Viswanathan Anand enjoys being an author

Viswanathan Anand launched his autobiography 'Mind Master' on December 13 in Chennai.

Viswanathan Anand with his autobiography ‘Mind Master’.

Viswanathan Anand, the author, is just loving it. Select city-hopping to promote his book, Mind Master and getting a first-hand feedback on his honest effort.

So you begin by asking the Grandmaster, how does it feel to be an author?

“I would say it's very nice. But you have to do this with some enthusiasm,” says Anand and elaborates, “the point of the book is to share, add to the public idea of what, who or what you are. I mean, most people have a certain impression of what a chess player is like, what you do and so on. And I would like that they now have something which is slightly closer to the truth. That's why I felt that it was important to address this book as a chance to get your story out and, you know, you have to divulge stuff. So even though that's not something I normally do liberally, over the last few years, I found that I have opened up in many ways. I talk more frankly. May be, it's just the sense that, now everything's in the past and I can talk it talk about it without the pains and so on. But it's been fun for me. I had this feeling of something, you know, I've done it. Now I can't do anything more.”

Did any of the chess players get back to you this?

“Quite a few players said they really liked it. Many players said they couldn’t get it yet. I probably expect more feedback later. (Boris) Gefland said he loved it. He was in Chennai and he read it on the flight back home. Kramnik didn't mention it. Anish (Giri) even tweeted something, you know, as usual. I'm sure if I probed and he should tell me something. But I expect the few others will read it as well.”

Away from the book, what does your schedule for 2020 look like?

“For the moment. I’ve got a tournament, Grenke Chess Open, in April. Hopefully I'll get an event in May. And then it's a fairly light year because I am not playing the Grand Chess Tour. I'll play the Olympiad, maybe. And if some new tournament turns up, I might go for that. After all these years of complaining that the schedule was heavy, if I spend this year complaining, it doesn't make sense. So I thought I'll just go with the flow, keep working, keep training and also enjoy more time at home.