Master your trade in 7 moves with Chess guru

It is not everyday that, the world's greatest in the most popular game of the mind, lets you in on moves that will help you excel in the business world. So be prepared to chew on every word said - each sentence could be a rung to rise in the corporate world. Viswanathan Anand, the just crowned king of chess, gave a master class to ET on how to become the best in the business by using some of his strategies and tactics.

KNOW YOUR GOALS:

Seeking perfection might be a distraction: You have to make your best decisions in two hours. A lot of chess players get too absorbed in the game and try to get to the bottom of it. But, that’s essentially a distraction.

STRIVE FOR OBJECTIVITY:

You may be optimistic or pessimistic, but be realistic. Objectivity is not the face you show to outside world, its a face you show to yourself. If I am cheating myself, it’s not going to work. Still in the heat of the game. it’s difficult to be objective. You tend to get emotional . Being realistic is not easy. It demands constant analytical work. Be merciless with yourself, that is when you grow as a chess player.

DON'T WORRY ABOUT THINGS YOU CAN'T CONTROL:

Tension helps you concentrate well. Being relaxed might be dangerous. Performance goes down with satisfaction. There is no point in worrying about things you can’t control. That’s where physical exercise helps.

KNOW YOUR OPPONENT:

Chess is all about applying game theory. You always think in terms of what your opponent will do, how he will respond to your moves.

ANALYSE AND SHARPEN INTUITION:

Intuition is often used as a substitute for calculation. If you calculate a lot, even if you don’t get till the end, your guess is going to be better.

EXPAND YOUR HORIZONS:

There might be some gems in the garbage you have discarded: If something doesn’t work six out of ten times, we discard it. But computers constantly look for unusual moves - and can beat us on the exceptions.

WHEN YOU LOSE, MOVE ON TO THE NEXT BATTLE:

Handling defeat is usually just impossible. You are totally depressed. Perhaps, its in business life as well. You have to say, ok , this battle is over and move on to the next. Anand became the youngest Indian to win the International master title at the age of 15, in 1984. He went on to win more titles since. The crowning glory came this year in Mexico City, when Anand became the undisputed world chess champion.