Viswanathan Anand relates to Magnus Carlsen as he discusses World No 1 relinquishing world chess title: ‘I was getting bored’

Chess legend Viswanathan Anand has finally broken the silence on Magnus Carlsen relinquishing the world title in 2022 and not returning to the championship cycle. The Indian Grandmaster Anand, who won the chess world title five times, said he could relate to Carlsen's frustration of defending the crown repeatedly, and it made sense that he decided to walk away.

It was Carlsen who brought an end to Anand's reign as a world champion in 2013 in Chennai. Anand was the challenger once again in 2014, but failed to recapture the world chess title.

Viswanathan Anand on Carlsen relinquishing world title

Carlsen went on to defend his title against Sergey Karjakin in 2016, Fabiano Caruana in 2018, and Ian Nepomniachtch in 2021. That is five World Chess championship matches in just eight years.

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Considering the amount of effort that goes into preparing for such high-intense chess games, Viswanathan Anand feels it's no surprise that Carlsen decided to relinquish the world title despite remaining the world No 1 player in chess till now.

The Indian great revealed that even he found it difficult to stay motivated to defend his title towards the end of his career.

"I knew that after five titles. After my fifth against Boris Gelfand (2012). Even that Gelfand match, I kind of dragged myself into it," Viswanathan Anand told Lichess. "As for Magnus himself, I can see his point of view very easily.

"By the first match, I was getting bored with these. Carlsen, I think, after five titles, he was ready to walk away and he said I really don't need to play these things. And so I could understand the sense of just moving on."

Anand didn't want 2013 World Championship match in Chennai

Viswanathan Anand also disclosed he was unhappy he had to defend his title in 2013 that also at home in Chennai, immediately after successfully defending it in 2012.

"Maybe another two matches and I would have just walked away. It was already getting hard to drag myself there. You know, even with your team, you feel it. It was, I think, in 2012, many members of my team said, 'OK, we can't take this anymore. It's year after year work and it's great to remember we got this far, but we're probably moving along'."

"I played against Carlsen, I was not happy that it happened in Chennai and I was not happy it happened right away. The same thing with Carlsen, I mean. He understood. I can walk away. That gives me all the power in the world."

Anand took part in six World Championship matches in seven years between 2007 and 2012, winning four of them.