Viswanathan Anand (third from left) was honoured at a Sports Journalists’ Federation of India event on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: B JOTHI RAMALINGAM

The 2026 Chess Olympiad may arrive with India as one of the teams to beat, but Viswanathan Anand expects the contest to be shaped just as much by the rise of Uzbekistan.

India, the defending champion in the Open section, will enter the next Olympiad with depth, momentum and a generation of players who have already proved themselves at the highest level.

Uzbekistan, the 2022 Olympiad champion, is likely to be among its strongest challengers, with Javokhir Sindarov’s World Championship match against D. Gukesh adding a fresh individual edge to what is quickly becoming a team rivalry.

Speaking during the special Sports Journalists’ Federation of India medal presentation event, where he was honoured, five-time world champion Anand said the demands on modern players had changed, with travel, training and tournament schedules now needing to be managed with greater flexibility.

“I think most people settle in and you play. The only question is if it’s a home venue then you need to adjust to it,” Anand said, referring to the demands of venue and schedule management.

The Gukesh-Sindarov World Championship match has given the India-Uzbekistan rivalry a sharper focus beyond the Olympiad. Anand, however, said the key for Gukesh would be to return to the simple demands of playing strong chess, rather than getting caught up in the noise around being world champion.

“I would basically say it’s about getting back to the level where you play good chess and you have to block out other things,” he said when asked about Gukesh’s recent reflections on his relationship with chess.

“Becoming world champion at 18 is a big change in your life. It also is a big change in how other people look at you, so there’s a lot of mental stuff to unpack. But in the end, you have to hunker down and play good chess again.”

ALSO READ: Praggnanandhaa trumps Carlsen twice to win Norway Chess 2026

Asked about the playing styles of Gukesh and Sindarov, Anand said the difference between them was not dramatic.

“Only marginally. In a sense, they’re both very modern, very young, very contemporary styles,” he said.

On Gukesh’s preparation for the title defence, Anand said there would be no fixed formula. “I think both of them will be preparing in all sorts of interesting and new ways. I think also the nature of preparation for these matches has changed and people improvise a lot more.”

Vaishali’s chance against Ju Wenjun

Anand also gave R. Vaishali a reasonable chance in her World Championship match against China’s Ju Wenjun, saying her rise as challenger was itself an important moment for Indian women’s chess.

“Already the fact that she’s a challenger again after so many years without Koneru Humpy is very good news for Indian women’s chess, and obviously if she wins, that will be magnified,” Anand said.

He added that Ju Wenjun remained a formidable opponent, but felt motivation could become a factor.

“I would still say Ju Wenjun is very strong, but already it’ll be what, six years or seven years, since she became world champion, and I think it’s going to be harder for Ju Wenjun to motivate herself. I think much easier for Vaishali to do so. So, I think her chances are quite reasonable.”

Published on Jun 24, 2026