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 Championship 2013: Magnus Carlsen Team to Include Norwegian-Speaking Bodyguard

World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen will be accompanied by his Norwegian-speaking bodyguard to the World Chess Championship 2013 versus Viswanathan Anand in Chennai. The chess prodigy is going to play for the biggest title in chess this November, reports NTB, the Norwegian News Service. (Left: A poster for Magnus Carlsen's Match against the world (which he duly won) as part of his sponsorship deal with G-Star.)

The chess prodigy's manager, Espen Agdestein was quoted as saying that they trust that the organisers would provide the 22-year-old best facilities, but they would like to have people who speak Norwegian in key positions around Carlsen during the World Chess Championship against Viswanathan Anand. 

For an event like the World Chess Championship, "it is completely natural. The organisers are responsible for the personnel and it is the organisers' responsibility to ensure that Magnus can move freely. But it's okay to have a Norwegian-speaking bodyguard so that Magnus is comfortable," says Espen Agdestein.

There is going to be enormous enthusiasm for the World Chess Championship and sometimes fans and photographers can be overbearing. -- Chess Magazine Black & White

Read Also: Carlsen's Private Doctor

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When World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand Played Cricket... and Supported Sachin Tendulkar!

Do you remember when World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand picked up the cricket bat, only to leave it? Thankfully, at that! It was for an advertisement video that you will like.




Hope you did not miss our complete post on how World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand is considered a dependable brand ambassador?

Meanwhile, these days, India is abuzz with the announcement of cricket star Sachin Tendulkar. The Little Master's final two Tests will clash with the World Chess Championship match between Viswanathan Anand and his Norwegian challenger Magnus Carlsen scheduled to be held in Chennai from November 7 to 28.

The first Test against the Caribbeans will be played in Kolkata from November 6 to 10 and the second - Tendulkar's 200th - will  be held in Mumbai from November 14 to 18.

Hopefully, a cricket fan himself, Viswanathan Anand won't be distracted from the cricket happenings as he plays chess against the World No. 1.

It was last year when Sachin Tendulkar was struggling with his form that he  received support from five-time World Chess Champion  Viswanathan Anand who urged him to continue playing as long as he wanted.

“Criticism is fine, but if you still like playing it’s crazy to stop for no reason. In sport there is no question that it favours young people in general. But I really want to play chess still,” the 43-year-old Anand had told reporters here at a promotional event.

“I am lucky to have the chance to play and I intend to use it. I imagine the same for him (Tendulkar),” India’s first Grandmaster (1988) said.

Terming 40 as just a number, Anand had said it’s funny when one is questioned about age.

“The first question people ask is when are you going to retire? And if both of you want to retire, can one of you retire... It’s a little bit funny. In my case, I don’t think there is any fundamental change from December 10, 2009 to December 11, 2010. But it seems to affect the way people see you,” Anand, who turned 43 on December 11, said.

The chess wizard clubbed Tendulkar, former India captain Sourav Ganguly, tennis veteran Leander Paes as three top icons he had seen.

“In general I have seen a lot of Leander Paes... I might have started a few years earlier but Sachin and I have been there for quite a long time. Sourav was there for quite a good part there as well. I think most of our careers we share together,” he said.

Asked whether age was a factor, he said, “I don’t think the number 40 has any particular significance with chess. In chess, you definitely get more time.”

“There is a certain wear and tear in physical sport.

There are sports like football and tennis, where people would be amazed if you continue beyond 32-33.”

However, Anand said he did not wish to play beyond 50.

“I think 50 is kind of a barrier. For me, I don’t expect to be playing top chess when I am 60. But still there are a few years left. In the meantime, I want to enjoy as much as possible.

But Anand said he would like to win as many world titles as possible.

“I have not fixed any number to it. It’s as many as they will let me in,” he had remarked with a smile.

-- Zainab Raza Undulusi (with inputs from PTI)

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Magnus Carlsen's Private Doctor Brede Kvisvik to take Good Care of World No. 1 in Chennai

The excitement around the upcoming Anand, Carlsen World Chess Championship 2013 has also taken hold over the World No. 1's personal doctor Brede A. Kvisvik, a chess player (Fide Master) in his own right! He is going to accompany Magnus Carlsen's team to Chennai for the big event considered the most talked-about chess match after the 1972 World Chess Championship between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky. 

The 29-year-old from the town of Frei is going to be close to all the action at the 12 games of the World Chess Championship in Chennai between Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen beginning November 7. 

Speaking to Norwegian newspaper Tidens Krav, Kvisvik said, "This summer I got a call from Henrik Carlsen. He asked me if could be part of the team going to India as a doctor and support. I think there is very little chance that Magnus would suffer food poisoning or any typical tropical disease, but you never know. I will take drugs and be prepared for everything to help Carlsen." 

Tidens Krav (TK) is a local tabloid published in Kristiansund, Norway since 1906. 

The 29-year-old Kvisvik said he was never in doubt about going with Team Carlsen. "No, of course not. I was floating around on a cloud since I was asked. This is the greatest thing that ever happened to me," says Kvisvik who himself is a formidable name on Norway's list of talented chess players.

"Of course as a chess professional, I probably have nothing to contribute at this level," he laughs.

The boy moved away Frei is often associated with Magnus Carlsen in his spare time.Kvisvik has been associated with Magnus Carlsen's group of friends who play play bowling, poker and spend free time together. "That can be in India too. The Norwegian world number one is concerned with the physical training so he can better prepared for long chess games. I am at his disposable whatever Magnus wishes. It could be tennis, it may be football. There may be other things. The goal is of course that I should be the doctor," says Kvisvik.

Magnus Carlsen's team will also include private security and a chess. Neither Viswanathan Anand, nor Magnus Carlsen have yet announced the chess professionals' team that is helping them for the World Chess Championship in Chennai. -- Rajat Khanna

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World Chess Match: Brain-Aging Expert's Advice to Viswanathan Anand for Match versus Magnus Carlsen

Here is an interesting press release from Living the CR Way on the neurobiology of chess. We are not, in any way, related to the company, but felt the press release was interesting enough to share -- Ed

Improved Cognitive Function in Older Adults Can Be Achieved with Calorie Restriction, Blood Sugar Management, Says The CR Way
 

OSSINING, N.Y., Oct. 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- As people age, they often experience memory loss, reduced concentration, and other cognitive problems. Diet and lifestyle, though, can improve cognitive performance and reverse some aspects of brain aging. Consider the world chess champion – chess genius, Viswanathan Anand – who in November will defend his title against the highest rated player in chess history, Magnus Carlsen.

Pundits predict a Carlsen win, based on the recent games and tournament scores of the two players. Carlsen beat Anand handily in their most recent encounter in June. But Anand should not be counted out. He has successfully defended his world championship title many times and is known for his excellent preparation and creative play.

The biggest challenge Anand faces may be physiological. According to brain-aging expert, Dr. Timothy Salthouse, cognitive capabilities usually peak at 22, the very age Carlsen is now. Salthouse finds that on average, by age 28, signs of cognitive decline begin to show up. By 38, signs of memory loss increase.* Most people may not notice these declines until much later, but elite chess players do: Their careers stand or fall on their peak intellectual performance. Anand is 43, almost twice Carlsen's age.

At the recent Sinquefield Cup chess tournament (St. Louis, MO), Carlsen and Levon Aronian the world's top-ranked chess players, joined the two top-ranked U.S. players, Haraku Nakamura and Gata Kamsky, for a round-robin competition. True to Salthouse's findings, the players' scores correlated negatively to their ages:

Carlsen: 22 years old – won 4.5 games out of 6 (A half game results from a draw.)

Haraku Nakamura: 25 – 3.5
Levon Aronian: 30 – 2.5
Gata Kamsky: 38 – 1.5

So should chess grandmasters retire at 23?

"No," says Paul McGlothin, president of LivingTheCRWay.com and instructor of online classes for cognitive improvement."Science shows that people can get rid of the brain fog they experience as they get older." If Viswanathan Anand walked in the door and asked how to get an edge for the upcoming match, McGlothin would first ask him to visit a doctor and have a thorough physical exam.

With his doctor's OK, one idea Anand would be advised to explore is blood sugar management. Research suggests that keeping blood glucose at healthful levels improves short-term intellectual performance and protects against age-related decline of critical parts of the brain that are important for memory and decision making. Further: A pre-game exercise regimen, planned for Anand, could help him relax and improve concentration.

Who wins the world chess championship may not matter to some people, but maintaining a healthy brain interests nearly everyone. People need their brains to function well for everything from remembering names to excelling at work. The same principles Anand can apply to retaining the world chess championship are helpful for any endeavor.

* Salthouse TA. When does age-related cognitive decline begin? Neurobiology of Aging. 2009 Apr;30(4):507-14. doi: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2008.09.023.

Getting a Brain Boost at LivingTheCRWay.com

The LivingTheCRWay Brain Booster Membership
(http://store.livingthecrway.com/cr-way-brain-booster-membership/) focuses on planning diet and lifestyle for optimal mental performance. LivingTheCRWay.com is a holistic online community. Members enjoy delicious, healthful lifestyles that include live, friendly support.

Every month world-leading scientists and doctors hold teleconferences for LivingTheWay.com members. October includes Alzheimer's Disease (AD) expert, Dr. Dale Bredesen, Professor and Founding President of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, who will discuss what leads to AD; internist, nutritionist, nephrologist Dr. Michael Rosen, Director of The Kidney Stone Center at the Mount Kisco (NY) Medical Group, will focus on the value of a variety of lab tests and health markers.

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Carlsen will Seek Kasparov's Advice for 2013 World Chess Championship Match versus Anand

"Yes, I'm going to talk to him. I think he has some advice for me. It is true that Kasparov is not part of my team, but I will consult him before the World Championship. He knows Anand better than anyone. He beat Anand in a World Championship Match in 1995, Anand never managed to beat Kasparov in a long time."

This is what World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen told Norwegian newspaper VG a few hours back. 

Garry Kasparov vs Viswanathan Anand World Championship Match, World Trade Center 1995. (Press publicity photo)

Earlier this year, Carlsen had maintained that Garry Kasparov would not be a part of his team as he prepares for the World Chess Championship. 

Carlsen and Kasparov together in Norway in 2010. 

Later, Carlsen discontinued studying with the former world champion. -- Reuters

Carlsen said, "I have always said that it was appropriate to ask him (Kasparov) for help and advice at a World Championship if and when it becomes necessary. And now it's there!"

VG states that they do not know how Carlsen will seek this advice - in person, via skype or in some other way. 

It is widely believed that Carlsen could not handle Kasparov's strict tutelage and even told his father, "Get me out of this." That was after the Corus Chess Tournament, 2010 and "revealed" in a 2011 Carlsen biography Smarte trekk. Magnus Carlsen ('Smart move. Magnus Carlsen'). For Smarte trekk, daily newspaper journalist Hallgeir Opedal followed Carlsen for a year.

Speaking to VG, New in Chess editor Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, says it would be wise on Carlsen's part to seek advice from Kasparov. He says their break-up was the result of Kasparov's dominance, but now they are friends and now, Magnus would be receiving advice from one of the best chess players of the world. It is a very good deal, and it makes sense for Magnus to take advantage of this, he said.  -- Rajat Khanna

Also Read:

Legendary Chess Tutor, Exciting Young Pupil
Carlsen got Kasparov's database of 20 Years' Work

The Carlsen Chess Story: Simen Agdestein tells it all from Up Close

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World Chess Championship 2012 Anand, Gelfand: One Art Piece from Tretyakov Gallery for Every Game

FROM THE ARCHIVES @ CHESS MAGAZINE BLACK & WHITE: The venue for the 2012 World Chess Championship between India's reigning world chess champion and challenger Israel's Boris Gelfand was a unique one: The Tretyakov State Gallery in Moscow. Art and chess: They indeed go together. Theory of technique, style, and methods all find a fascinating interpretation – a unique one at that – in a master's hands: both in art and chess. Every single position during a chess game is a work of art. Every move creates a new painting. Every chess player is an artist. Like for art, interpretation is everything.

The State Tretyakov Gallery is one of the most famous museums in the world. Its collection highlights Russian art with exclusive completeness from the ancient time (11-12th century) to the present day. 

Shilpa Mehra dedicates masterpieces from the Tretyakov Gallery to each of the 12 games of classical control at the 2012 World Chess Championship between Viswanathan Anand and Boris Gelfand. 

Game 1 Final position
Masterpiece: The Little Harbour in Sorrento with a View of the Islands of Ischia and Procido
by Silvestr Feodosiyevich Shchedrin
1826, oil on canvas,
45 x 60.7 

Shchedrin creates a romantic image of Italy as an 'earthly paradise'. It is full of harmony: the sun and light. Favorite motifs of the artist - the verandah, overgrown with vines, cozy coves, bays and caves, where a person is in a state of absolute inner peace and complete fusion with the landscape plan.

Vishy and Gelfand see that “everything is in proportion to man, according to the rhythm of his life” and the balance is perfect, so the game must end as a draw.



Game 2 Final position 
View of Fort Picu on the island of Madeira by Bryullov (Bryullo), Karl Pavlovich 
1849–1850
oil on canvas,
65 х 77 

Dynamic brush strokes but no people in the painting. The endgame position looks like it has much more potential. You feel the sense of missing romance as the rose of sky at twilight is juxtaposed with the storm clouds.

But, there is nothing more to the position. Maybe, because it's just the second game. 

Even as Vishy and Gelfand settle for a draw, you know the dynamism of the game would flow into the rest of the tournament and a conflict is just brewing like Bryullov painted it. 

Game 3 Final Position 
by Kabakov, Ilya Iosifovich Machine gun and Chickens
1966,
Mixed media
113 х 102 х 56
at 10, Krymsky Val, Hall 41 

There is nothing more to it and nothing less to it. Your interpretation of Kabakov's creation? Gelfand's two rooks keep the draw even as White's machine gun 'Queen' is kept in check! Only one outcome was possible and it happened – Draw.





Game 4 Position at 18.Qb1
Ayvazovskiy (Gayvazovskiy), Ivan (Oganes) Konstantinovich View of the Leander Tower in Constantinople
1848
Oil on canvas,
58 х 45,3
at 10, Lavrushinsky Lane, Hall 19 

We dedicate the d-file position to the Leander Tower in Constantinople. There are many legends and stories about the Maiden's Tower (Turkish: Kız Kulesi) also known since the medieval Byzantine period as Leander's Tower (Tower of Leandros). 

It is a tower lying on a small islet located at the southern entrance of Bosphorus strait 200 m (220 yd) off the coast of Üsküdar in Istanbul, Turkey. We had varying interpretations of the game after 18.Qb1, but Vishy and Gelfand interpreted the 'endgame painting' as a draw. 

Game 5 Final Position
Ge, Nikolay Nikolayevich “What is truth?” Christ and Pilate
1890
oil on canvas,
233 x 171
at 10, Lavrushinsky Lane, Hall 31 

In the late period of his work, Ge was inspired by the subject of the Passions of Christ. The subject of this painting is taken from the 18th chapter of the Gospel according to John. In response to the words of Christ: “I…came into the world to bear witness about the truth…” – Pontius Pilate tosses back with disregard “And what is the truth?” 

In the game, the Black Queen is left asking the White Queen, once I capture the b2 pawn what is the truth about the Bishop on c6? And, the game was a draw. 

Game 6 Final Position

Black Suprematic SquareMalevich, Kazimir Severinovich 1915
oil on canvas
79,5 х 79,5
at 10, Krymsky Val, Hall 6
The black square became a symbol of the new understanding of creativity in the 20th century. While the media and the fans wonder, can draws really make a world chess championship, Vishy and Gelfand go on.

Something apparently meaningless, has profound meaning. Even draws mean that sublime chess games have been played. The black square literally was used by Malevich to close down the history of figurative art. Black is the absence of colour and white is the melding of all colours. Such a solution encapsulates the potential of any and all paintings. Don't approach the painting with the viewer’s usual criteria of beautiful/not beautiful, lively/not lively, I like it/I don’t like it. 

Don't approach the world chess championship so far as good or bad, exciting or not... The sixth draw by Vishy and Gelfand but an important chess game.


Game 7 Final Position

Heroes (Bogatyri) Vasnetsov, Viktor Mikhaylovich 

1898
oil on canvas
295,3 х 446
at 10, Lavrushinsky Lane, Hall 26 

The final endgame motif with Boris Gelfand's knights charging straight on to deliver checkmate takes you straight to Vasnetsov's masterpiece. Having revived the images of Old Russia's legendary defenders, mighty in their spiritual power, such as Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich, Vasnetsov attempted at the turn of the 20th century to bridge the heroic past of the Russian people and its great future. Indeed Gelfand's steeds show the proud fighting spirit and desire to defend the motherland of Russia. Gelfand wins.


Game 8. Position at 14. … Qf6
The Black Sea. (A storm begins to whip up in the Black Sea) Ayvazovskiy (Gayvazovskiy), Ivan (Oganes) Konstantinovich
1881
oil on canvas
149 х 208
at 10, Lavrushinsky Lane, Hall 19 

Aivazovsky was the best known and most celebrated Russian artist of marine paintings. In this masterpiece, in the foreground there is a wave with whitecaps of foam – the “Aivazovsky wave” as his contemporaries called it. The palette is unusually rich. It brings together greens, silver tones, emerald tints and extends to the darkening deep blues at the horizon. In the centre we see a lone sailboat, symbol of man’s insignificance before the universe and at the same time a sign of the Romantic Wanderlust.

Wanderlust was the undoing of the Black Queen. The Queen went to f6 completely oblivious of the storm brewing in the sea that would destroy everything. Gelfand loses to Anand in 17 moves in a tragic disaster.


Game 9 Final Position 

Lace Maker Tropinin, Vasily Andreevich

1823
oil on canvas
74,7 х 59,3
at 10, Lavrushinsky Lane, Hall 13 

Alekseyev, Fedor Yakovlevich
Cathedral Square in the Moscow Kremlin Undated
oil on canvas
81,7 х 112

We found two great masterpieces to dedicate to Game 9 of the Anand-Gelfand 2012 World Chess Championship. On the one hand we have the graceful 'lace maker'. Her figure and movements are full of grace. Tropinin embodied the poetry of simplicity and pleasant home life. Quite like the Black Queen. But, Anand's fortress, rather cathedral reminds us of the Cathedral Square in the Moscow Kremlin as Anand's Knight, Rook, and King sit safely looking out on the battleground. Game ended in a draw. 

Game 10 Final Position
Autumn day. Sokolniki Levitan, Isaak Ilich 

1879

oil on canvas
63,5 x 50
10, Lavrushinsky Lane, Hall 37 

Lots of activity in the centre of the board. Game 10 had all the autumn leaves falling and eventually, the Black King stands alone wondering if he should walk the lonely path that might “seem to be entering Nature's magnificent cathedral, where the earthly and heavenly paths are within reach of each other. 

The trunks of pine trees stretch solemnly upwards; set ablaze, as if in a bonfire of flames, the yellow foliage of maples illuminates the dark avenue.” The artist abandons a rigorous realistic manner. Anand and Gelfand abandon the game as a draw. But, there were so many leaves falling...

Game 11 Final Position

Gun Cart

Grekov (Martyshchenko), Mitrofan Borisovich
1925
oil on canvas
83 х 114 

The end position is surely like Grekov's Gun Cart. This was one the artist's most popular paintings with the “machine-gun cart celebrated in songs”. It is a highly mobile firepower for the cavalry. In the work we see everything – movement and blast…conveyed by quick brush strokes, but with the necessary measure of definition that shows the tense state of the gunners. The complex rhythm of the endgame position with a 'full gun cart' is there, but we know there's nothing more to it. The image is integrally that of an eventual draw. 


Game 12 Final Position

Korovin, Konstantin Alekseyevich

Early Spring Late 1870s 

Oil on canvas 

48.5 x 39.5 

The fans and commentators were suddenly all taken aback. No, it is early spring, the game has just begun can it be abandoned as a draw. Is there not the full potential of the spring waiting, a battle awaiting? Gelfand and Anand decided otherwise. They had heralded the spring of modern chess by giving to the world 12 nice games (results notwithstanding) at the 2012 world chess championship! 

A new season – where a blitz and rapid tiebreak – would decide who would reign as the chess king for the seasons to come!

The excellent live broadcast of 2012 World Chess Championship and all the games are available at the 2012 Anand-Gelfand world chess championship at the official website. 

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Carlsen meets Norwegian Journalists before flying to the US, to begin Training Camp at Secret Location

World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, who was back in Oslo, Norway after winning the Sinquefield Chess Cup in Saint Louis, US, will fly back to the United States this Saturday. Carlsen will proceed to a training camp from the United States and then directly go to Chennai, India - the venue of the World Chess Championship 2013 against Viswanathan Anand.

Carlsen, his manager and father met Norwegian chess journalists these last two days. Here are quotes by Carlsen and his team from some news reports in leading Norwegian dailies:

- What is important now is to relax and not get too nervous. towards the World Championship. It's about finding the right feeling and maintaining harmony.
- The three-week training camp will take place in a place where the climate and time zone are closer to what awaits in India. But, details of the training camp will be held kept secret. 
- We want to be sure that it is a private thing, and I am shielded from the outside world. 
- The team could include four to five people. The names are not being announced so as not to give Anand a competitive advantage. We will not give any more information than necessary.
- I look at chess and meet regularly with Jon Ludvig Hammer. The first two weeks will consist of intense preparation with seven to eight hours daily of chess preparation and some physical exercise. The last week before the World Championship match will be more relaxed.

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Anand vs Gelfand 2012 World Chess Championship: Best moments Chess Training Video Part 4

Here is the fourth and final part of a special chess training video series featuring the best moments from the World Chess Championship 2012: Viswanathan Anand vs Boris Gelfand in Moscow, Russia. This instructive video is by special arrangement with Grandmaster Igor Smirnov and we hope it gives you tips and tricks to improve your own chess. 

The previous videos in this series are:
Part 3
Part 2
Part 1

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Viswanathan Anand 16th on Sportskeeda List of 50 Most Influential Sports Personalities of India

World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand has been ranked 16th on the Sportskeeda List of India’s 50 most influential sports personalities. The list included a cumulative score including a Power Rank and an Inspiration Rank. Anand was 10th in the Inspiration Rank List and 31st in the Power Rank list. 

Sportskeeda is the largest All Sports website in Asia, covering news and opinions about over 50 sports. It has a footprint of over 2.5 million readers every month, with a vision to be the largest online Sports Community. It boasts of some of the best Sports writers in the world, while unearthing their worthy successors from its fan base everyday through crowd-sourcing.

The judges' panel stated: Who are the movers and shakers of Indian sports? Compiling a list of the 50 most influential sports personalities in India is a task that is as difficult as it is divisive. Which is why Sportskeeda left it to the experts to decide.

The sports personalities in the country were evaluated on the basis of the following two parameters:

1. Inspiration - Popular sports figures who have brought their sport closer to the masses and inspired renewed interest in it.

2. Power - Individuals with authority who have used their power to further the cause of Indian sports.

After a panel full of industry experts voted for the sports personalities in the country which, in their opinion, fulfilled the above two criteria, the final list of 50 was arrived at.

On No. 1 was India's Captain Cool, MS Dhoni followed by Sachin Tendulkar, Bhaichung Bhutia, Rahul Dravid, MC Mary Kom, Saina Nehwal, Abhinav Bindra, Anil Kumble, Pullela Gopichand, PT Usha. For the full list you can check the Sportskeeda website.

The judges' panel included:

Aayush Dabas (DGM – Marketing, Rhiti Sports Management)
Akshaya Kolhe (Director – Sales, ESPN Digital Media India)
Amit Chacko Thomas (Managing Director, Game On Sports Management)
Amrut Joshi (Founder Partner, Gamechanger Sports Ventures)
Ankan Banerjee (Assistant Professor, Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management)
Arup Soans (Managing Partner, QSport Media)
Ashok Nath (Founder, Catalyst Sports)
Baljit Rihal (Founder Asian Football Awards / Licensed Players Agent, Inventive Sports)
Debayan Sen (Sports Commentator and Broadcast Consultant)
Dhruv Ratra (CEO, Anglian Holdings)
Hakimuddin Habibulla (Founder and Principal Consultant – Sports Performance, Winning Matters Consulting)
Hemant Dua (CEO, Inspiranti Sports)
Jay Shah (Director, Sports Gurukul)
Kanishka Saran (Vice President, SPT Sports Management)
Kashif Siddiqui (AVP – Strategy & Alliances, KOOH Sports)
Lokknath R Char (CEO, Lokko Sports)
Mackinlay Barreto (Managing Partner, Boomerang Sports)
Madhukar Jha (Co-founder , Pitch Invasion New Media)
Maneesh Bahuguna (CEO, Anglian Medal Hunt)
Mazhar Ahmed (Managing Director, v2v Media & Sports)
Mukul Choudhari (Director, Academy at Manchester United Soccer Schools)
Neerav Tomar (MD & CEO, IOS Sports & Entertainment)
Niranjan P (Vice President – Operations, Celebrity Cricket League)
Nirvan Shah (CEO, PIFA Academy)
Parminder Gill (Co-founder, EduSports)
Prabhu Srinivasan (CEO, KOOH Sports)
Prantik Mazumdar (Managing Partner, Gamechanger India)
Premdeep Gangadharan (Director and co-founder, Fans On Stands Sports)
Puneet Mehra (Vice President, KOOH Sports)
Rahul Teny (AGM – Strategic Planning, McDonalds India)
Raj Dam (Founder, QuizWorks)
Ramakrishna Kalluri (CEO, Playgroundonline.com)
Sunny Narang (Chairman, Anglian Sports Management Group)
Saumil Majumdar (Co-founder & MD, EduSports)
Siddharth Pandey (Founder & CEO, LEH LEH Sports)
Sukhvinder Singh (Managing Director, Libero Sports India)
Vaibhav Tandon (Head – Research and Analysis, Olympic Gold Quest)
Vasanth Bharadwaj (Founder Director, TENVIC)
Vishal Jaison (Director – Sales & Business Development, Total Sports Asia)
Vivek Pathak (Chairman, Cue Sports India)

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Sportskeeda Intro

#16
Viswanathan Anand

Inspiration rank: 10

Power rank: 31

The biggest name in Indian chess by a mile, world champion Viswanathan Anand has repeatedly upstaged his Russian counterparts to rule the board for more than half a decade.India probably owes it to Viswanathan Anand for transforming chess from a hobby to a full-fledged career opportunity. Hailing from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, the first chess grandmaster from India started on his road to world domination in his teens; so much so, that he was awarded the Arjuna Award at the age of 16 and the Padma Shri at 18. Since then, Anand has won the World Chess Championship five times (2000, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012), and has also won the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Vibhushan. He is the first and only sportsperson to ever win the latter award. He has been the undisputed world champion since 2007, and was also ranked world number one for a total duration of close to two years. While he still plays chess professionally, Anand is also on the Board of Directors at Olympic Gold Quest, a company that promotes and sponsors Indian sports. He also launched the MindChampions’ Academy in association with NIIT in Kolkata to promote chess in schools.

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The Carlsen Chess Story: Grandmaster Simen Agdestein Tells it all from Up Close

I am glad to be married to someone who has beaten a future world champion!

-- Grandmaster Arthur Kogan on his wife's defeat 

of 10-year-old Magnus Carlsen in 2001

Quite aptly the beginning of Chapter 3 of How Magnus Carlsen became the youngest chess Grandmaster in the World - The Story and the Games by Simen Agdestein. 

We are just a few weeks away from that prediction possibly coming true as Carlsen takes on reigning World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand for the top title.

However, whatever be the result this World Chess Championship in November, every chess lover worth his pawns knows that Carlsen will eventually win that top title. Carlsen is already the human with the highest-ever rating and the next human in second place is at least 70 points away. 

Agdestein's chess-biography-plus-games book is a toast to this sweet-genius chess flavour of the season (era?): Wonderboy Magnus Carlsen.

Written in a simple, fluid style peppered with biographical incidents, chess training events, updates on tournaments plus key games in the Carlsen trajectory make this a must-read book for all chess lovers. It's not about wins alone. There are the disappointments, the confusions, the hard work and above all, the sacrifices of the Carlsen family in giving their little boy the best environment to grow in. Simen Agdestein (left) writes it all with great sensitivity telling a real-life tale just as it is: without hyperbole, without critical evaluation.

Then, there are those anecdotal gems like when Carlsen wants to know "Why do people ride horses?" 

As a chess biographer, Agdestein's craft is perfect making The Carlsen Story so inspiring: Magnus has had various external goals but his true aim is to master the game and develop as a player - besides the obvious desire to continue to enjoy playing chess. This creates a different focus. The degree of success is not necessarily measured in points and final placings but rather in how much one has learned.   

Carlsen is a New Age chess philosopher as Agdestein explains, "Magnus still plays chess because it is fun. He has been allowed to frolic and do what he likes best of all, namely, play chess. But if this pleasure should turn in another direction, that will be fine."

The book is arranged chronologically. We follow Magnus and his fantastic journey from when he began to play with chess pieces at the age of five.

The book need not be limited to those who know how to play chess well. It is available to a wider audience, quite like how Magnus Carlsen has figured on front pages of newspaper and in television news headlines worldwide instead of just in the sports sections. 

Agdestein says, "Many fine games are included in the book. I have tried to annotate these so that they can be easily understood, n the hope of making them accessible even for those who have only a limited knowledge of chess. The games illuminate the story but the  book can be read independently of them... for those not so familiar with the chess world, a small chess glossary in the back of the book explains the most common terms."

The book ends with the FIDE World Championship in Tripoli, Libya 2004 where Carlsen was knocked out. The lovely photos in the book are in black and white. But, you cannot miss the book. Particularly not if you believe that chess genius need not be the impact of laboratory training and solitary confinement cut off from reality. Talent can be nurtured with wisdom and a balanced lifestyle for any youngster. That applies to every skill. "Carlsen is the result of a fine environment and a mindful family."

Agdestein trained Carlsen in the years leading up to his Grandmaster title and repeatedly marveled at his pupil's amazing progress. Agdestein himself is a most remarkable double talent. Not only did he win the Norwegian national chess championship six times, but he also used to be a highly gifted football player. He played for Lyn FC at Oslo and represented the Norwegian National Soccer Team on eight occasions.

Even if you don't read the book now, we're sure you'll be desperate to read it after November ;)

Also Read: Carlsen got Kasparov's database of 20 Years' Work: Exciting New Book by Agdestein Releasing Sept 16

-- Zainab Raza Undulusi

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Magnus Carlsen Chess Analysis, Programs Stored on Europe's Leading Internet Provider Basefarm Cloud

Guess where World No. Magnus Carlsen will store all his chess computing data and chess programs? Do you know Carlsen's chess analysis and research cannot be stolen even if you rob him of his laptops?

The super chess talent from Norway has all his valuable chess data stored on the cloud via a cloud storage service provided by Basefarm. This is also because processor requirements for handling chess data and analysis are beyond the capacity of a regular computer. Getting help from the Basefarm cloud server not only saves times, adds speed to analysis, but also helps Carlsen keep his chess data safe and accessible from anywhere in the world. That includes India - for the World Chess Championship 2013 versus Viswanathan Anand.

Carlsen said, "To be absolutely sure that I anytime and anywhere can access chess programs provides a sense of security in preparation." says Carlsen.

Basefarm CEO Bjart Kvarme said, "This is very exciting for us. When we received the request from Magnus and his team, we were in no doubt that this was something we wanted to be part of."

"We are convinced that the quality of our cloud services can help Magnus achieve success in India and become the first western World Chess Champion since Bobby Fischer," said Kvarme.

Basefarm is a leading hosting provider for "mission critical business applications". They provide complex technology solutions, high-end cloud services, application management and colocation from six datacenters in Europe. With their +300 members of staff, they host more than 35,000 services reaching over 40 million end users in 23 countries. (Courtesy Basefarm official Oslo office Facebook page)

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Anand vs Gelfand 2012 World Chess Championship: Best moments Chess Training Video Part 3

Here is the third part of a special chess training video series featuring the best moments from the World Chess Championship 2012: Viswanathan Anand vs Boris Gelfand in Moscow, Russia. This instructive video is by special arrangement with Grandmaster Igor Smirnov and we hope it gives you tips and tricks to improve your own chess. Don't forget to tune in at our site for the remaining parts of this chess training series. Hope you did not forget to watch the first part and the second part.

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