Chennai: Five-time world chess champion Viswanathan Anand today ruled out retiring from the game in the near future and said that he was enjoying his game after beating Boris Gelfand in the “biggest test” in his career.
“There are definitely no thoughts of retirement. In fact quite the opposite. (Winning a fifth world title) has been a huge boost to my morale and I really want to play chess. This is something I have enjoyed. As long as I enjoy, I don’t see any reason to retire,” Anand said.
“I am still enjoying the game having just defended my title. I am looking forward to playing chess and winning tournaments. I am really happy as you can imagine that I had retained my title this time and this has been my biggest test so far,” he told reporters during a felicitation function organised by his long-time sponsors NIIT here.
The 42-year-old Indian defeated Israeli Boris Gelfand in the World Championship match in Moscow a few days ago to successfully defend his world title.
Asked if there was anything left to prove to his detractors, Anand said, “I do not think I have anything more to prove. Winning in Moscow meant a lot emotionally. It’s not only about records. For me when I went to this match I had no idea whether it was fourth or tenth (title).
“It’s just that you hate losing and you love winning. For me, the number has been irrelevant. Every title defence is special. I simply want to enjoy playing chess. There is no checklist,” he said.
Anand dismissed the suggestion that he did not defend the world championship title since he had won it on tie-breaker.
“In the 60s, if a world champion drew the match he retained the title without a tie-break. There was a revenge match also as a bonus. In that perspective, the current system is fair and much more legitimate,” he said.
“It’s not that we straightaway start with tie-breaks. We played 12 games to spot the winner. I do not see any objection to tie-breaks. It is followed in lot of sports like football, tennis and so on. It mirrors the development in lot of sports. Lot of fans really enjoy tie-breaks in chess.”
Anand also said that he has no plans to join politics soon, as has been done by former world champion and his detractor Gary Kasparov.
Meanwhile, Anand has hit out at his former bitter rival Gary Kasparov, saying the Russian wizard has been trying since 2011 to get him to retire.
Anand feels Kasparov, who retired in 2005, misses the attention he got during his playing days.
“We were asked about his remarks. He is the man who regrets leaving chess. He misses the attention he got in chess, somehow wants to be there. May be he should play again,” Anand said.
“Kasparov retired in 2005, he has been trying to make me retire since 2011. You just have to develop a thick skin as a public figure,” he said.
Kasparov before the World Championship said that the Indian lacked motivation and was “sliding downhill”.
But Anand hit back as he defeated his Isreali challenger Boris Gelfand for his historic fifth World title win in Moscow last week. (Agencies)