Chennai: Five times world champion Viswanathan Anand of India has hit out at his former arch nemesis Gary Kasparov, saying the Russian wizard has been trying since 2011 to get him to retire.

Anand feels Kasparov, who retired in 2005, misses the attention he got during his playing days.

"We were asked about his remarks. He is the man who regrets leaving chess. He misses the attention he got in chess, somehow wants to be there. May be he should play again," Anand said.

"Kasparov retired in 2005, he has been trying to make me retire since 2011. You just have to develop a thick skin as a public figure," he said.

Kasparov before the World Championship said that the Indian lacked motivation and was "sliding downhill". But Anand hit back as he defeated his Isreali challenger Boris Gelfand for his historic fifth World title win in Moscow last week. (IANS)