When I raised these lacerating words with Peter, he reacted with characteristic generosity of spirit: "Zhenya is a good friend and doesn't say things like that lightly, so it made me sit up and think. It was meant as a message for me. I do still love the game, but you also need to work very hard, and for me this is the most regrettable aspect."

There is of course irony in that self-deprecating pay-off, and it was clear to me that Peter is now ferociously determined to push for the ultimate title of world champion: "Half a year ago I would have said this is a very long shot, but now I have a huge opportunity — I am most motivated when playing against the very best in the world."

When I asked Peter for his favourite game, it was no surprise that he chose the following struggle from the recent World Cup in which, with the Black pieces, he knocked out the awesomely tough Gata Kamsky — who had eliminated Svidler in the same event four years earlier. Its conclusion is an unforgettable mixture of elegance and brutality. The notes that follow are from Svidler's own remarks:

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.a4 Rb8 8.axb5 axb5 9.c3 d6 10.d4 Bb6 11.Be3 0-0 12.Nbd2 h6 13.h3 Re8 14. Qc2 exd4 15.cxd4 Na5 16.Ba2 Bb7 17.e5 Nd5 18.Bb1! (I missed this, and am lucky not to be losing immediately) g6 19.Bxh6 Nc6 20.exd6? (After 20.Qe4 I would have to play well to draw) Qxd6 21.Ne4 Qb4 22. Ba2 (At first I still thought I was losing. But then I saw something...) Nxd4 23.Nf6+ Kh8 (Not, of course, 23...Nxf6 24 Qxg6+ and mates) 24.Nxd4 Nxf6 25.Nc6 Qh4!! 26.Nxb8 Re2!! (The astounding point: after 27.Qxe2 Qg3! the White Queen has been deflected away from control of c6, so that Kamsky can no longer block the threat of Qxg2 mate by withdrawing his Knight to c6.) 27.Qc3 Rxf2 28.Nc6 Rxf1+ And with Svidler, as he put it "about to collect the entire chess set", Kamsky resigned. A modern classic.