I go to the gym every day. That tends to taper off when I’m at a tournament. During tournaments, I’m not trying to build fitness. I’m simply trying to keep away any kind of tension. I go for long walks to clear my head. Viswanathan Anand Read Quote
For me, each game is a new challenge, which has to be dealt with rationally and systematically. At that time, every other thought fades into oblivion. Viswanathan Anand Read Quote
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 Read Quote
In any match, there are few critical moments where there’s no second best decision. The rest of the moves are intuitive. Viswanathan Anand Read Quote
In the knockout tournaments, it’s futile to prepare for a grand finale. You may have worked out many strategies for the final. But you may lose in the first round itself. Viswanathan Anand Read Quote
Professional players work almost every day, for hours on end, and the emphasis is on the word ‘work.’ It can be with a partner or it can be alone, but professional chess is always a pursuit of something new and surprising. Viswanathan Anand Read Quote
Preparedness for a game that usually lasts four-five hours requires good physical condition and also steady nerves. Viswanathan Anand Read Quote
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 Read Quote
I personally prefer long-distance walking, but we are talking about pre-tournament preparation. During a tournament I make do with walking, mainly to concentrate before a game. Viswanathan Anand Read Quote