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Chess as a sport requires a lot of mental stamina, and this is what that makes it different from a physical sport. Chess players have a unique ability of taking in a lot of information and remembering relevant bits. So, memory and mental stamina are the key attributes.

Viswanathan Anand

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Viswanathan Anand
Age: 54
Born: 1969
Born: December 11
Chess Player
Writer
Madras
Vishwanathan Anand
Bits
Memory
Remembering
Sports
Keys
Attributes
Ability
Physical
Relevant
Makes
Unique
Sport
Remember
Taking
Chess
Different
Player
Players
Memories
Requires
Information
Mental
Stamina

More quotes by Viswanathan Anand

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Confidence is very important - even pretending to be confident. If you make a mistake but do not let your opponent see what you are thinking then he may overlook the mistake.
Viswanathan Anand
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I attend to my fitness. I go the gym every day and try to maintain my physical fitness without that, it is tough to take challenges on the chess board.
Viswanathan Anand
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I would prefer chess to become part of the Olympic Games. This would also lead to chess become more accepted as a sport in general.
Viswanathan Anand
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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
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I think an important lesson from the game is that once you have made a move, you cannot take it back. You really have to measure your decisions. You think a lot. You evaluate your choices very carefully. There's never any guarantee about what's going to follow once you have made a decision.
Viswanathan Anand
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When I was about six, I saw my elder siblings play chess and pestered my mother into teaching me. Very soon, I was beating everyone at home, and they thought it would be good to join a club. So my sister would take me to the Tal chess club on Thursdays and weekends.
Viswanathan Anand
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Before a match, I do not follow any chess news except the games.
Viswanathan Anand
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You need to motivate yourself, no matter what-definitely when things are bad, but also when things are good. Or else, you risk becoming complacent.
Viswanathan Anand
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Preparedness for a game that usually lasts four-five hours requires good physical condition and also steady nerves.
Viswanathan Anand
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I like to keep myself physically and mentally fit before any important match. I usually take a short nap just before the game and do not practice immediately before the tournament.
Viswanathan Anand
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If you have a strong opponent, a competition is stimulating. I am generally most open to ideas when I have had a bad result. In chess, too, players specialise. This specialty then becomes an entry barrier.
Viswanathan Anand
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Being the undisputed world champion is a relief. We instituted a unified chess title, I am the absolute world champion.
Viswanathan Anand
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It is very difficult to play a single blitz game! You want to play for a long time. So I tend not to do that anymore.
Viswanathan Anand
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There is always the risk of being over-confident when you are preparing to face a weaker player.
Viswanathan Anand
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There are some things we do much better than computers, but since most of chess is tactically based they do many things better than humans. And this imbalance remains. I no longer have any issues. It's bit like asking an astronomer, does he mind that a telescope does all the work. He is used to it. It is just an incredible tool that you can use.
Viswanathan Anand
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In any match, there are few critical moments where there's no second best decision. The rest of the moves are intuitive.
Viswanathan Anand
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A win is a win, which is about that particular moment.
Viswanathan Anand
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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
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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
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Just before a game, I try to keep a clear mind so that I can focus better. I'm the kind of person who plays fast and relies a lot on intuition, so being at peace with myself is vital. Saying my daily prayers helps me achieve this heightened state of mind.
Viswanathan Anand