Anand on his record-breaking 10th victory at the Leon Masters
In an exclusive interview with ChessBase India, chess legend Viswanathan Anand reflects on his remarkable victory at the León Masters 2024. Anand delves into the challenges he faced during the tournament and the critical moments that led to his victory. The conversation provides a glimpse into Anand's strategic mind, his preparation, and some critical turning points in his games. The first time that Anand won the Leon Masters was in 1996 and now this is his 10th victory in 37 years! What a legend.
On June 30, 2024, Viswanathan Anand won his 10th Leon Masters title by beating GM Jaime Santos Latasa 3-1 in the final match. Anand struggled in the initial games of the Semi-finals against Topalov but soon got into the groove that he is so well-known for. His triumph marks his tenth title victory at the León Masters between 1996 and 2024.
Vishy wins León Masters for the 10th time | Photo: León Masters
Watch the exclusive interview to get some brilliant insights into Vishy's strategic mind:
The Madras Tiger still roars loud
Sagar Shah (SS): Congratulations on winning the León Masters! You secured the title for the 10th time. How are you feeling after this brilliant victory?
Viswanathan Anand (VA): I am very happy! Actually, I almost tried not to have this as a goal because what is the difference between 9 and 10. Also, it's been quite a while - I won in 2016 the last time. Then I played in 2017, 2022. Between 2005 and 2007, I won it three times in a row, and before that as well I won the title three times in a row but now the pace was slowing. Anyway, it was nice to have this chance to win for the 10th time. This year the tournament went well. The games were not that smooth, but I hung in there and got the job done.
SS: The games were amazing! I want to talk about some of your decisions in the games. Before that, I want to know what did you think when you got to know about this event and the combination of young and experienced players as participants.
VA: It’s always been their theme. In fact, I had assumed that the experienced players always play the youngsters. So, the pairing is always two experienced players against two young players. But in reality, it's not like that. The pairings are based on the ratings. So, the top two players by rating were Arjun and me which means we could not face each other in the semi-finals. By the way, initially, Gukesh was supposed to be in this tournament. But he got an invitation to the Grand Chess Tour in Bucharest. So, they invited Arjun. I thought I was going to play against Gukesh. Later I realized that I am going to play Arjun or at least we would be competing in the same tournament. But anyway, it's nice to play with Topalov. I have also played with Santos a surprising number of times - two times in León and this was our third match.
SS: Did your match with Topalov bring back any memories of your World Championship match in 2010?
VA: No. Too much time has passed. Even when we meet each other, there is no such rivalry or maybe it is there in a small way but too much time has passed after that World Championship. Now we are both very relaxed when we play against each other. So, there is no rivalry as such.
SS: After you won your match against Veselin in the Semi-finals, were you surprised that you would be facing Jaime Santos and not Arjun?
VA: Honestly, at some point after the second game, I thought Arjun was going to win because he not only won the game but also, he was looking very dominating.
Arjun Erigaisi vs Jaime Santos, Game 2
In the third game, White’s play was more difficult than Black's. Black just has to double on the b file and come down. White needed more time to execute everything correctly. Then I thought Arjun would make the draw easily. I stepped away from the game for some time and when I returned, I saw the game was still going on. At that point, Arjun looked very dominating. I assumed that I was going to face him. But then I saw the move – f6.
Jaime Santos Latasa vs Arjun Erigaisi, Game 3
I think there were some opportunities before, but anyway black was better. Arjun also had a huge advantage on time. Obviously, he missed Bh3. Something went wrong there. It must be nerves and trying to take advantage of the opponent’s time pressure. Suddenly, that game turned around. By the way, Jaime played very well. By playing Nc8, and Bf5, he showed some good tactics. The score was 1.5-1.5.
Jaime Santos vs Arjun Erigaisi, Game 3:
Then it seemed like Arjun would win the fourth game because he was playing very well. Arjun impressed me a lot but then Jaime started to impress with his play. It was not easy for black to co-ordinate the rooks against White's bishops. Black’s king was also in the center which needed to get out. But Jaime did very well. Arjun missed one or two chances but it's always easier to say this when you are watching the game. Jaime won that game and I had to get ready to play against him. There was some time for dinner. So, during that break, I was thinking about what I was going to play. That’s how it panned out.
Arjun Erigaisi vs Jaime Santos, Game 4
SS: After winning, you tweeted that your wife encouraged you to play in this tournament and you won it on her 50th birthday…
VA: Yes! There was a time when I lost like a baby on her birthday. So, I was really hoping not to do that again this time. You can't really control these things. But it was a very pleasant turn. I must say, the first two games in both of my matches were very difficult for me. I was suffering quite a lot. But the third game went very well to compensate for the earlier games.
SS: Is it true that you won the Candidates 2014 on Aruna's 40th birthday and this time you won the León Masters on her 50th birthday?
VA: Yes, I won the Candidates in March 2014. So, it was her 40th year. And this time, I won the León Masters on her 50th birthday.
SS: We will go through some of the critical moments in your games. In the first game against Topalov, he played really well. But after your move Re6, things turned around for you. Did you feel that you would be able to convert the game from that position?
Topalov vs Anand, Game 1
VA: After that move Bd7 Rxe1 Qxe1 g6! I was very optimistic. My king on g7 had a threat of white’s queen coming on e5. That made me nervous but still, I was feeling optimistic. In fact, he missed a very nice win. Apparently, after my Re6 (above diagram), he should have played a4. If he had played that, I would have been completely helpless. He played Bd7. It's a brilliant move if I go Qh2 or something clever, he could go Re6 Qd2 and Rf8 followed by a mate. So, there is no way of playing Qxh2. But he missed that I could play Re1, Qe1, g6 and Kg7. This improved my almost-lost position to not so horrible position. Once I could play d5, I started getting optimistic. He played g4. I took on g4. In that position, I thought I was better. I had more time but not so much time that I could relax.
SS: It was quite stressful, especially as it was your first game after a long time.
VA: Yes. It felt quite strange! (Smiles)
SS: You managed to hold this position. Veselin also defended very well.
VA: He defended very well. In the last position, I had to remind myself to stop trying. Because b-pawn was very close. If I get careless, suddenly Bb5 will happen and there will be no coming back.
SS: The first game ended in a draw. In the second game, did you miss Ne4?
Anand vs Topalov, Game 3
VA: No. Ncxe4 Qxc8 Nd2 Qa6 Qe3 Rd1. After this, he has to start with Qf4+. These moves didn't seem pleasant at all. Even e4, e3, and Nd5 are coming. So, I thought Qc3 saves the game.
After Qc3, I suddenly realized that I was busted. Because after Qf2, I go Bc4 Nh5 Rc2 Nf3+. Because if I take on f3, he takes on c2. I thought Rd1 is saving the game. Because I kept starting with Nc4 Qc4.
The problem is he starts with Qg3+ After that, if I play Kh1, then Nc4 Qc4 is a draw which I saw correctly, but actually Ne4 wins. I missed this in my initial calculations when I allowed Nxe4.
I played f3 to provoke him. Because if he doesn't do anything, then I could play Nc4 and no problems forever. So, by this move, I am solving all my problems and giving him one last chance. But I thought I was saving the game. When I saw Qg3+, I realized that I had made a blunder. It was too late so I had to go through with it.
After Qg3+ Kg1. He takes on c4 Qxc4 Nf4 and I am completely busted. Because if I play Qc2, he takes h3. Broken pawns make the position even worse. After Kf1, he can play the winning move Qh2. I was shocked when I realized this. But he played e4 and I was relieved. He missed some chances in this, two knights versus rook and bishop game. Then he suddenly blundered the d pawn. I had to grab the only chance to bring the king out. I missed that. He defended quite beautifully. He managed to defend this f and g pawns and bring the king back and somehow it worked.
SS: In the third game, I was very impressed with your accuracy. Your move Re8 was a great move. You launched the attack brilliantly in that game.
Topalov vs Anand, Game 3
VA: But I spoilt it. Because first of all, Rf6 is winning which I calculated but I don't know why I didn't go through with it.
SS: What about Qd1? (in the above position)
VA: I missed it at first. But I played it when I should have stopped on e2. So, I went to Nf4+.
SS: Was f3, Kg3 was easy to miss?
VA: Yes. I couldn't believe it. I thought it was mate and then I realized he could go to e3. Then, I came up with the idea of f3+, Kg3, Qh1. My idea was h5, Rg6. Rg4. Still, it was not checkmate because of Ke3.
Then I played Qd1 which is a mistake. Because Qe2 wins much more easily. He played Qd5. I played h5. The idea is to move Rg6+, Ng3, and Rxg3 with a mate. I am controlling the g4 square.
SS: Going to the last game, you drew it easily. In the first game of the finals, your move Ne8 reminded me of your online game with Nemo…
Jaime Santos Latasa vs Vishy Anand, Finals Game 1
VA: Yes. The move looks ugly but sometimes a bad piece is doing one thing very well and that is defending a pawn.
SS: You defended that game very well and it ended in a draw. In the second game, the castling which you did was actually played in only five games before that. In that position, Rb7 was the main move. It seemed like he was prepared till f5 and he began thinking after Nd1.
Vishy Anand vs Jaime Santos Latasa, Finals Game 2
VA: He knew Nd1 also. But he was trying to remember his preparation. He was hesitating a lot. I did not prepare this line very well, I only knew the idea. That’s why I made a mistake of c3 very quickly.
SS: I was expecting him to go Qh4…
VA: Right! Qh4 is possible. Both of us were out of the book already which is funny. Qh4 was a strong move. Both of us missed that.
He played Rc7. I played c3 in a hurry. He played Be7 which was annoying. Because after that, Rf7, Bg5, and there is no chance. I mean Rxc7, Bxd2, and Ra7 can be played but I was not sure if it would work. After (in the above position) c3 Be7 h3, he played Bd8 and I made a blunder, Qd3. It was a terrible move because the queen had to watch the g5 square.
SS: After Qd3, you no longer stop him from castling. Before that, Rf6 was a threat.
VA: My plan was to play Rg3, Rh5, and hope for the best. The move was not hopeless. It was clear that white was fighting for compensation. I was very surprised that he decided to accept the draw. Honestly, I was quite relieved. Again, the computer can say that the position was not that good, but it doesn't matter. How you feel at the board is more important.
SS: Third game was a brilliant game! Especially the way you handled the minor pieces was outstanding! I was very impressed with h5.
Jaime Santos Latasa vs Vishy Anand, Finals Game 3
VA: Exactly! Either I play h4 or he plays h4. But once he plays h4, he could never play f4, because I get control of the g4 square. If he doesn't play h4, then he must play g3. Because otherwise I will play h4 and he can never push anything on the king side. It's a very nice move to control these pieces. Now, if his pawn was on h2, white is better. He could just play g3, Kg2, f4. But because the pawn is on h3, he doesn't have those options. He went with g3. I didn't want to provoke e5 too quickly. So, I played c5. If he plays d4, I will exchange and put a bishop on b4 which means his e4 pawn would be weak, as he can never defend it with the rook. I calculated all these little details. I like h5 and c5 very much. With two pawns I was stopping his four or five pawns. That was important for me.
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SS: Why didn’t you consider h4 in this position?
VA: I didn't see a good moment to make it work. First of all, I didn't know what to do for g4. I couldn't judge it very well. Also, I thought there was no hurry. Even if he plays f4, I will play Rd8. I can play Qg6, c4 and the e4 pawn is a bit weak. So, I thought there was no need for me to do anything.
SS: In the end, the game turned out to be fantastic!
VA: He went Re1 and then I realized that he is playing Qb7 in almost all lines. And I am completely messed up over there. So, Na6 Qb7. I could find only one plan to stop Qb7 and that is Rb8. Then I played Na6. He could play Qxf5, exf5, f4 and it's a draw.
SS: But can’t you still maneuver in this position?
VA: I will have to sacrifice a bishop on h4 or something and hope. But I was not certain. In this game, all my pieces used the f5 square.
I think he should go to h3. But this was not easy to see. If he goes to h3, I can't kick him out like I did in the game. But he was also in severe time pressure. So, then I went with Nd4+ and then I got in Kg4. After that, it was important to play Rf8. With this, I am threatening g5. This is how I stumbled onto a very nice winning position.
SS: This is how you won the third game. The last game was very intense here when he played Nxd7.
Vishy Anand vs Jaime Santos Latasa, Finals Game 4
VA: It was a mistake. I missed the plan with h5. I thought he could do nothing after Rd2. By the way, instead of Rd2 (in the above position), probably I can play b3 and Nb2, Nd3. Because in the game, it took me longer to get out from c3. Or I should just play Rd7 Kd7 Nb6 and Nxc8.
SS: It is somewhat risky, right?
VA: I understand that four pawns on the king's side are slightly threatening. But it's not serious I believe. When he played h5, I was not sure what was happening at all. I decided I had to play Bf3 at all costs. I knew he would play Ng4.
SS: Didn’t you think of playing Bf2? You took on g4 very quickly.
VA: Somehow, I didn't have the heart to play Bf2. g5 may have been a good move. Bf2 might be objectively possible but it felt too passive to me. Also, because I simply saw Ne2, Nc1, and Nd3. I was very happy with that. But after Bxg4 hxg4, he should have played g5. It's a better try. After that, the question will be how will I handle it.
After fxg5 e5 maybe I can play Nc3, f4, Bf2, Bg5, Rd6+ followed by Nd5. I am not thrilled but it might not be hopeless or I play Rf1, Kg6, and g3 and this stops the threat. After that if he plays Bf3, I would jump and play h4! But actually, after he played e5 (instead of ...g5) and I was very confident. But I had to calculate Bh4. Because everything else was getting very messy. When I saw Bh4, I was very happy.
SS:I think he was not expecting Bh4. He seemed surprised after seeing that move.
VA: We didn't discuss that. But he had no real options. In a more practical situation, I should have just played e6+ and Bc5.
SS: You played after a long time. How did you prepare for this event?
VA: I was training for a week before the tournament. I was just trying to remember chess! (Smiles) Of course, I followed chess closely. But it's always different when you have to play. You can't just say that I know all the things. You have to know which one you are supposed to play. The mentality has to switch. I was training a little bit with Jorden van Foreest. He has lots of nice ideas and we had a good time. Of course, the first games didn't show it. But later on, the games got better. We also played a lot of blitz games and that was helpful. Though it's different when you practice blitz games and play a rapid tournament after that.
SS: Everyone has this question - how do you keep showing brilliant performances time and again? Also, does this make you feel like playing more?
VA: I will play a blitz tournament in Corsica (ed- he won it 9/9), Global Chess League, and European Club Cup in October. I look forward to those tournaments. I don't know if I want to play more. I could play a little more but I don't think I want to play much more. It's kind of in that balance.
SS: It was amazing to see you in action. Everyone loved watching you play. Thank you so much for entertaining us. Good luck with the Corsica Blitz Tournament.
VA: Thank you so much!
