Josh Waitzkin

just so like appreciating life with this freshness and intensity than I'd ever had, more than I'd ever had. I was like totally on fire in chess, in life, in love, in everything. And I was paired against Peter Svidler, who was the Russian. We were on the first board last round. We were playing for the world championship.

just so like appreciating life with this freshness and intensity than I'd ever had, more than I'd ever had. I was like totally on fire in chess, in life, in love, in everything. And I was paired against Peter Svidler, who was the Russian. We were on the first board last round. We were playing for the world championship.

just so like appreciating life with this freshness and intensity than I'd ever had, more than I'd ever had. I was like totally on fire in chess, in life, in love, in everything. And I was paired against Peter Svidler, who was the Russian. We were on the first board last round. We were playing for the world championship.

Every country sends their national champion, so it's a long tournament to get there. Early in the game, I think it was move 12, he offered me a draw. So if I'd accepted the draw for – it would have gone to tie breaks. I didn't know exactly what was happening, but I thought that he was slightly favored in tie breaks.

Every country sends their national champion, so it's a long tournament to get there. Early in the game, I think it was move 12, he offered me a draw. So if I'd accepted the draw for – it would have gone to tie breaks. I didn't know exactly what was happening, but I thought that he was slightly favored in tie breaks.

Every country sends their national champion, so it's a long tournament to get there. Early in the game, I think it was move 12, he offered me a draw. So if I'd accepted the draw for – it would have gone to tie breaks. I didn't know exactly what was happening, but I thought that he was slightly favored in tie breaks.

I wasn't sure, but basically the world championship would be determined or the gold medal would be determined by how our opponents in previous rounds did in the last round. But I hadn't calculated it out before, but I had a feeling it – It was like – maybe it was like 40-60 or 30-70 against me. But it was my style. I never accept a draw first. That wasn't my style. I always wanted to fight.

I wasn't sure, but basically the world championship would be determined or the gold medal would be determined by how our opponents in previous rounds did in the last round. But I hadn't calculated it out before, but I had a feeling it – It was like – maybe it was like 40-60 or 30-70 against me. But it was my style. I never accept a draw first. That wasn't my style. I always wanted to fight.

I wasn't sure, but basically the world championship would be determined or the gold medal would be determined by how our opponents in previous rounds did in the last round. But I hadn't calculated it out before, but I had a feeling it – It was like – maybe it was like 40-60 or 30-70 against me. But it was my style. I never accept a draw first. That wasn't my style. I always wanted to fight.

So I declined, pushed for a win. Now, the beauty of his decision was also he offered me a draw in the critical position where I had to make a very specific decision. which is a trick that chess players play on one another, which is that like if you're, we should talk about tension at one point. It's a really beautiful theme to explore in different sports.

So I declined, pushed for a win. Now, the beauty of his decision was also he offered me a draw in the critical position where I had to make a very specific decision. which is a trick that chess players play on one another, which is that like if you're, we should talk about tension at one point. It's a really beautiful theme to explore in different sports.

So I declined, pushed for a win. Now, the beauty of his decision was also he offered me a draw in the critical position where I had to make a very specific decision. which is a trick that chess players play on one another, which is that like if you're, we should talk about tension at one point. It's a really beautiful theme to explore in different sports.

So one thing that happens in chess games is that you have this building tension between minds and often the tension on the chess board and the tension on the minds are mounting together. And the urge, the need to release psychological tension often leads to the decision to release chess tension. in the chess pieces.

So one thing that happens in chess games is that you have this building tension between minds and often the tension on the chess board and the tension on the minds are mounting together. And the urge, the need to release psychological tension often leads to the decision to release chess tension. in the chess pieces.

So one thing that happens in chess games is that you have this building tension between minds and often the tension on the chess board and the tension on the minds are mounting together. And the urge, the need to release psychological tension often leads to the decision to release chess tension. in the chess pieces.

And when you release chess tension, usually the person who releases the tension will be on the wrong side of tactics. So a lot of chess, the chess game is about putting mental pressure on the opponent to force them to break the tension on the chess board. So in that game, he offered me a draw. So you think about it, we're 17 years old, we're 10 days into a world championship battle.

And when you release chess tension, usually the person who releases the tension will be on the wrong side of tactics. So a lot of chess, the chess game is about putting mental pressure on the opponent to force them to break the tension on the chess board. So in that game, he offered me a draw. So you think about it, we're 17 years old, we're 10 days into a world championship battle.

And when you release chess tension, usually the person who releases the tension will be on the wrong side of tactics. So a lot of chess, the chess game is about putting mental pressure on the opponent to force them to break the tension on the chess board. So in that game, he offered me a draw. So you think about it, we're 17 years old, we're 10 days into a world championship battle.

Even no matter how much we love the battle, some piece of ourselves wants a way out. Like we want to release the tension. It's just elemental to who we are when we're living with that much pressure. So all I have to do then is like accept the draw, shake hands. And the tournament's over and then it's out of our hands what happens. So in that moment, I have to also make a critical chess position.

Even no matter how much we love the battle, some piece of ourselves wants a way out. Like we want to release the tension. It's just elemental to who we are when we're living with that much pressure. So all I have to do then is like accept the draw, shake hands. And the tournament's over and then it's out of our hands what happens. So in that moment, I have to also make a critical chess position.