In the modern era, it is unusual for a champion to be so old, raising the possibility that Anand's reign may be short. He said that while the top players are getting younger, he also noted that the top three in Mexico City - himself and the two who tied for second and third, Boris Gelfand, 39, of Israel, and Kramnik, 32 - were also the oldest. "Maybe a bit of experience didn't hurt," he said.
Anand said he did not know how long he would play competitively, but he drew a clear line. Referring to Viktor Korchnoi, a former world championship challenger, who is 76 and continues to play regularly in tournaments, Anand said, "You can rest assured that I won't be doing a Korchnoi."
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