Viswanathan Anand receives SJFI medal, shares advice for D Gukesh at Madras Cricket Club

Five-time World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand was awarded the prestigious Sports Journalists Federation of India (SJFI) medal during a ceremony at the Madras Cricket Club in Chennai on Wednesday. During the event, the legendary Grandmaster shared crucial advice on managing mental pressure and preparation for 18-year-old Chennai Grandmaster D Gukesh ahead of his upcoming championship match.

The felicitation ceremony was hosted by the SJFI in partnership with the Tamil Nadu Sports Journalists’ Association (TNSJA) to honour Anand.

Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Anand offered guidance to Gukesh, who has recently opened up about his mental battles and relationship with the sport. Gukesh is scheduled to play his championship match against Javokhir Sindarov this winter.

Anand suggested that Gukesh carefully manage his competition-rest routine before the match. "I don’t think there are easy formulas for that. Yeah, as long as you get some rest, some play, and some training, you can do it in the order you want," Anand said.

Addressing the immense mental pressure of competing at the highest level at a young age, Anand noted that achieving such success at 18 brings a massive change in life and in how other people look at you.

"So there is a lot of mental stuff to unpack, but in the end you have to hunker down and play good chess again. That is the only thing you can do," Anand added.

Apart from the upcoming championship match in November-December, Gukesh will also defend two gold medals at the Chess Olympiad in a few months, where India previously won the team gold and Gukesh won the individual gold on Board 1. Anand noted that China and Uzbekistan will be serious contenders. He pointed out that Uzbekistan is even stronger now, creating an active India-Uzbekistan rivalry.

Anand also spoke about another Chennai-based player, R Vaishali, who won the women’s Candidates tournament earlier this year. He stated that a victory for Vaishali against the strong Ju Wenjun would greatly magnify the fortunes of women’s chess in India.