Sicilian in the final game. Why not something sharper this time?

It was different, because my opponent didn't need a draw, that's a big difference. Of course, when you know you're opponent is just playing for a draw then it's one story, but here I actually was expecting Mickey to play something much more complicated. If he would win he would catch me and even overtake me, he would be second, I would be third in the general standings so I thought he would just play normal chess, which he in a way did, but OK it was bad luck that he chose a very safe line. Usually he plays much more complicated lines with d3 and then you can get a long game. That was my idea. You know, I'm very experienced already and I know that if you just start to bluf from the beginning... Mickey is a very strong player, especially with White and he knows everything, he [has played] 1.e4 all his life. I was having a look at all kind of Pircs, Scandinavian, yesterday in the evening. But you know, let's say in [the] Pirc, he has a score, a performance of like 14 wins and 4 draws, something like this. I think I have a good chance of simply losing the game stupidly, getting a bad position and losing the game.

I was having a look at all kind of Pircs, Scandinavian, yesterday in the evening.

It's not really an option, and so I decided to play my normal opening which I know well, which there is a better chance that I will get a decent position out of the opening, and then in an equal position, you know, all pieces are on the board, anything can happen. So I thought it was the right choice objectively. I would do the same next time if it would be this particular situation. Of course it's a different story again because he needed a draw; it's clear that he would just start to sterilize the game. Then of course it's a different story, but here I didn't at all think that Mickey would do it so that's why I decided to play [like this].

How do you look at Magnus' rating record? "Inflation" or "better than Kasparov"?

It's clear that there is a little bit of inflation and I would still think Kasparov's 2851 in that time was a little bit more, probably, taking into consideration inflation, than Magnus is, I don't know, 2860, 2870, whatever he has now [smiles]. But of course it's a big achievement, it's a great achievement anyway. I actually don't see in the very near future who is going to be close to this rating and also he's very young, he still has lots of tournaments ahead of him and even some more records to make. But otherwise, yeah, I played with both of them. They are unique players of course, both, but it's very difficult to compare. I can only say I have plus one with both of them! [laughs] for the moment so for me it means they are more or less equal.

I can only say I have plus one with both of them!

No, but I'm joking, but of course Garry at his best was incredibly strong also and Magnus... yes, definitely you see that he is really, really strong. But [it's] not impossible to fight. I don't really feel pressure when I play with Magnus. I actually like very much to play with him because I always like to play with really the strongest possible opponent. But I think at the moment our personal games are very equal, I'm on plus one at the moment but OK, he won some games, I won some games and in general it's quite equal. Quite often I manage to press even, so I feel I can fight with him. In this sense, maybe not for too long, maybe I don't have so much time, after all I'm already 37, but still I can do it. I'm quite optimistic that in the Candidates tournament in London in March, well, if I managed to keep and if I get a little bit more luck, let's say somebody will blunder against me [smiles], I have some chances to compete with him, I believe so. Let's see.

Will the Candidates in March be your last shot at playing a world title match?

You know, I already thought my last shot was in Kazan, sincerely, I thought that would be my last shot but now I have even a higher rating than at that time.

I thought that [Kazan] would be my last shot but now I have even a higher rating than at that time.

I believe to the next cycle definitely, I mean after let's say 2015 for sure I don't think I will have chances to fight for the world title. But I would say maybe two cycles, maybe. Of course now I concentrate on this one and again, I'm very happy with the improvement of my shape, both physical... I mean I made a lot of work after the Olympiad so my physical shape, on chess, on psychology, I filled the team already, which is working now, so I think things are really improving. My play improved very significantly since [the] summer, and I think I'm on the right way. Now the most important thing is to keep this form and to improve a little bit still. I still need a little bit more improvement if I want to win the Candidates tournament. I understand I am not the main favourite, probably the main favourite is Magnus, but maybe it's even better because there is less psychological pressure. If I play like I played here I'm confident, I have chances.