Shortcut for Viswanathan Anand: Guard against fatigue
Vijay Tagore / DNA
Thursday, May 6, 2010 1:46 IST
Mumbai: Is Vishy Anand being out-prepared and outclassed by Veselin Topalov in the ongoing world championship match? “No,” says Nigel Short, a former world championship challenger. It is even stevens at this stage in Sofia. That is the verdict of the reputed English Grandmaster.
The 12-game contest is on a razor’s edge with both players on four points each after Topalov drew level by beating Anand in the eighth game on Tuesday. The player reaching 6.5 wins the championship.
Has the momentum swung in favour of the Bulgarian? The answer from the Englishman, once again, is “No”. “There is nothing like momentum here. Anand can recover from one day’s rest (Wednesday). He has the ability and the experience to win the match,” Short, who commentates on the match on www.chessgames.com, remarks.
Short, however, is not too happy with Anand’s fitness levels and wonders if fatigue is creeping into his system. “Frankly, Anand is over 40 and he is surely not the fittest person around. I know he goes to the gym but I’m not sure of his energy levels. After all, Anand is an overweight middle-aged man and that could reflect in his game at some stage,” says the 45-year-old Grandmaster, speaking to DNA from his residence in Athens.
“Chess is not a 100 metre race and fitness is a minor issue. However, in a match of high intensity between players with equal talent and skills, fitness could turn out to be a factor. I thought the eighth game loss for Anand was because of fatigue. He defended impeccably after choosing a strange line but he committed a horrible blunder (54…Bc6). That move was not for lack of understanding or knowledge. It looked to me as fatigue,” Short analyses.
Source: http://www.dnaindia.com
Short would know everything about being fat and middle aged. He’s an expert.
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i guess Short has never heard of a guy called Bernard Hopkins he is 45 and still beating all the competition, he just beat Roy Jones jr. Age has nothing do with Anand loss.
Short knows because he is a GM with vast experiences, having battled the Great Gazza and Tolya too.
And KFB, your credentials are..? (beside being Kibitzer)
The sun glare of your satire is blinding me.
Short is expert in lots of stuffs! 😀
bouth anand and topalov are doing well, whats this short talking about`im looking forward to every game