Chess has given me a lot more than I could ask for. I have been able to feel special, travel the world and do what I truly enjoy. Moreover, chess players love being their own boss and hate having to wake up early! Viswanathan Anand More Quotes by Viswanathan Anand More Quotes From Viswanathan Anand There are two aspects to being competitive; one is to do with sports, and the other is about technical skills. Being able to recollect the moves and apply them when necessary is a critical aspect. Viswanathan Anand skills sports moving I think the draw quotient has always been high in world championship matches because the amount of effort people put into neutralizing each other's openings. It's just now with computers that it has reached a new level. Viswanathan Anand effort people thinking I keep forcing, I keep learning new things in the game, and so far I have been taking challenges as they come. Viswanathan Anand keep-learning challenges games 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 team player country I would never suggest to anyone that they drop school for chess. First of all even if you can make it in chess, your social skills need to be developed there. Viswanathan Anand skills chess school I'll take my five positions per second any day, thank you Viswanathan Anand five position chess My parents were very supportive of my chess. When I got home after a game of chess, having missed school or something, they always made me feel very welcome; I didn't feel guilty at all about pursuing chess with such fervour. They never, for instance, perceived sports as a rival to academics. Viswanathan Anand home sports school You bring to chess facets of your personality and what you are. I have interests other than chess, like music and world and current affairs. I also have many friends around the world with whom I like to keep in touch. Viswanathan Anand personality chess world Before a match, I do not follow any chess news except the games. Viswanathan Anand news games chess Psychology plays a big part but I always say psychology will only be a differentiator when the players are of equal technical strength. Viswanathan Anand psychology bigs player My job is to play chess, the game that I love. I achieve what I can in chess. That is what I focus on. Basically, I am always focused on playing the game, and this is important to me. Viswanathan Anand games play jobs I feel that schools and corporates should help the government in popularising sports in the country. Blaming the government for every sporting debacle will not be fair. Viswanathan Anand sports country school In chess, knowledge is a very transient thing. It changes so fast that even a single mouse-slip sometimes changes the evaluation. Viswanathan Anand evaluation chess sometimes Being the undisputed world champion is a relief. We instituted a unified chess title, I am the absolute world champion. Viswanathan Anand champion titles relief 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 talent india nice I love travelling and going on wildlife safaris. I have an interest in astronomy. I like reading on current affairs, business and science. I love doing nothing if I can help it. Viswanathan Anand wildlife doing-nothing reading I have a love for astronomy; Aruna, my wife, and I love travelling, so whenever we get an opportunity, we set off to explore places that have tickled our interest. We are also wildlife enthusiasts. Viswanathan Anand wildlife wife opportunity 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 important worry trying I don't know how many calories an average chess player burns per game, but it often exceeds that of a player in ball games. It is not only the chess as such: You need to be fit and undergo complicated preparation. Viswanathan Anand player games average In 1996, the players at the VSB tournament in Amsterdam sent me a card for my wedding with this dedication, 'Anand congrats on your wedding. You were a great player, now be ready to lose 50 points'. Viswanathan Anand dedication player cards
