Each Match I Play is the Most Important One Yet: Viswanathan Anand on World Chess Match vs Carlsen

World Chess Championship 2013 interviews: The next few weeks are testing times for chess wizard Viswanathan Anand. For, he is busy getting himself ready - both mentally and physically - for his World Championship match against World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen next month in Chennai.

In between all the hype around the match, Vishy, as he is called, made it a point to spend time with his family for Navaratri, a festival he loves. He gets talking to us on his upcoming match, inspirations and more.

How are you preparing yourself for the big clash against Carlsen? It's been months of preparation - both in terms of chess, and physical work. Now, it's the last mile. So, I'm just taking it easy and getting ready for the match. 

You were in Chennai recently for Golu celebrations. How did you spend your time? I enjoyed seeing Akhil (son) in his Indian attire at the golus. Navarathri is a beautiful time to be in Chennai. The daily visits, guests, healthy sundals and music... it's all so beautiful. Importantly, Navaratri is a family effort - arranging the dolls and planning the scenic backdrops that go into it. This year has been hectic due to visits to other golus, but it was mainly about Akhil. 

You must miss Aruna and Akhil a lot when you're away touring. How does Akhil react when you talk to him over the phone and when you're back home, how do you bond with him? We like playing together; there are lots pillow fights at home! He has this book - Happy Hippo Angry Duck - that we love reading together. The trick is to pretend that we are reading it for the first time every time. His favourite pastime now is counting; so, we count anything these days. And, of course, there's Tom and Jerry; while he cheers for Jerry, I support Tom. I love it when he wakes me up in the morning with my brush and says, "Brush teeth." 

In your career, how have you handled pressure, during and before a match? What are some things you do to ensure that it doesn't get to you? It's very difficult to keep a checklist because always, the one thing you don't want to think about will pop right into the head. I try to keep a cool face and for the rest, just rely on my game. 

How friendly are you with Carlsen? We are cordial with each other. 

In a previous interview, you mentioned that you rarely get time to watch movies, and that you last watched Rajinikanth's Sivaji... Well, I watched Kahaani and liked it a lot. I hope to watch The Lunchbox soon. But I have been watching classic Rajini films like Billa, etc... 

Finally, would you consider this as the most important match of your career, and why? Each match I play is the most important one yet.

-- Srinivasa Ramanujam/Times of India

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World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand the 'Credible' Brand Ambassador - Commercial Videos

World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand has starred in at least four commercial advertising campaigns. His wife Aruna has been a part of two of these advertising films as well. Vishy Anand has been a brand ambassador for NIIT (global IT services company) for 14 years now. Brands he has associated with include AMD India, Union Bank of India, Parle-G, Crocin, etc.

These brands have tried to leverage not only Anand’s intelligence quotient, but also his image of the "likeable, quiet powerhouse" champion and dependability. Anand epitomises determination, intelligence and resilience. His brand image in India is all about credibility. 

NIIT’s 13-year long relationship with Anand has been built on the basis of the similarities between the game of chess and the brand personality of NIIT. Explaining the powerful synergy between the two, Prateek Chatterjee, Associate Vice President & Head- Corporate Communications, NIIT says, “Just as chess helps to develop the young mind and enhance lateral thinking skills; NIIT has also been shaping minds by bringing people and computers together.”

Among the various marketing campaigns with the chess master, the prominent ones include an NIIT mind champion’s academy, a joint initiative between Anand and NIIT with the objective of promoting chess among school students. Its direct connect based marketing strategy for this ten-year-old academy, that boasts of 15 lakh members, focuses on on-ground activities like mentoring, and lectures by Anand. Its latest campaign ‘Turning Point’ will also see similar interactive activities by Anand.

Most experts agree that NIIT has benefited tremendously from its association with Anand, who has a hard appeal which goes well with the brand’s intended positioning and career oriented outlook.

According to Dr Prashant Mishra, Associate Professor IIM Calcutta, besides NIIT, AMD’s association with Anand is also a correct fit since AMD talks of performance, stability, and technical intelligence; traits that perfectly match Anand’s personality.

Real estate developer TVH also took on World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand as brand ambassador late last year. N. Ravichandran, Chairman, TVH Group, said the company had created a niche by being a customer-centric real estate brand. “The credibility factor associated with Mr. Viswanathan Anand, as a result of his impressive track record, prompted us to have him as our brand ambassador. We wanted to bring in a Chennai boy into our fold,” he added. Mr. Viswanathan Anand said he himself was a customer of TVH and that his experience was good. “We will do some interesting things together, including chess,” the chess champion said. The association with TVH would grow in strength in the years to come, he added.

Anand also represents Vidyasagar (formerly known as the Spastics Society of India) as its global ambassador, without charging a fee and hosts an annual fundraiser for Vidyasagar each year.

Here are five commercial advertising videos with World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand that you are sure to enjoy - particularly the first one which chess 'wins' for Vishy Anand in a cricket-crazy country! -- Zainab Raza Undulusi

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Mr Cool of Chess: Focused Anand untouched by Carlsen Hype, Confident of Retaining World Championship Title

There is one thing that World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand has improved over the years, and we're not talking about his chess this time. It's Anand's ability to block out the entire world and focus on the "task at hand" and the chess board. No wonder he's been World Champion five times. Not for him the fire and brimstone of his colleagues. Not for him media hype that builds up to a crescendo, but the steady, calm and cool approach of a champion who wins with his mind.

While we were focused on the media and fan frenzy that greeted World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen on his recent visit to inspect the World Chess Championship venue in Chennai, Viswanathan Anand has kept his head down and continued his training "at an undisclosed location" with a secret team.

Anand's wife and manager told journalists, after venue inspection, that he is in “deep throes of training” with his seconds. "This is a preliminary inspection. We will make another visit two to three days prior to the championship,” she said.

Aruna also said Anand had been operating “out of Chennai for a reasonable length of time. He is neither looking back nor looking ahead. Specific chess problems occupy his mind now.”

Further, in an email interview to the New Indian Express, Anand has said, "We are just trying to cover as much ground as we can. Surely, the matches have taught me something. But each match for me is a new challenge. I close the chapter on the previous match and approach this as a new challenge."

Anand said, "This is not the first time that I am playing a big event in India. Dreev, New Delhi and then World Cup were all big events that went well for me. I understand the pressure. In the end, only good moves will win the match so that’s the only thing I would want to think about since that’s what I can control."

Viswanathan Anand told the Indian newspaper, he was confident of retaining his title. He said, "My team is made up of excellent people and I hope I can justify their faith and hard work they put in me." As regards his "secret of winning big matches," Anand says, "I try to just look at the game in hand. I don’t want to start analysing that now. At present, I am only thinking of Chennai 2013 and that’s what matters."

Anand respects Carlsen's talent and says, "He is a tenacious player. Lots of talent and extremely ambitious."

After a recent Times Now report stating the Anand camp was not happy with the "illness clause" in the World Chess Championship contract, both Anand and Aruna have maintained that they would not like to discuss the clause. Anand said, "The contracts have been signed, I don’t want to dwell on it. I don’t doubt Carlsen’s integrity as a sportsperson and I am sure neither party will misuse it."

Sources in the All India Chess Federation (AICF) said, "It's obvious that all concerned want the match to take place. Why effort should not be made to ensure that everyone is satisfied and all is done in the best interests of the sport? We should focus on the positives of bringing such a big event to India instead of speculating about what the contract is. After all, neither of the players have signed the contract under duress. There is no need for such discussions." 

Carlsen’s Chennai visit has also gone un-noticed by the World Champion. "I am not aware of the details of his visit. I don’t follow chess news when I train. He has been at our home in Spain a few times and always enjoyed the food it seemed," Anand said.

Throughout his career, the Indian chess prodigy has come across as someone calm, quiet, extremely level-headed and forever amiable. He prefers to speak through his chess. -- Zainab Raza Undulusi

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World Chess Championship Seconds: Anand's Fresh Approach without Kasimdzhanov, Nielsen

World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand will go into the World Chess Championship 2013 without two of his main team members: Rustam Kasimdzhanov of Uzbekistan and Peter Heine Nielsen of Denmark.

Rustam Kasidzhanov was World Champion Viswanathan Anand's second for the successful World Chess Championships of October 2008 against Vladimir Kramnik, April-ay 2010 against Veselin Topalov and ay 2012 against Boris Gelfand.

Peter Heine Nielsen worked with World Champion Viswanathan Anand from 2002-2012 which covered the World Championships in Mexico 2007, Bonn 2008, Sofia 2010 and Moscow 2012. Nielsen coached World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in 2013 and Carlsen won the Candidates in London to earn the right to challenge Vishy Anand for his forthcoming title match in Chennai this November. Nielsen also coached Carlsen in Khanty-Mansiysk 2005 when Carlsen became the youngest-ever chess player to qualify for the Candidate matches. Nielsen also worked with Carlsen in 2007 for Wijk aan Zee.

Here are all the quotes about how the situation has come about with Anand preparing for the upcoming World Chess Championship 2013 with a new team. 

Rustam Kasimdzhanov on the sidelines of the Zug Grand Prix
-- During my work with Anand our relations were kind of intense. But after the match we came to a decision to have a sort of rest from each other. Maybe Anand needed rest from my company even more than me.

-- I think three World championship matches are enough for me. They were all very tough – one tougher than the other. At the end I think I deserved some rest (smiles).

World No. 1 Carlsen's manager Espen Agdestein to Norwegian journalists
-- We cannot use Peter after he has worked so long with Anand. That would not be good, morally, even if there are no problems legally. Peter is therefore not going to work with us in preparation (for the World Chess Championship 2013 match) if Magnus qualifies as World Championship challenger.

-- Magnus plays best when he has lots of energy and desire to
gamble. Therefore, we do not want to change his routines too much.
At the same time Magnus will improve his openings for the
Candidates, and here Peter will help him.

-- We are please to have Peter Heine on the team, he knows the Scandinavian mentality. 

Peter Heine Nielsen quoted in Chessbase

-- Its been ten fantastic years with Team Vishy, culminating in four consecutive World Championship titles.

Aruna, Anand's wife and manager, quoted in Times of India

-- He is preparing for the match with his team outside Chennai. You will come to know about it only when the match starts. It's not that they left. Nielsen is working with a different person now and Kasim has moved on. They are still Anand's close friends and well-wishers. Chess theory moves faster. And January's ideas could become redundant in June. It's constantly evolving. Having said that, it's no secret that when you train together you share an intimate relationship. You get closer to the person and his mental make-up. (Photo: Team Anand, Moscow 2012: Peter Heine Nielsen, Aruna Anand, Viswanathan Anand, Rustam Kasimdzahnov, Radek Wojtaszek, Surya Ganguly, Eric van Reem and Hans-Walter Schmitt.)

Also Read:

-- World Chess Champion five times: The Anand Timeline

-- Not bothered about Carlsen's trainers: Anand

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Two-Days' Casual Leave Option for Carlsen: World Chess Championship Organisers

Has a special clause been added in the World Chess Championship 2013 contract to allow the players a two-day 'leave of absence' from 'work' due to illness?

A report in the Indian newspaper Deccan Chronicle states: After a delay of two months and the inclusion of an illness clause in the terms and conditions, World No.1 Magnus Carlsen of Norway and five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand of India signed the contract on Tuesday for the world chess championship match that is slated to take place in Chennai from November 7 to 28 this year.

World Chess Championship Venue: 

Hyatt Regency Chennai, India

“For the first time in a world chess championship match, we have introduced an illness clause that states that a player can take two days off if he falls sick,” a source told Deccan Chronicle, adding that the players were expected to sign the contract long ago.

“Mails went back and forth between the players, organisers and Fide before it was finally settled on Tuesday.” 

In fact, the one fear that most players and top Grandmasters have expressed about the World Chess Championship venue being in Chennai is that Carlsen might not be able to cope with the food and heat in India. Carlsen's team - during the World Championship - is going to include a chef. Carlsen has never travelled to India before and is totally unfamiliar with the climate and conditions. What makes it even more tricky is that the weather conditions in Chennai are 'polar' opposite to that of any city in his home country of Norway.

The clause has possibly been added to allay any fears Team Carlsen may have about playing in India. Chennai is Viswanathan Anand's home city. It is unlikely that the clause has been added on the World Champion's request!

However, if Carlsen would be staying in his hotel and not venturing out during the match, it is unlikely that he would be affected by the weather. The Hyatt Regency - venue of the World Chess Championship 2013 - in Chennai, offers world-class facilities. 

Carlsen is visiting Chennai next week to inspect Hyatt Regency, the venue for his match against Anand. During his maiden trip to India, he is scheduled to play simultaneous chess with young players at MOP Vaishnav College on Monday. The Norwegian may meet the Tamil Nadu chief minister on Tuesday before he flies back home on the same day. Carlsen will be accompanied by his manager Espen Agdestein. 

Viswanathan Anand's wife and manager Aruna has already inspected the tournament venue. 

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