
Learn From the Master Strategist
There’s a great deal to learn about high performance, competitive strategy
and teamwork from Anand’s career as the reigning world chess champion
by Indrajit Gupta – July 16, 2010
When you picked up a copy of this edition, I bet you wondered why Vishy Anand
was on the cover of Forbes India. He may have very little to do with the world
of business, but there’s a great deal that business executives can learn
about high performance, competitive strategy and teamwork from Anand’s
incredible career as the reigning world chess champion. There’s one more
thing I truly admire about him: in the cold and fiercely competitive world of
chess, Anand is still able to retain his human touch. He is the quintessential
Mr. Nice Guy, whom even his rivals can’t seem to hate!
A couple of weeks ago, Vishy was gracious in spending time with my colleague
Ashish Kumar Mishra in his beautiful duplex apartment at RA Puram in Chennai.
Ashish was an unusual and somewhat risky choice for this interview: He has no
clue about the difference between a Sicilian Defence and a Latvian Gambit, but
he did the next best thing: he prepared thoroughly before the session, thanks
partly to some quick coaching from our resident chess expert from Chennai: S.
Srinivasan, our head of desk. The
conversation with Anand is so rich in insights, engaging and accessible (even
if you don’t follow the game) that we decided to put it on our cover.
Anand
is a true champion – and I’d urge you to read his incredible rise
and fall – and rise to the very pinnacle of achievement.
Podcast:
Viswanathan Anand, the Master Strategist
Ashish Mishra and S. Srinivasan discuss the Forbes cover story. They give
you a rare look into Anand's personal life, his preparation regime, his carefully
selected team and a peep into the human side of Anand. Normally nobody will
listen to long videos and podcasts – but this is one that really worth
the time (22 minutes) you will invest. Click on the icon on the right or go
to the Forbes
Podcast page.