Q&A WITH VISWANATHAN ANAND
In his new book, Mind Master, Viswanathan Anand mines his life to impart lessons that can help one cope with success and failure. Excerpts from an interview
Q. What was the most difficult part about writing this book?
In general, when you write your autobiography, you revisit the painful moments. And you have to think about what those moments meant to you. Probably the most difficult part was revisiting my mother’s death when she passed away in 2015, right after which I had to go to a tournament.
Q. The Tata Steel Chess India Rapid and Blitz last month was disappointing. How do you bounce back?
When you are really disappointed, you should find a way to disconnect. The brain is the only organ that doesn’t recover with rest; it recovers with a change of scenery. So, I’ll try to do something different like spend some time with my son, since his holidays are coming up.
Q. What part do emotions play in chess?
All games are decided by your emotions at a certain point. Part of the skill set is not only learning how to play chess, but also learning how to stay calm under pressure and applying what you know.
Q. Your wife is fond of Bharatanatyam; your son Akhil loves dancing. Ever danced with them? Well, my son is learning how to dance properly, while I’m just fooling around. We listen to a lot of his favourite music, which is Spanish reggae. I like ’80s music—old English and Tamil hits. But I must say, even if he’s not interested in my music, I’m starting to get hooked on to his. I dance with them quite often.
Q. Why does the book start with ‘My Way’ by Frank Sinatra?
I can tell you a lot about the lyrics and make a lot of stories—I did this and it means this and I overcame this. But, basically, I just like the song!