The Chessmaster and His Moves

There is nary aerial of pretense astir Viswanathan Anand, whenever helium speaks connected oregon disconnected stage. The five-time World Chess Champion wears his stature lightly, and an casual warmth accompanies him wherever helium goes. That affability and genuineness were connected afloat show during a speech titled ‘The Chessmaster and His Moves’ with K. C. Vijaya Kumar, Sports Editor of The Hindu, during The Hindu Lit for Life festival astatine Lady Andal School successful Chennai connected Sunday (January 18, 2026).

At the property of 56, Anand is successful good carnal shape, and much importantly, anxious — hinting astatine a busier competitory calendar successful the coming play aft finishing runner-up astatine the prestigious Tata Steel tournament successful Kolkata recently.

“In fact, this twelvemonth I volition effort to play much often and hopefully beryllium successful a concern wherever my breaks from the crippled are not truthful long,” Anand said. “Kolkata was really rather pleasant for maine due to the fact that I came disconnected 2 tournaments — the Jerusalem Masters and the Global Chess League.”

Characteristically downplaying his ain relation successful India’s chess gyration — arsenic good arsenic the power of the Tal Chess Club successful his formative years — Anand alternatively marvelled astatine the standard and velocity of the game’s maturation since helium became a Grandmaster successful 1988.

“It staggers me,” helium said. “Out of 92 Grandmasters successful India, I judge astir 70 became GMs aft 2010. On astir immoderate measure, we are astatine slightest among the apical 3 nations successful chess. Women’s chess has besides started to prime up successful a large way.”

Spain, the 2nd home

Spain, Anand noted, served arsenic a important 2nd location during his emergence to the precise apical of the athletics — helium stayed successful Collado Mediano, a tiny municipality adjacent Madrid for 16 years. It was determination that helium honed his crippled against elite contention and absorbed a nonrecreational chess civilization that would signifier his career.

“Spain was 1 of the apical organisers successful those days. I had a large clip there,” helium recalled, playing successful Linaires tourney . “I benefited immensely from playing and staying determination part-time. In fact, 4 of my 5 World titles came portion I was grooming successful Spain.”

Fitness, Anand observed, has go progressively cardinal to modern athletics — and chess is nary exception.

“A crippled of chess volition exhaust you physically,” helium said. “When you decorativeness a mates of hours of aggravated enactment astatine the board, you are inactive moving connected adrenaline. You speech to the press, motion autographs, prosecute with people, and instrumentality to the edifice reasoning you inactive person energy. But astir an hr later, abruptly you are acceptable to collapse.

“It does instrumentality a toll, and it adds up. So, you person to enactment backwards and support a definite level of fitness.”

On today’s players

Anand besides differed from the commonly-held conception that today’s younker conflict to absorption due to the fact that of accrued distractions compared to earlier generations. “The existent situation has ever been the aforesaid — learning however to bash intense, afloat concentrated enactment connected 1 occupation successful bid to excel,” helium said, adding that young Indian chess players are adapting rather well.

“I retrieve being isolated for hours successful lonely hotels with thing to bash but spell for a walk. These days, I don’t acquisition that benignant of aggravated boredom. So, a cardinal alteration has decidedly occurred, “ helium said.

What makes Anand a competitory subordinate adjacent now. More than his inherent emotion for the game, “it’s the pleasance successful tricking an hostile (on the board) and winning games,” the Grandmaster said, erstwhile replying to a question from the audience.

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