The Hindu : Sport / Chess : Anand's presence would inspire India

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Thursday, Oct 14, 2004

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Sport - Chess

Anand's presence would inspire India

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, OCT. 13. After 12 years, the return of Viswanathan Anand has raised visions of India's best showing in the biennial Chess Olympiad. When this global team event is inaugurated at Mallorca, Spain, on Thursday, India will begin as a medal contender, for once.

Though Anand, the World No. 2 and the strongest player in the field, cannot single-handedly script India's fortunes in the 14-round competition, his inspiring presence should encourage other members to contribute more on the lower boards.

The pre-event optimism for a medal is not without reason. For the first time, India has three top-100 players in its ranks. K. Sasikiran and P. Hari Krishna are capable of overpowering higher-rated players but it will depend a lot on how India, seeded fifth, puts it all together, round after round. National champion Surya Shekhar Ganguly on the fourth board, followed by Abhijit Kunte and Sandipan Chanda as reserves complete India's strength.

However, there is no gain saying that India can field GMs on all four boards. There are more than 30 teams that can do the same.

The present women's team, comprising debutant Koneru Humpy, double Olympiad silver-medallist S. Vijayalakshmi, D. Harika and Nisha Mohota are seeded sixth. But in Anand's views, "because of the kind of competition in the women's section, this team has a better chance of returning with a medal."

Here's Kazakh trainer and former coach of the Indian Olympiad team, Evgeny Vladimirov's assessment of the Indian teams:

Men: Viswanathan Anand (ELO 2781): His presence is the biggest psychological boost to the other members. What is more important is that, for once, one board is secure for India. Considering his current form, he should be able to keep the team afloat decently.

K. Sasikiran (2668): Playing on the second board reduces the burden on Sasi. He used to fight without looking back but is now more balanced. Good sign for a team event.

P. Hari Krishna (2612): With time, Hari has become reliable and steady. This was the kind of level I expected two years ago. But now that he has reached it, I expect him to do well this time.

Surya Shekhar Ganguly (2559): Very well prepared in the openings. Ganguly is objective, ready to fight and steady. Considering the opposition on the lower boards, he should contribute.

Abhijit Kunte (2550): Controls the game better. His level of understanding of the positions makes him a strong first-reserve player.

Sandipan Chanda (2543): Has grown strong in recent times but lacks the control of Kunte. Needs time to be consistent.

Women: Koneru Humpy (2503): Being a first-timer at the Olympiad, it will be tough for her to be playing on the top board. If she does not get a good start, loses more games than one expects. Remains to be seen how she handles the pressure.

S. Vijayalakshmi (2411): Very strong will. In the last Olympiad, she played all but one round and that too against some very strong players. But much depends on her physical state, motivation and form. For a change, she is not under as much pressure. Should do well.

D. Harika (2391): Has good fighting spirit and is known to be very well prepared. But when people say she prepares 14 hours a day, I find it a double exaggeration. No doubt, she is a strong player on the third board.

Nisha Mohota (2286): Again a player for whom a good start can make all the difference. She has decent game and so are her overall results. A good back-up player for the team.

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