Viswanathan Anand | Getty Images
It has been a while, but Viswanathan Anand is back in a familiar place—at the top of the chess world. On December 28, Anand, 48, reclaimed the World Rapid Chess Championship title by beating Russia’s Vladimir Fedoseev in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He silenced his critics and, en route to the final, defeated Magnus Carlsen, his nemesis and world number one, in 34 moves. He then won the bronze medal in the Blitz format two days later. The faster formats, which have always been his forte, came to his aid yet again, and he proved that he was still the “Lightning Kid” of chess.
It was a win that surprised Anand himself. And his fans, who saw him have a poor 2017, till this event, let out a sigh of relief. Earlier in the year, he had failed to qualify for the World Championship and had finished ninth in the London Chess Classic in December. In his quest to forget that disastrous outing, he had indulged in shopping and binge-watched movies. He had no time to prepare for the Riyadh event, but his wife, Aruna, persuaded him to forgo a family holiday in Kumarakom, Kerala, and urged him to send in his entry.
As Anand spoke to THE WEEK on the phone after his return from Riyadh, the delight in his voice was evident. Excerpts from an interview:
What does this title mean to you?
First of all, I have once again become world champion in Rapid chess. That is a nice feeling indeed. Second, I needed a good result, mainly for my morale. I had a difficult [time at] tournaments this year. I needed good results. Third, I was struggling. To be honest, I was hoping for a modest recovery. This win and coming third in the Blitz format seem pretty magical to me.
What went right?
Momentum was very important. I had a good start, which put me in the right frame of mind. When you start well, you tend to build on that. Earlier, I was struggling with my start. [With the] Rapid title and a podium finish in the Blitz [tournament], my ranking has risen in both.
I managed to be stable and create chances. What happened was a surprise. Sometimes, when bad results come, something inside you clicks, falls into place. I can’t point out exactly what it was yet; I will analyse it later.
How important was the win over Magnus Carlsen?
He is ranked number one in the world. There is a gap [between us]. To beat him is a milestone, no doubt. I can’t dismiss that there has been some history between us. I don’t think that is exaggerated. He is the strongest Rapid and Blitz player in the world, and to beat him is huge. [However,] my win against [Russian] Alexander Grischuk was more important as it gave me a chance of winning the title. You have to come up with something special to create that [kind of] win.
How did you prepare for the tournament?
Sometimes, the best results come when there is no time for preparation. When the Isle of Man [tournament] happened (he finished joint second), I had just finished the World Cup (he had crashed out in third round) and there was no time to prepare. After the London Chess Classic (he finished ninth), I didn’t even feel like switching on the computer. There was not much of a warmup before reaching Riyadh.
Has this win helped you forget the disappointments of last year?
It definitely purges the negativity. [The win is] definitely mentally uplifting. Now I feel great; [I’m] in a positive frame of mind. Yes, I can’t totally expunge the losses of the past, but right now I am thrilled. It is also important not to get euphoric after a win or despondent after a bad result. In the next few days, I will take some rest and try to get back to earth.
What are your plans for 2018?
Well, I have not yet confirmed all the events I will be taking part in. I will start with the Wijk aan Zee [tournament] in April, followed by the tournament in Norway in May-June. That takes care of the first six months; the rest of the schedule is yet to be worked out.
Does this win end the calls for your retirement? Garry Kasparov tweeted that the title victory silences your critics.
By now, [the calls for retirement] should be over. If there is a legitimate complaint, I think I have given the answer. It should end now. [There is] no point of even thinking about everything that goes on on social media.
How highly do you place this title win?
I don’t really rank my success. I just take it gratefully. But, this one reminds me of the feeling [I had] after I won my Candidates [tournament] in 2014. It was a beautiful moment and there have been a few other moments in my career, when it all came together.
