After game six, Magnus Carlsen and Viswanathan Anand took on questions from the Media. Here is the transcript:

Q: (FIDE Press Officer) Magnus what are your comments on this game?
A: (Magnus Carlsen) I thought I got a solid position out of the opening. Then at some point I was little bit better. But nothing much going on. He sacrificed or blundered a pawn. After that I got a good rook ending. I am not at all sure if it is winning. At this point I missed the whole h5 idea. I didn’t think you can really give up a pawn like that. May be I should play 43…h5 (instead of 43…Kf7) and press for a win eventually with Re7-e5. Now, it was a draw. I had one little trap. Which was my Kf4-Ke3 etc. Fortunately he went for it. It is very difficult. May be impossible to hold after that.

Q: (FIDE Press Officer) Here (after 59…f4) you think you were winning?
A: (Magnus Carlsen) May be. Without the pawns on b2 and c3 it will be a dead draw. His pawns seriously inhibit the rook and h3…f3 is coming very fast.

Q: (FIDE Press Officer) Where did you lost track in this position?
A: (Viswanathan Anand): Magnus pretty much summed it up well. It is here that I gave this check (57.Rg8+) and I thought it will go Rg4 and similar idea. But I just blundered into f4. And here 57.Rc8 is just a draw.

Q: (FIDE Press Officer) Speaking about the opening at which moment did not lost to fight for the advantage?
A: (Viswanathan Anand) Magnus’ manoeuvre with the knight was quite good. Then I started wondering what to do. Then I thought with Qg4 with the major pieces I could get a solid position. Then I don’t know … one mistake after the other.

Q: (Amit Karmarkar, Times of India) How is your mood after two successive victories?
A: (Magnus Carlsen) It is good. Today I got a pretty solid position early on. But I thought I should cut glass and win yesterday and to press him today. Today there was not much to risk. Fortunately I was little bit lucky and I won in the end. Obviously I am in a good mood now. I won two games and with six games to go that’s obviously a healthy lead.

Q: (Amit Karmarkar, Times of India) Anand, what is the trick to deal with this situation now?
A: (Viswanathan Anand) I mean, today was a heavy blow. I will not pretend otherwise. Nothing to be done. You just go on.

Q: (FIDE Press Officer) In some interview you said you know some ten thousand games. When you played with black which games did you recollected or remembered?
A: (Magnus Carlsen) Nothing particular. It is just that there are many types of plans in such positions. I just wanted to find reasonably a solid one.

Q: (FIDE Press Officer) He (Anand) said the manoeuvre with the knight was strong one.
A: (Magnus Carlsen) I have played the Breyer system (of the Ruy Lopez) a lot. Which is characterised by these manoeuvres. So that is nothing new to add.

Q: (Stefan Loeffler, Frankfurt Allgemeine) Vishy, what was the reasoning behind giving up the pawn? Why did you not stay put with say Qg3 for example?
A: (Viswanathan Anand) Well, what can I say. Some days goes like that.

Q: (Ebenezer Joseph, Shubhsandesh TV) Anand was it yesterday’s game that was lot of pressure on you?
A: (Viswanathan Anand) Yes, probably.

Q: (Ole Rolfsrud, NRK TV) Mr Anand, you said it was a blow to you. How will you now work out of this blow?
A: (Viswanathan Anand) Well you just do your best.

Q: (T.N. Ragu, Deccan Chronicle) Anand, sad day for India. You lost your second game and Sachin Tendulkar retired today? Any thoughts on Sachin?
A: (Viswanathan Anand) I was following what he was doing. But there are other things in my mind.

Q: (Ole Rolfsrud, NRK TV) I am still wondering if Mr Anand will elaborate by what you mean by doing your best again?
A: (Viswanathan Anand) Doing your best means doing your best. I don’t know why you don’t understand English.

FIDE Press Officer: Thank you for attending the press conference.

AICF Press Release November 16, 2013