World Chess Championship 2013: 5 reasons Carlsen should not underestimate Anand

Despite World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen’s stratospheric chess performance at the recently concluded Sinquefield Chess Cup in Saint Louis, and despite his highest-ever chess rating for a human, World Champion Viswanathan Anand can just not be underestimated. Here are five reasons why:

1. Viswanathan Anand’s depth of world championship match experience

Vishwanathan Anand is a 5-time world champion (Getty Images)

Not for nothing has Viswanathan Anand won the world title five times. He has faced a variety of opponents in all types of formats and could possibly sleepwalk through several games without losing. Check out: World Chess Champion Five Times: The Anand Timeline.

2. The silent volcano

Carlsen is often seen at glitzy fashion and social events (Getty Images)

Not for Viswanathan Anand – a media blitzkrieg or screaming girls. Not for Anand – the quotes and the rival bashing with television and newspaper bytes. Anand’s style is that of the quite volcano that erupts on the chessboard. This guy cannot be underestimated just because he prefers to stay away from the hype and hoopla, or goes for draws. He always has something up his sleeve and, like India’s answer to Judit Polgar, Koneru Humpy would say: “It is very difficult to surprise Anand!” He has his own strategy that can finish any opponent.

3. Watching, waiting and preparing secretly

Vishwanathan Anand is a master strategist (Getty Images)

Viswanathan Anand just got the chance to witness Carlsen in action at the Sinquefield Chess Cup. How much of preparation could Carlsen have hidden, or how much extra would Carlsen be able to prepare in the coming 50 days leading up to the World Chess Championship 2013 in Chennai? Everyone’s raving about Carlsen’s fitness, but how do we know what Anand’s been up to? Who has Anand been training with? Carlsen is the hunted now.

4. Home base motivation

Vishvanadhan Anand is welcomed by supporters at the Chennai Airport on his arrival from Moscow, after winning the 2012 World Championship. (STRDEL/AFP/GettyImages)

No matter what people say or fear about the pressure upon World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand, the home base is likely to fuel Anand’s killer instinct. Vishy Anand has already passionately stated that he wants to “win the title for India.” That’s more motivation than Anand has ever had before winning the earlier world chess titles.

5. Anand has his own spectacles

Okay this one’s a bit tongue-in-cheek, but we couldn’t resist it. US No. 1 Hikaru Nakamura started it all by wearing dark shades to his games vs Carlsen at the Sinquefield Cup. Anand has no worries about Carlsen’s so-called chess hypnotism either. Viswanathan Anand has his own spectacles (even though the plain variety)!