The Chessmaster and His Moves

There is no air of pretense about Viswanathan Anand, whenever he speaks on or off stage. The five-time World Chess Champion wears his stature lightly, and an easy warmth accompanies him wherever he goes. That affability and genuineness were on full display during a conversation titled ‘The Chessmaster and His Moves’ with K. C. Vijaya Kumar, Sports Editor of The Hindu, during The Hindu Lit for Life festival at Lady Andal School in Chennai on Sunday (January 18, 2026).

At the age of 56, Anand is in fine physical shape, and more importantly, eager — hinting at a busier competitive calendar in the coming season after finishing runner-up at the prestigious Tata Steel tournament in Kolkata recently.

“In fact, this year I will try to play more often and hopefully be in a situation where my breaks from the game are not so long,” Anand said. “Kolkata was actually quite pleasant for me because I came off two tournaments — the Jerusalem Masters and the Global Chess League.”

Characteristically downplaying his own role in India’s chess revolution — as well as the influence of the Tal Chess Club in his formative years — Anand instead marvelled at the scale and speed of the game’s growth since he became a Grandmaster in 1988.

“It staggers me,” he said. “Out of 92 Grandmasters in India, I believe around 70 became GMs after 2010. On almost any measure, we are at least among the top three nations in chess. Women’s chess has also started to pick up in a big way.”

Spain, the second home

Spain, Anand noted, served as a crucial second home during his rise to the very top of the sport — he stayed in Collado Mediano, a small town near Madrid for 16 years. It was there that he honed his game against elite competition and absorbed a professional chess culture that would shape his career.

“Spain was one of the top organisers in those days. I had a great time there,” he recalled, playing in Linaires tournament . “I benefited immensely from playing and staying there part-time. In fact, four of my five World titles came while I was training in Spain.”

Fitness, Anand observed, has become increasingly central to modern sport — and chess is no exception.

“A game of chess will exhaust you physically,” he said. “When you finish a couple of hours of intense work at the board, you are still running on adrenaline. You talk to the press, sign autographs, engage with people, and return to the hotel thinking you still have energy. But about an hour later, suddenly you are ready to collapse.

“It does take a toll, and it adds up. So, you have to work backwards and maintain a certain level of fitness.”

On today’s players

Anand also differed from the commonly-held notion that today’s youth struggle to focus because of increased distractions compared to earlier generations. “The real challenge has always been the same — learning how to do intense, fully concentrated work on one problem in order to excel,” he said, adding that young Indian chess players are adapting quite well.

“I remember being isolated for hours in lonely hotels with nothing to do except go for a walk. These days, I don’t experience that kind of intense boredom. So, a fundamental change has definitely occurred, “ he said.

What makes Anand a competitive player even now. More than his inherent love for the game, “it’s the pleasure in tricking an opponent (on the board) and winning games,” the Grandmaster said, when replying to a question from the audience.

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Published – January 18, 2026 02:06 pm IST