Too Much Data, Too Little Clarity: Viswanathan Anand Reveals How To Master Modern Chess

Last Updated:February 12, 2026, 13:46 IST

Viswanathan Anand stressed deep understanding over memorisation in chess, highlighting the importance of pattern recognition.

Five-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand believes that in today’s engine-driven era, deep understanding, not endless data, is what truly separates elite chess players.

Speaking at the inaugural session of a three-day chess workshop on Thursday, Anand reflected on how the explosion of computer-generated analysis has changed the game.

“Funnily enough, the more that is available for you to know, the less you can know. If every day you’re subjected to 20, 30 new conclusions, how do you make sense of it? I believe that the only thing that separates chess players today is deep understanding," Anand said.

Drawing parallels to his own transition into the computer age decades ago, the former world No. 1 said openness to new ideas is essential — but it’s the grasp of fine details that elevates a player.

Patterns, Not Memorisation

Anand was quick to dismiss the idea that modern mastery is about rote learning opening lines.

Having played between 6,000 and 7,000 competitive games over his career, he explained that chess strength comes from subconscious pattern recognition.

“Our brain puts together a lot more patterns than we are able to explain," he said, noting that ideas often resurface weeks later without players realising they are “copying something from somewhere else."

He compared chess to language acquisition.

“You have to develop that feeling, just like a language you cannot learn only from dictionaries; you learn it by speaking it," he remarked.

Theoretical preparation, he added, is only the starting point — mere “material ingredients" before the real “cooking" begins over the board.

Expanding the Chess Ecosystem

Anand also backed efforts to spread chess beyond Chennai — long considered India’s chess capital — to cities like Madurai, Salem and Coimbatore.

The workshop, organised by the Velammal Education Trust from February 12–14, also marked the launch of Anand’s book Lightning Kid.

(with PTI inputs)

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