Magnus Carlsen recently spoke about his experience training with Viswanathan Anand in 2008 on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast. Carlsen recalled that during the training camp in Spain, where Anand was preparing for his World Championship match against Vladimir Kramnik, he was struck by Anand’s immense skill and preparation level. He admitted that Anand’s dominance in their training games made him realize he had been overestimating his own strength, calling the experience a “reality check.”
Carlsen described Anand’s approach to preparation as being on another level entirely, which gave him valuable insight into what it took to compete at the highest level. The two have since built a strong mutual respect, with Anand recognizing Carlsen as one of the greatest chess prodigies, while Carlsen has praised Anand’s deep knowledge and strategic understanding of the game
