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Young World
Classic moves
NANDITA SRIDHAR
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Viswanathan Anand’s World Championship win at Mexico City will go down as one of his greatest achievements.
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Photo: AFP
Chess master: At the final round of the World Chess Championship in Mexico.
Viswanathan Anand achieved his World Chess Championship win with customary finesse. He was undefeated through the event, and became the first non-Russian after Bobby Fischer in 1972 to hold the number one ranking and the World Championship simultaneously; the latest addition to his glittering resume will further impact the rapid growth of the sport in the country.
The World Championship win at Mexico City will go down as one of his greatest achievements. He had earlier won the title in 2000 in a knockout format, but the absence of Vladimir Kramnik had taken some sheen off the win. This time though, he is the undisputed World Champion, after competing with eight of the world’s best. He was the only undefeated player in the tournament and the only person to have won the World Championship undefeated in both the knockout and the round-robin format.
Perfect ambassador
Consistency has always been the 37-year-old’s forte. He has remained in the top-3 since 1997 (he’s No.1 now), and has not finished outside the top-3 in a tournament since May 2002. Besides that, he has performed exceptionally in both the classic and the rapid formats. Consistency, versatility and a single-minded focus have taken him where he is now. His calm and modest demeanour is very unlike that of the eccentric geniuses that the sport produces, and has helped him maintain his focus.
Anand’s pioneering role in Indian chess is common knowledge, and this win will only help in inspiring a lot more children into taking up the sport. His subsequent achievements after becoming India’s first Grandmaster in 1987 sparked off massive interest in the game. India now has 15 Grandmasters and many potential ones. Chess is a sport that is suited to Indians, and it was just a matter of time before more Indians started dominating the game.
Anand is also a perfect ambassador for the sport in India, and is aware of his responsibilities in improving media coverage for chess and taking the sport to the rural areas across the country. When in the country (he is based in Spain), he is actively involved in promoting the game.
The World Champion can presently afford to rest on his laurels and has some time on his hands before his match against Kramnik next year. One of India’s greatest sportsmen is playing some of his best chess, and is enjoying it. The good news is that he wants more.
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