NEW DELHI: The English vocabulary sometimes feels the loss for words while describing what Viswanathan Anand is to India and its chess legacy. There is a particular kind of stillness that follows the Chennai-born Grandmaster into a room, the stillness of a man who solved most of what chess could throw at him decades ago and has nothing left to prove to anyone in it.For over a month now, that stillness has been sitting in a very different chair. On July 24, 2026, Anand became interim President of FIDE, world chess’s governing body, after Arkady Dvorkovich voluntarily stepped back from his duties under European Union and Swiss sanctions. The role is temporary by design as Anand’s term runs out with the FIDE presidential elections on September 26.But for the two months he holds it, the man who has spent a lifetime being chess’s most recognisable player is also, quite literally, running the sport.“Fairly, (it’s) kind of what I expected,” the 56-year-old tells TimesofIndia.com during an exclusive interaction, with that familiar half-smile doing most of the talking before the next sentences catch up.“It’s more work than being deputy president. When I was the deputy, I only had to step in when Arkady (Dvorkovich) couldn’t make it. Now, in fact, I have to conduct a lot of the federation. But I’ve been doing it out of India mostly.”The extra weight of countless responsibilities hasn’t meant more miles, though.“Actually, I’ve travelled less, but because I had already made plans like this. I’ve been attending many, many more meetings, quite often, very long Zoom meetings with lots of people from all over the world to discuss FIDE matters,” added the former five-time world champion.The intensity, he says, has already peaked and passed.“There was a period last week when that all peaked,” he revealed. “Now everything, the agenda, is set for the General Assembly in Samarkand at the end of the year. For the last few days, it’s been a bit lighter.”And with that, amid the Zoom calls and federation business, the game of 64 squares has called in a more familiar manner.Anand returns to the Global Chess League (GCL) this year with Alaskan Knights. None of that administrative weight, it turns out, has dulled his appetite for the board.“I can tell you my hunger for the GCL trophy is still there. I would very much love for us, though I’m playing with Alaskan Knights this year, to pull that off. I’m very motivated, and I hope to do my best and get us into the final first,” the Grandmaster, who was one of the most prominent faces of Ganges Grandmasters for the last three seasons, remarked.
Viswanathan Anand at GCL
“It doesn’t matter what you did in your career. If you’re playing this tournament, then you enjoy it, and you try to play. The GCL is not the kind of event, typical event, that I used to play in. It is really a new kind of experience. For those 10 days to two weeks, I really enjoy myself.”It may be a new team this year, but the fundamentals have not changed for Anand. “Many players in the GCL have already changed teams a couple of times. I think once I go there and meet my teammates, on the first day itself, it’ll feel normal. I have played with Arjun before; two years ago, he was my teammate. There are familiar faces, and you’ll just adjust,” he remarked.
Generally, I stick to my routine, that’s all. It’s not like I will keep a lot of FIDE meetings
Viswanathan Anand
Balancing a federation’s crisis, family matters, and then chess, on paper, may look like a nightmare. But ask Anand, and then see the stillness follow.“Generally, I stick to my routine, that’s all. It’s not like I will keep a lot of FIDE meetings; if there’s some FIDE emergency, I might take a decision quickly, but otherwise I don’t expect to have long meetings while I’m there. I focus very much on the GCL,” he told this website, adding that he doesn’t plan days in advance so much as meet them as they come.“I know that I have to play against somebody tomorrow and I will get ready for it.”Within weeks, the presidency will pass to someone else. Until then, world chess is being run by a man who, when the meetings end, still just wants to play. And according to Anand, the play, on offer between September 5-13 in Bengaluru, will be as competitive as “anywhere else”.ALSO READ: ‘Praggnanandhaa is No. 1 in the world’: Viswanathan Anand after India’s first Grand Chess Tour title“Of course, they are (competitive). Because of the kind of openings they play, you could think, ‘Oh, they’re not taking it seriously.’ But in fact, they’re simply adapting their approach for the faster time control, for the pressure of watching your teammates and making decisions based on the match situation,” he concluded. “Once you take into account the different atmosphere, they are just as competitive as they are anywhere else.“
