Anand bettered his 1998 (1st) showing at Wijk aan Zee this year by one point but it was good enough only for a second place behind Kasparov. The World No 2 finished second in Linares, again behind Kasparov. Non-stop play and the resultant fatigue took its toll in Dos Hermanas where Anand failed to win a single game.

Anand skipped the FIDE World Championship to take a shot at Kasparov but the match did not take place as the organisers failed to find a sponsor. The future of that match-up is rather uncertain right now. Anand, who was back in Chennai for a month-long rest before his next tournament in Wijk aan Zee in January 2000, spoke to The Indian Express:

Excerpts:
Q: How would you sum up1999 ?
A: It was okay. Of course, it was not spectacular.

Q: Do you think Kasparov deliberately stopped the match or he wasn't able to really find a sponsor ?
A: I don't know. I'm not speculating on that. However, the organisers were unable to find a sponsor.

Q: Any regrets about not playing the FIDE World Championship ?
A: No.

Q: After preparing hard for the Kasparov match, how difficult it was when the match was cancelled ?
A: By that time, I suspected something was going wrong. It took me a while befor coming to terms with that.

Q: Any possibility of an Anand-Kasparov match in the future ?
A: It remains to be seen.

Q: What sort of preparation is going on now with your seconds ?
A: The usual work. Working on the players. I don't have anything interesting to tell. I have been working hard on all aspects of the game with my seconds.

Q: Kasparov was unbelievable in Wijk aan Zee and Linares. Was it mainly due to his preparation or overallhe was good at everything ?
A: He is a gifted player and the best prepared one in the opening. He also plays the endgame well. But opening is his strongest point.

Q: Kramnik seems to be a tough opponent for Kasparov. What is the reason for that ?
A: It could be his style. He is a solid player and hardly loses (Kramnik hasn't lost a game since January 1999 under normal time-control).

Q: What do you think you really need to do to beat Kasparov ?
A: I will show you in the future. In general, I have to improve on everything.

Q: Did Alexander Khalifman deserve to win the FIDE World championship and what made him achieve it ?
A: He deserved to win. His talent was never in doubt. He was determined not to spoil his chances this time. Every time he fell behind, he bounced back immediately.

Q: How about the overall quality of games in the FIDE World Championship ? Were they up to the mark ?
A: It was okay. There are bound to be some mistakes. I will be surprised ifthere weren't any because of the pressure and competition.

Q: Was it surprising that Karpov didn't have any clue about the computer in the Advanced Match (with the aid of computers) with you ?
A: Karpov had absolutely no idea, or some magazines said before the match. They were exaggerating. He doesn't use it much. Probably his seconds work with computers.

Q: Indian chess is looking up now. Any suggestions for the youngsters for going further ?
A: They are going in the right direction. I went through (World Under-18 champion) Aarthie's games and it was a creditable achievement.