Anand-Carlsen match will become exciting soon: Garry Kasparov

Chennai World Chess Championship Chennai 2013 GM Interview: Former World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov has said the Anand – Carlsen World Chess Match will witness a close finish.

Speaking to journalists at the Hyatt Regency, the former world chess champion said, “I am amazed by the publicity for the match and reminds me of my match with Anatoly Karpov and the Spassky-Fischer game. I hope Anand vs Carlsen match will be the revival of chess, it shows the importance of the title and is an amazing clash of generations.”

Garry Kasparov reached Chennai with his wife Daria as a “chess tourist” and said even though he felt the 22-year-old Norwegian challenger has a slight edge, the experience of the 43-year-old defending champion Viswanathan Anand could come into play.

Kasparov said, “I have a very good relation with Carlsen and his team but my talk will be limited to wishing him good luck. I cannot hide the fact that my sympathies are with Carlsen, not because we have worked before but because I believe that the future belongs to the younger generation and Carlsen is half of Vishy’s age.”

“Having said that, World Championship is a highly unpredictable event and Vishy has plenty of experience and is on his home turf. The match will be very close and I would not share the optimism of many commentators saying Carlsen will have an easy job. There is no easy walk to World Championship.”

Kasparov said, he didn’t make much of the two draws so far. He said, the match would become exciting later on. “I wasn’t critical because there is too much at stake. When you look at heavyweight boxing it very often starts slow.”

“It could be dramatic but normally they find to find a weakness but eventually it gets faster. Nobody wants to make a mistake or give the opponent an early lead. The match will become exciting,” said Kasparov. (B&W With inputs from PTI)

* GM opinions on Chennai Anand – Carlsen World Chess Championship