Deep understanding of data true differentiator in chess: Anand

Five-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand on Thursday said that in an era where players are overwhelmed by data from computers, deep understanding has become the only true differentiator in modern chess. “Funnily enough, the more that is available for you to know, the less you can know. If every day you’re subjected to 20 or 30 new conclusions, how do you make sense of it?

I believe that the only thing that separates chess players today is deep understanding,” Anand said at the inaugural event of a three-day chess workshop. Drawing a parallel to the times when he adapted to the computer many, many years ago, the Grandmaster insisted that while being open to new ideas helps, understanding the details pushes a player to a new level. Anand also clarified that chess mastery is rooted in pattern recognition rather than rote memorisation.

Having played approximately 6,000 to 7,000 competitive games, he explained that the brain subconsciously connects patterns from games played by others. “Our brain puts together a lot more patterns than we are able to explain,” he said, adding that new ideas often pop into a player’s head weeks after seeing a game without them realising they are “copying something from somewhere else”. Comparing the game to a language, Anand argued that theory alone is insufficient.

“You have to develop that feeling, just like a language you cannot learn only from dictionaries; you learn it by speaking it,” he remarked. He also described theoretical ideas as mere “material ingredients” before the actual “cooking” of a game begins. Supporting a vision to popularise the game beyond major hubs in Tamil Nadu, Anand applauded the goal to replicate Chennai’s success in cities like Madurai, Salem, and Coimbatore.

The event also marked the launch of Anand’s book, ‘Lightning Kid’, published in association with the Velammal Education Trust. The masterclass is being organised by the Velammal Education Trust from February 12-14. Incidentally, chess international masters Praggnanandhaa R (Rank 4), Vaishali R (Rank 9), Gukesh Dommaraju (Rank 9), Varshini S and Murali Karthikeyan both ranked 64, are Velammal alumni.