How to Master Anything—at Any Age: Lessons from World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand

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Jun 22, 2025

Viswanathan Anand, a five-time World Chess Champion, shares his incredible journey to mastery in chess and life. He discusses overcoming self-doubt at any age and highlights the importance of confidence over skill early on. Vishy emphasizes how to navigate plateaus and adapt to change while remaining at the top for decades. He encourages lifelong reinvention and reflects on how youth's 'inaccurate self-confidence' can be a powerful ally. His insights inspire anyone striving for greatness, whether in chess or their own pursuits.

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ANECDOTE

James' Inspiration from Anand's Longevity

James Altucher found hope seeing Viswanathan Anand among the top chess players around age 40.
Anand's journey to five-time world champion was marked by persistence and overcoming setbacks.

INSIGHT

Motivation Through Improvement and Urgency

Anand believes the need to keep improving and the destiny to progress motivated him through struggles.
He recognized frustration when he escaped accountability by benefiting from opponents' mistakes.

ADVICE

Master Execution Over New Learning

Focus on mastering and executing your strengths rather than only learning new things.
Regularly push to eliminate mistakes and improve the weakest areas with urgency.

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Notes from James:

When I turned 40, I was depressed. I checked the top 50 chess players and saw only one person around my age: Viswanathan Anand. That moment gave me hope.

Episode Description:

I met one of my lifelong heroes—five-time World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand—and got to sit down with him at the Norway Summit to unpack what it really takes to stay at the top… for four decades. We didn’t just talk about chess—we talked about life, legacy, improvement, and how to overcome self-doubt at any age.

Vishy and I broke down how talent evolves, why confidence matters more than skill early on, and how he battled through plateaus, age, and even failure to remain among the world’s elite players—well into his 50s. This episode is a masterclass in longevity, performance, and reinvention.

Whether you're into chess or not, Vishy's insights apply to anyone striving to master their craft, overcome obstacles, and stay in the game.

What You’ll Learn:

The real reason most people plateau—and how to push through it
Why youth is powered by “inaccurate self-confidence” (and why that’s not a bad thing)
How to adapt when the game—or the world—changes faster than you can keep up
What to do when your best effort still leads to loss
How to retrain your mindset after failure or self-doubt
Why reinvention is a lifelong skill, not a one-time fix

Timestamps:

00:00 The Relentless Nature of Chess

00:39 Meeting My Hero: Viswanathan Anand

01:12 A Personal Story of Inspiration

02:55 Interview with Viswanathan Anand

06:43 The Evolution of Chess and Personal Growth

28:57 The Role of Youth and Confidence in Chess

31:14 Concluding Thoughts and Future Prospects

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