I had already played Karpov at Linares and had beaten him there. But beating him in a tournament is different from playing one-on-one in a Candidates match. The atmosphere also makes a difference.
Part 2: From Chennai chess player to Grandmaster
Actually, in five out of eight games I should have won, but his resourcefulness won those games for him. If you want to beat Karpov, you have to beat him five times in the same game. He will keep on resisting and he will keep on finding the best moves. That level of resistance you will not get from everybody. That was a shock to me, and I let many chances slip away.
Out of the five games I could have won, I won only one. Out of the two games he could have won, he won both.
If I had played Karpov earlier, I feel I would have won at least three out of those five games.
I still remember an incident that happened in Dubai where I had gone to play when I was a kid. I walked up to Karpov and asked whether I could take a photo with him. He said 'Maybe later' and walked away. It was quite funny that a few years later we were playing against each other. I don't think whether he remembered that incident in Dubai.
Maybe, because I remember this incident I always oblige whoever comes to take a photo with me.
Because I gave Karpov a good fight, many organisers noticed me and invited me for many tournaments. I was already number five in the world.
I came back after the Candidates' match and finished my B Com exams and decided on chess as my career.
Photograph: Sreeram Selvaraj
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