World chess champion Viswanathan Anand, who floored everyone at The Sanmar Group Annual Day with his charm and delightful accessibility, was gracious enough to agree to an interview for Matrix. Here he answers V Ramnarayan’s questions:
What lessons for life do you gain from chess and vice versa? Do you see parallels between corporate and chess strategy?
Of course chess is very much a mirror image of corporate strategy. You are trying to constantly gain the mindspace of your opponent. Each one’s profession shapes how they choose to lead their life. Chess has taught me a lot and given me rich experiences.
We know that visualisation plays a major part in sporting success. Can you throw some light on this and other methods of preparation, and how they may have changed through the decades?
I am what you can call the crossover brigade in chess. We started out with books and board and now we singularly use only computers to work, analyse and research. For chess, memory plays a key role and any added gift is a plus. I am known to be intuitive and have a keen sense of danger. Chess is all about catching your opponent in uncharted territory.
As a corollary, chess being such an intense mind game, how do you switch off when you are not playing or want a break from thinking of chess?
I deliberately try to shut my mind from chess when possible. So we take vacations or now I tend to spend more time with Akhil. I am also fond of astronomy and mathematics.
What keeps you motivated at this stage of your career? What do you do to stay hungry when you have done it all?
I don’t really sit back and think about what has been achieved. I rather like to play from game to game and maximise my result.
Chess by itself is complex and intense, so I try to avoid the additional baggage. But sometimes when people put you along with the all time greats, that’s a special feeling. You can’t deny it.
You said you admired Bobby Fisher most among chess champions. Can you tell us why?
What he achieved in 1972 was unthinkable in that era. He had a special feeling for chess and played with a lot of flair and style.
After active chess, what, besides the initiatives in which you are already involved? Will there be a greater involvement in spreading the chess movement in schools? Writing/ commentating on chess?
Definitely, but I am not thinking about it.
Honours and awards National Citizens Award and Soviet Land Nehru Award in 1987. British Chess Federation ‘Book of the Year' Award in 1998 for his book My Best Games of Chess. Jameo de Oro the highest honour given by the Government of Lanzarote in Spain on 25 April 2001. Nilesh Murali and Rahul Desirazu Excellence in Chess Award (2004, 2007). Chess Oscar (1997, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2008). Sportstar Millennium Award in 1998. ‘Global Strategist Award' for Mastering many formats of World Chess Championships by NASSCOM in 2011. Rs 2 crore Tamil Nadu Government award for winning the World Chess Championship for the fifth time. ‘Indian sportsperson of the year' and ‘Indian of the year' awards 2012. |