Anand vs Carlsen: Chess deserves a new champion, says Kasparov

When Garry Kasparov says something, you’ve got to take it seriously. The man who was world No 1 for 20 years till his retirement in 2005 is going to be in India to witness the Viswanathan Anand-Magnus Carlsen World Chess Championship match-up and he’s backing the former — not because he doubts Anand’s credentials, but because ‘Carlsen is exactly half Anand’s age and the new generation is rarely turned back.’

In a column for the Business Insider , Kasparov says that Carlsen enters the match as the obvious favourite despite his inexperience simply based on how superior his chess performance of the past few years has been to that of Anand.

The Championship will comprise of 12 games, with the world title on the line. Anand has defended the title three times since winning it in 2007 in Moscow – so he knows how it is done.

Kasparov doesn’t criticise Anand openly, but maintains that the Indian’s form has wavered considerably. He also says that playing at home may actually act as negative pressure for the 43-year-old Anand, with a billion people watching every move of his.

“But while I cannot say I feel joy when one of my records falls (being the youngest world champion), a win for Carlsen will also be a win for the chess world. Changing of the guard, new blood, a fresh face – all these clichés are clichés for a reason. Magnus is a dynamic young man eager to promote the sport, to raise its profile along with his own, and who can inspire a new generation of chess kids (and chess sponsors) around the world,” he writes.

Kasparov calls Anand a ‘fantastic’ chess player and says that a win in Chennai would confirm his high place in the world of chess, but he yearns for a new champion: “I am predicting a Carlsen victory because of his talent, his results, and the tides of chess history. I am rooting for a Carlsen victory because a new generation deserves a new champion.”

Click here to read the full Business Insider column.