Anand: I won’t get a new result if I travel in the old path

Rejuvenated for Bid to Regain World Title
By IANS
Apr 03, 2014

Five-time world chess champion Viswanathan Anand has promised a couple of surprises in his team of seconds when he faces defending champion Magnus Carlsen in the World Chess Championship later this year.

At a press briefing after arriving from Russia, where he won the Candidates Tournament, Anand he might re-jig his team of seconds, or players who help a champion player prepare for the world championship.

“I would chalk a new path for a new result. I won’t get a new result if I travel in the old path,” said Anand.

Asked if he planned to re-assemble a new team of seconds, Anand said: “I have some ideas. There would be a couple of surprises. Ideas are being thought about. Everything cannot be discussed in open.”

Four-time women’s world champion Susan Polgar of Hungary had told IANS that Anand could perhaps add another strategist to his war-room team.

Anand’s team during last year’s failed title defense in his hometown against Carlsen were his compatriots Sandipan Chanda, K. Sasikiran, Hungarian Grandmaster Peter Leko and Poland’s Radoslaw Wojtaszek. Chanda was also a second in Russia during the Candidates Tournament.

Anand was full of praise for Chanda for his creative style. He recalled that, in Norway Anand had given his notes to Chanda to work on and the next day Chanda came back with different lines.

“He showed a lot of initiative. I realized he had taken lot of load off me,” Anand said.

Referring to his latest success, Anand said good result is like oxygen. “A person’s outlook changes with that and emotions turn positive,” he said.

He said the one motivating factor for his forthcoming title clash is not talking about his loss to Carlsen here last year. Anand said he was much relieved when he went to Russia to play in the Candidates tournament.

“Initially I thought even if I finished among the top four it would be satisfactory,” he said.

According to him, other players must have felt enormous pressure for their mixed results.

“I won same number of games like three others. But I was the only player undefeated at Candidates,” he said.

Source: http://www.indiawest.com