I Look for People Who Have Plotted Gaps in my Game: Viswanathan Anand

Five-time world chess champion Viswanathan Anand on Monday said he looks "for people who have plotted gaps in my game" when it comes to choosing his team. (Click here for latest Chess stories)

"I pick people with whom I get along, which is a fundamental quality. You also have to look for chess players. I will look for people who have plotted gaps in my game, also point out thing that I do well and which don't do well. It is important to be good friends to be a good trainer and learner."

Anand says what matters most to him are the moves that he makes on the board.

"In chess there is one fundamental truth, it doesn't matter what the truth is, it matters what you execute on the board. In chess you get rewarded for what you do on the board in those two hours, not what you do before that and what you do after that," Anand said here.

He added, "It doesn't matter what you think after you make the move. It is a much specialised thing. After playing for some time you will get to know what you are good at and what you are not and you are the best judge of that. It is important to have respect on yourself that makes your game much easier," he said.

The 45-year-old Grandmaster from Chennai said teamwork plays a key role.

"The most important quality of a team is to understand how you feel and to create a comfortable atmosphere. I would prefer to work with people whom I can get along with well, that refers to my team.

"If you feel positive and carry that into the match and training, then your work will be more productive. I work a lot with my trainers, team management. You learn a lot from them also as you go along," Anand added.

He believes trust between a trainer and and trainee is also important.

"The most important thing is trust. Before a game my trainer gives me few tips and pushes me to execute it on the board. I have to have that trust in him that he has put in hours to help me be a better player than my opponent," he said.