Viswanathan Anand: On enjoying life, reading and Lit for Life 2026

For long, Viswanathan Anand has lived life out of suitcases.

As India’s chess ambassador for many decades now, Anand has played tournaments all across the world and increased India’s sporting presence on the global stage. Even today, this semi-retired chess professional is still at the top of the game – in fact, he had an impressive run at the 2026 Tata Steel Chess India Rapid and Blitz Tournament in Kolkata recently.

“I have been travelling for almost 50 years for chess, and have not been part of many things back home because of my career,” he recalls, “I now enjoy the simple moments of life, especially being with my family. Living well is being able to appreciate life and chess.”

At 56, Anand can now finally do what he has long been wanting to; enjoy a lazy day at his Kotturpuram residence in Chennai, play a bit of table tennis with his son, Akhil, and spend time on languid conversations with his wife, Aruna. In fact, Anand was present throughout to support his son, Akhil Anand, during the 14-year-old’s solo art exhibition called Morphogenenesis held in Chennai in August 2025. “As a father, I feel that I should now be more present and enjoy being a family,” stresses Anand, “I try to unwind from travel or from a tournament by doing nothing. I play a lot less, so I actually enjoy training and playing. Many things that I would taken for granted… I now look forward to. I enjoy this feeling of tiredness after an event. I feel almost like a six-year-old when I play a good game. Gratitude is maybe the word.”

Maybe it is. This phase has also given the chess champion the opportunity to take up reading more seriously. “I have a habit of going back to books that I have read and re-read a part that I am interested in,” he reveals, “Inner life of Numbers (Simon Singh) is one such book. Currently, I am fascinated by the book, Why we die by Venki Ramakrishnan.”

When he’s not following chess or reading, Anand, like most Chennaiites, loves his filter coffee and devouring the newspaper. So, what is that one indulgence that makes his day better? “I love a good nap after lunch,” he says, “Even when I am at a tournament, the nap is non-negotiable. I find that it almost energises me for the rest of the day.”

Viswanathan Anand will be in conversation with The Hindu’s Sports Editor KC Vijaya Kumar on January 18 (11.15am) at The Hindu Pavilion, The Hindu Lit for Life 2026. For details, visit https://www.thehindu.com/lit-for-life/