Anand not convinced that computers will destroy chess

"For every door the computers have closed they have opened a new one."

Chess technophobic why worried? Now go and insert your Fritz or Rybka DVD's and start training with your chess program. Your World Chess Champion Vishwanathan Anand reiterates his views that computer chess softwares is not a threat at all for the progress of chess but a big help on it's development.

"Today we analyse our games with the computer, in the 16th century people did it with a board. That is only a gradual difference. Preparation for a world championship was always an arms race, in previous times with books, then with seconds, today with computers. The computer is an excellent training partner. It helps me to improve my game." he even dismissed his earlier claims that: "Ten years ago I said that 2010 would be the end, chess would be exhausted. But it is not true, chess will not die so quickly. There are still many rooms in the building which we have not yet entered. Will it happen in 2015? I don't think so." And finally, he added that: "For every door the computers have closed they have opened a new one."

So the world champ assured us all. Anand also speaks about his forthcoming title match against Vladimir Kramnik, his training, and his meeting with Bobby Fischer in Iceland. You can read the rest of this must read interview from ChessBase.com The interview was conducted by SPIEGEL.

Photograph courtesy of chessbase.com