15th World Champion Viswanathan Anand shared what chess means to him. Vishy says that for him chess is a sport, and notes that it has an artistic side.

Viswanathan Anand

Viswanathan Anand

15th World Champion

“What is chess? I experience it as a sport and so does everyone I know.

The only people who are doing it full-time are people who approach it as a sport. But it generates art, it generates beauty. And looking for hidden patterns and all consists of the art of playing chess.

You can play chess badly and win. That’s the sporting bit. But you can also play it beautifully with nice concepts. That’s the artistic side. It is a science as well because you can study it like a science. You try a move, come up with new concepts and then when they work or don’t work, you revisit them.

But I think underlying everything else, what drives it is that it’s a sport. People are looking for an advantage. If it was just a game, I think it would be less.”

Chess is an officially recognized sport by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The IOC recognized FIDE as a global sporting organization in 1999. Chess has never been included as an official, medal-awarding sport in either the Summer or Winter Olympic Games.

Credit: Michal Walusza / FIDE