In the first week of October, Viswanathan Anand will swap his suits for playing gear as he takes part for Ganges Grandmasters in the second edition of the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League. Over the last few years, the five-time world champion has slowly winded down his playing activities and has started to play more of an administerial role (he’s the deputy president of FIDE, the world governing body).
In an interaction with this daily, the 54-year-old speaks on why the 2024 edition of the GCL, why he wasn’t tempted to play in the Olympiad, the Indian teams’ chances at Budapest and the battle between D Gukesh and Ding Liren. Excerpts:
On the second edition of the Global Chess League
Teams have been a reshuffled a bit and I’m very excited. Just looking forward, trying to get ready. It was pleasant experience to play (in it) last year. There was a new vibe, from the presentation of the players to the entry and the way the games were staged. Everything was dynamic and interesting from a players’ point of view and from a spectators point of view. It contributed to a very good atmosphere. I think there are many disappointed teams from season 1 and Ganges is one of them. Two days before the end, we thought we had qualified and it was only a question of who we were going to face in the final. Suddenly, we fell to third or fourth. So obviously we have that to correct.
On regrets if a tournament like this wasn’t there during his teens or 20s
There were interesting tournaments then which I played in. I would say this is more an event of its time. I think the time is right for this kind of event. The broadcast technology, amount of chess on the internet, increased audience, all that means time is right for something like Global Chess League to have a fresh take on chess. I’m happy that I managed to play one edition and now am going to be playing a second one but I wouldn’t go so far to say I regret it wasn’t there in my teens.
On the sentiment that this is the strongest Indian team ever at the Olympiad
That must be true by rating. We have the top four boards in the men’s team who are very very strong and in the women’s team as well. Certainly, it’s very strong. Fact that our seeding is second indicates that. I’m just trying to compare it to the team in Chennai. That team gave a very strong impression as well. Maybe by numbers this one might be a bit better but the teams in Chennai gave a very good impression of themselves
On if there was ever a temptation to play the Olympiad (Anand, by rating, is the third Indian)
Not really. I made the decision to slowly wind down and reduce the tournaments I was playing. It includes Olympiad, World Cups, the Grand Swiss and so on. I’m sticking to that decision.
On the things he misses most from playing regularly and things he wishes he could avoid administration wise
(Laughs) Inevitably as you play less, you can say that you miss the buzz and tension preparing for an event. At the same time, that’s what’s nice about not playing. You are relaxed more often. I don’t know whether I miss that or I look back on it with mixed feeling. I’m happy that nowadays I’m able to focus on a few events that I like very much. In that sense, GCL is perfect because it’s a nice event. Over the last few years, I have gotten used to playing less and less. Administration wise, I’m happy that I’m in a situation where I’m able to do some administration through the year, I’m able to play chess couple of months a year. It’s not that I have something to complain about administration but there are always things to be fixed, you wish there are fewer of them.
On the World Championship match between Gukesh and Liren
Both of them have been reasonably busy this year. Both of them are playing at the Olympiad so we will get one more chance to see them in action. After that it’s only Gukesh who plays a little bit. I don’t know if Ding is playing somewhere else. This is the big event before the Worlds. I think Ding can be slightly happy with his recovery but honestly, he’s a better player than his recent form. So I would expect that Gukesh is still very careful. He’s playing a very experienced and wise player and you never know when they are going to kick up a notch. I mean on the face of it, Gukesh’s form has been more stable... his form has been better but anything can change now.
On multiple Indians featuring in the Candidates, Gukesh winning it, two very strong teams at the Olympiad... could 2024 be a legacy year for Indian chess and you personally after what you did to contribute to its growth
I see it as a journey. Our players are getting stronger and stronger. We have two things, one is a bit more transitory. It’s form, how you have been playing in this event, this month and this year. Second thing is the broader trend. That is there are more and more Indians breaking into the top. They have better rankings and play top tournaments. You can see that consistently our results are going up. (You know)... India as a collective. What’s the nice thing is that competition within India is fierce itself. You maybe one of the best players in the world but you may still be fighting for a spot in India. That will keep everyone on their toes. I would say next 5-10 years we can look forward to... it’s going to be great to be a chess fan in India. You would have someone or the other to watch at any given moment. They will be competing in almost all the major events. Of course, if Gukesh wins that it be an exclamation point in this journey but even looking at everything else, the trend is very clear for us.