I was very lucky that while I was a chess player in a country where chess was not a big deal, I happened to be in the one city where there was a sprouting chess team: Chennai. Viswanathan Anand bigchennaichess Change image and share on social
Chess as a sport requires a lot of mental stamina, and this is what that makes it different from a physical sport. Chess players have a unique ability of taking in a lot of information and remembering relevant bits. So, memory and mental stamina are the key attributes. Viswanathan Anand abilityattributebit share on social
I personally prefer long-distance walking, but we are talking about pre-tournament preparation. During a tournament I make do with walking, mainly to concentrate before a game. Viswanathan Anand concentratedistancegame Change image and share on social
I attend to my fitness. I go the gym every day and try to maintain my physical fitness; without that, it is tough to take challenges on the chess board. Viswanathan Anand attendboardchallenge Change image and share on social
There is always the risk of being over-confident when you are preparing to face a weaker player. Viswanathan Anand confidentfaceplayer Change image and share on social
Each match I approach like a new one. The work is so immense that you don't have time to sit and ponder. Viswanathan Anand approachimmensematch Change image and share on social
When there's an important tournament going on, I try and stay in a bubble. It's easy that way because then you don't have to worry about anything else. Viswanathan Anand bubbleeasyimportant Change image and share on social
I was reasonably interested in mathematics in school. Typically what happens is... when you start playing chess, it takes up a lot of your attention. But about 10 years ago, I found that the Internet is very good to start learning about a lot of subjects. Viswanathan Anand agoattentionchess share on social
India has lot of talent. What I am happy with is that the talent keeps on coming. Certainly it could be nice, though I am not terribly keen on seeing my successor yet. Viswanathan Anand comehappyindia Change image and share on social
There are some aspects of work you need to keep working on and no matter what environment you are in. Continuous learning is very important. It's what I call 'competitive tension', which is about having a competition around. Viswanathan Anand aspectcallcompetition share on social
