Archive · 2 Sep 2026
Viswanathan Anand Says AI Has Transformed Modern Chess
Viswanathan Anand is a famous chess player from India.
He says computers and AI have changed chess very greatly.
Computers can quickly show players which moves may work, even in openings that once seemed bad.
Because of this, players now need to decide which questions to ask and how to use the answers.
Anand also said he once went through a difficult period in 2001 and had to step away before returning with a fresh mind.
He believes confidence is useful, although experience teaches players to be more careful.
The Global Chess League is trying to make chess faster and more exciting for viewers.
Anand is hopeful about young Indian players such as Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa and Vaishali.
Viswanathan Anand says AI and chess engines have fundamentally changed how players study and approach chess.
Anand believes players now must ask the right questions and turn vast computer analysis into practical strategies.
He recalled a six-to-seven-month career crisis in 2001, including defeats at Dortmund and the FIDE World Chess Championship.
Anand said Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa have strong prospects, while Vaishali is a player to watch in women’s chess.
He said the Global Chess League is using team formats, altered scoring and demanding time controls to make chess more engaging.
- Who
- Chess grandmaster Viswanathan Anand, along with younger players including Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa and Vaishali.
- What
- Anand discussed how AI, chess engines and new league formats have changed chess, as well as his career struggles and Indian chess’s future.
- When
- In an interview ahead of the Global Chess League; the article does not give an exact interview date.
- Where
- The interview was conducted in connection with the Global Chess League in Bengaluru; Anand also discussed past events in Dortmund and Moscow.
- Why
- Chess engines, AI, changing audience expectations and experimental competition formats are reshaping how chess is played and presented.
- Speaker
- Viswanathan Anand, five-time World Champion
- AI’s effect
- Chess engines and AI provide rapid analysis and have changed players’ preparation and decision-making.
- Anand’s 2001 crisis
- A career slump lasted six to seven months and included four losses at the 2001 Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meeting.
- FIDE championship setback
- Anand was eliminated in the semifinals of the FIDE World Chess Championship in Moscow in 2001.
- Global Chess League
- The league uses a six-board team format, modified scoring and demanding time controls.
- Indian prospects
- Anand identified Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa as players with very good prospects and highlighted Vaishali in women’s chess.
- Audience growth
- Anand said influencers and content creators have helped introduce chess to new audiences.