On-song Viswanathan Anand relishes show at Champions Showdown

CHENNAI: Viswanathan Anand didn't put a foot wrong at the recently-concluded Champions Showdown that had in fray four of the world's leading players - Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, Veselin Topalov - along with the 46-year-old. Juggling formats with ease, the five-time former World champion shone from the word go and walked away with the title. In a chat with TOI on Thursday morning, Anand spoke on the tournament, following the ongoing Magnus Carlsen-Karjakin World championship final closely, the rise of GM P Harikrishna and more. Excerpts:
Talk us about the Champions Showdown where you had a smooth run?
Before the start of the tournament, I didn't know what to expect. In general, I was extremely happy with the way I played. But to be honest, I expected it (the tournament) to be a lot more turbulent and was mentally preparing for it.
Was there any aspect in your game that you felt could've been better in this tournament?
I felt I was missing out on a lot of chances during this tournament. The first game against both Hikaru Nakamura and Caruana was a case in point. I felt that's the only criticism (in my game).
In a tournament with top-players in fray, what were your takeaways?
For me personally, it was a very enjoyable tournament. Last year, the tournament was played between Nakamura and Caruana but this year it became a four-player event. Playing in three formats - classical, rapid and blitz - during the tournament was a challenge. You do factor in a few losses but I thought my play was stable and I remained calm right through the tournament.
Have you had a chance to catch up on the first four games of the World Championship final?
Of course I have. In fact, during the Champions Showdown - all four of us (Caruana, Nakamura, myself and Topalov) were talking about the Carlsen-Karjakin match. I thought the first two matches were slow but the third was a fascinating one to watch. The current tendency does favour Carlsen but Karjakin has been fighting it out there and has been defending well in the last two games.
Would you have done something different had you been in Karjakin's place in the ongoing finale?
I think that's a tough one to answer. I feel Karjakin has kept himself steady and has been playing to his strengths. It is tough to say if I could have done anything different since each player prepares differently and reacts to situations differently as well.
This is the first time two Indians are in top-10 of Fide World rankings. How do you view Harikrishna's (Ranked 10) progress over the years?
There are six Indians in the top-100 of World rankings and that's a great sign. I would say that our strength is deepening and we are a force to reckon with. In the last few years, Hari's improvement has been remarkable. He has been quite effective in team competitions and his preparations have been splendid as well.
Has the demonetization affected you in any way?
I was outside the country when it happened. During the Champions Showdown, a lot of people came up to me and asked about how it would affect the economy and things like that. We (the players) too discussed it during the breaks. In broader terms, the move is very good and healthy.