Quote

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

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

Viswanathan Anand
Age: 54
Born: 1969
Born: December 11
Chess Player
Writer
Madras
Vishwanathan Anand
States
Saying
Plays
Persons
Prayer
Rely
Person
Clear
Helps
Better
Games
Daily
Relies
Play
State
Fast
Heightened
Trying
Peace
Achieve
Prayers
Kind
Helping
Game
Vital
Mind
Keep
Focus
Intuition

More quotes by Viswanathan Anand

Image
Things like the financial markets - a proper grounding in mathematics could help the common man. I believe that if people are more familiar with mathematical concepts... it can help deal with modern life, which is increasingly complex.
Viswanathan Anand
Image
The broader the chess player you are, the easier it is to be competitive, and the same seems to be true of mathematics - if you can find links between different branches of mathematics, it can help you resolve problems. In both mathematics and chess, you study existing theory and use that to go forward.
Viswanathan Anand
Image
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
Image
Before a game, I avoid having a heavy meal so that I don't feel sleepy at the board. You eat to be healthy, and that generally takes care of everything. Also, you can't be too finicky, since at tournaments you tend to eat at restaurants here and there. But, as long as you're eating sensibly, it's all good.
Viswanathan Anand
Image
A win is a win, which is about that particular moment.
Viswanathan Anand
Image
We want more women players to take up chess. There are few participants at the national level and hope it will grow.
Viswanathan Anand
Image
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
Image
Parents, first and foremost, it is important to... understand and recognise the activities your child is naturally gravitating towards. It's important also to ensure that your child likes what he or she is doing. I believe in exposing children to as many hobbies and extracurricular activities as possible.
Viswanathan Anand
Image
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
Image
Before a match, I do not follow any chess news except the games.
Viswanathan Anand
Image
Intuition in chess can be defined as the first move that comes to mind when you see a position.
Viswanathan Anand
Image
There is always the risk of being over-confident when you are preparing to face a weaker player.
Viswanathan Anand
Image
I keep forcing, I keep learning new things in the game, and so far I have been taking challenges as they come.
Viswanathan Anand
Image
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
Image
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
Image
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
Image
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
Image
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
Image
I'll take my five positions per second any day, thank you
Viswanathan Anand
Image
When I started out playing chess as a kid I thought I should be world champion. As a kid you have no idea what that means and you only sort of picture it. It is hard to imagine that I waited all those years and it happened in a late stage of my career.
Viswanathan Anand