Having bagged the World Rapid title a few days ago, the Indian chess maestro proved that age is only but a number. In a freewheeling chat with Ashok Venugopal, the Chennaiite opens up on what catalysed his success and how the current crop of youngsters is shaping up...
Viswanathan Anand is delighted to have won the world crown in rapid chess in Riyadh. He believes it was sort of a homecoming for him, as he was once known to dominate the format. He says that the win certainly gives him the confidence and desire to do well in tournaments this year. He is happy that Indian chess is going in a good direction and is proud of the bench strength.
Excerpts:
How thrilled are you to win a world title ahead of Carlsen?
Obviously, I am delighted to have won a world title. First of all, because I have not been a world champion in any format since I lost the title. Recently the competition has been tough and I also had some bad results. On top of that, Carlsen is someone who has done well in rapid chess. In fact, his rating is so high in rapid chess, it gives an indication of how consistent he has been in that format. So to finish ahead of him was special. But I would say that the main joy came from becoming rapid champion again.
Was playing faster one of the reasons for winning the world rapid championship?
I do not think playing slow was a problem in rapid chess in earlier events. I would say it was more about optimal utilisation of time. When things are going well, you use time optimally. You make the right decisions, think more clearly, and it is not something very simple. It is also about the kind of positions
that turn up. This time, I was playing well, getting good positions, and not making unnecessary mistakes. Overall, I played much better.
What was the reason for turnaround in Riyadh after struggling in the rapid events in Leuven and St Louis?
I would say the overall level of my play was much higher in Riyadh. I also played at the same speed and my thought process was a lot more clearer. I avoided lot of unnecessary mistakes I was making in earlier tournaments. But Riyadh is a different kind of event. One specific thing that I did which I think may have helped was that I took a computer with me. I found in many of the earlier tournaments, including Leuven and St Louis, that breaks between games tend to work against me. When I was waiting for the game to start, my focus would go. This time, I took a laptop with me and tried to engage myself. Even if I did not get a lot of preparation done, my focus would not go and that was helpful.
After losing twice in tie-breaks, once to Hikaru Nakamura and once to Wesley So, how confident were you going into the blitz tie-break against Vladimir Fedoseev?
There was very little time between when I realised who my opponent would be and when the actual tie-break started. I just took a deep breath and played. It all goes off so fast that you don’t have time to compose yourself. I played hoping that my experience would pay off.
You lost only once in 36 games in Riyadh. How did you manage that?
I always say that if you know why you played well, then you can do it forever. You try to create conditions that you feel are most favourable for you. You just hope that your brain works on that particular day. In Riyadh, not losing focus between rounds helped me get good results. In the blitz, I had one blackout against Nepomniachtchi. I just completely forgot that the pawn even existed. It was a blind spot. That was the only loss that is perfectly understandable in a long tournament. It was a good performance. I was stable. I cannot precisely say why I played well. I think it is to do with a positive frame of mind.
Fedoseev has been one of the standout players in 2017. How do you rate him as a player?
I think what is most remarkable about him in terms of style is that he is great on offence. But he doesn’t have an off-switch. So he will not be able to necessarily slow down which means that when things do not go well, he can lose games and sometimes even lose control of the tournament. It happened in the Russian championship which he was dominating till he wasn’t. It happened in the rapid format too. But he is very talented and capable of great feats. He is definitely a player I will follow from now on. It is worth studying his style and games because he creates a lot of chances.
On Carlsen’s phenomenal performance (9/10) on the second day of blitz?
Before the tournament, I remembered the Carlsen from Leuven. He overcame a four-point deficit in the rapid to overhaul Wesley So in the blitz tournament. He was scoring phenomenally high. He won with a few rounds to spare. Carlsen has shown repeatedly that he is capable of high scores in blitz. Most people agree he is very talented in blitz because he is able to play many games very fast without making big mistakes. As long as you avoid blunders you don’t have to play great moves in blitz.
Saudi Arabia made most of the players happy by putting up a huge prize money, excellent venue and hospitality. Was it the best-organised event?
Saudi Arabia put up a phenomenal show. They went out of their way to make everyone comfortable. I would say it is the best organised rapid and blitz tournament. One of the best things is that women participants played like they would anywhere else. There was no restriction whatsoever. There was only dress code which all chess players had to adhere to which was a jacket and shirt. We were all made to feel comfortable and were at home.
How do you sum up your performances in 2017 on the whole?
In 2017 there were highs and lows. It seemed to me that I had forgotten how to play rapid and blitz formats. Suddenly, I was able to come back strongly and play well. In the Isle of Man, I played well, which was nice coming after Gibraltar where I struggled in 2016 in the format. And obviously doing well in rapid as well as blitz and rising in the rankings were very positive and I had a good result in St Louis in the classical event. Many of the other events were quite difficult. It was a mixed bag. But I would not look back too disappointed in a year where I became the world champion.
Two Indians in the main group and two in the Challengers group of 2018 Wijk aan Zee. How does it bode for Indian chess?
This is the second time I will be playing another Indian in Wijk aan Zee. Because once Harikrishna played with me in the A group. But of course to have four Indians play in both groups will be very nice. I hope we will get a chance to interact with each other after the game like how it was in Riyadh. And it is a reflection of how strong India is getting in chess.
Aravindh Chithambaram got a bronze in World Junior, Praggnanandhaa gave a stunning show in World Junior and Vidit Gujrathi became the fourth Indian to cross 2700 ELO ratings. So how does it augur for the game in the country?
We have a lot of hopes with Praggnanandhaa and Aravindh Chithambaram. Both of them had turned in very good performances in the World Juniors. They were impressive even if they did not win. So I believe both of them are destined for great things. The same with Vidit Gujrathi. He is perfectly comfortable in the 2700 ELO circles. I think he is one of the favourites for B Group. And it is nice that we have so much strength on the bench.
What are the tournaments you will be playing in 2018? How much confidence and energy has this world title given you?
I have confirmed Wijk aan Zee. I will see about Norway Chess. I am sure I will find some rapid events to play and my calendar will fill up. In a month’s time, I expect to have a full calendar. This title (rapid) is nice. Every once in a while, you need some energy and confidence to work. Having said that, a bad
result is also a warning sign and you should try and learn from them.
How do you find the prospect of Rajinikanth and Kamal Hassan entering politics?
Rajini and Kamal entering politics makes the Tamil Nadu scene very interesting. In a sense, people have been waiting for Rajinikanth for a long time and in some ways there was this question mark about Kamal Hassan as well.
ashok.v@newindianexpress.com