Anand's Extraordinary Chess Show Goes For A Great Cause

A Score Of 92/93 Should Be Remembered For Some Time
By Arvind Aaron in Chennai

World strongest active chess player Viswanathan Anand worked hard on a Saturday evening to win 91 chess games and draw two for an undefeated show that helped raise a million Indian Rupees (Rs.10 lakhs) for Vidya Sagar, a non-profit organisation which takes care of those with neurological impairments.

While 82 of his opponents faced him in a simultaneous display at the basement hall of Traders Hotel in the heart of Chennai, eleven players were chosen through an e-Bay auction. The sponsors included Internet Chess Club, India Cements Ltd and various other companies.

There was one hero in Vishy Anand. The entire show was a grand success as the 35-year old chess champion posed for pictures with all and sundry, signed scores of autographs. He autographed his chess board and auctioned it too. Mahesh of New York, on vacation in his home country India bid Rs.18,000 (USD 450) and received it with Anand's autograph. The entire proceeds from the day's collections went to Vidya Sagar.

"We did not expect this big a sum," Poonam Natarajan of Vidya Sagar told Viswanathan Anand while thanking him for his efforts. D.V.Sundar, Secretary of the Indian and Asian Chess Federation said, "you are a magnificent edifice for the nation." This was not just a Anand v Chennai match, it was Anand versus the World he said. Anand said, "Vidya Sagar is always close to my heart and I would strive to to make the lives of the less fortunate ones laugh louder."

The games on the Internet Chess Club engaged Anand for close to two hours. He was walking for around two hours overall. He addressed the audience for an hour. The opposition for Anand was club level at the venue. About the draw against JFernandez on the ICC, Anand was telling chess fans that his Qe2 was a mouse slip! About the other draw against Mislav he said black had a draw earlier but played on for more. About talents at the venue he singled out Swaroop and Khushboo as having offered the best resistance.

The program was such that it delivered the message that people should come forward to help handicapped people. Anand has taken the leadership as being a brand ambassador for Vidya Sagar. His big sporting image brought the media in large numbers. The local tickets to play Anand was Rs.5,000 (USD 125) while the e-Bay auction went for USD 330. Anand is the inspiration for the new generation of chess players particularly in India. Through this show on the eve of his departure from India he has shown that he has a soft heart for handicapped and deprived children.

During the ICC games, Anand's entertainment was a chocolate milk shake and a peep into the Dortmund live games. Dressed in formals, Anand was accompanied by his wife Aruna Anand and his parents-in-law and manager.

During the show which lasted for a little over five hours, there was cocktails and dinner. Interacting with Anand in the Q&A was fun. He answered questions on topics as complicated as Fischer and chess players being unable to sleep after some games with great honesty and depth. Anand called Fischer a chess genuis who became the first non-Russian world champion after 1948. "He was fanatical about chess and that was part of the cause of his success. I do not endorse everything Fischer said. I always tend to separate his chess. Hope he is well settled in Iceland."

Anand also took on questions from www.chennaionline.com as well as audience and journalists. Anand singled out 1983 as the key year in his chess career. From a club player I went on to become No.4 in the country. It was suddent and surprised me too. The first title which bolstered his confidence was the National Sub-Junior title, he said.

"Charity in India was merely a business house writing a cheque and collecting an 18G Tax Rebate certificate and handing it over to the auditor. We made sure that it was far far different and above it," said show director Kuruvilla Abraham, manager of Anand. It was meant to be a simultaneous display against 64 players but the response was overwhelming and Anand accommodated the extra numbers taking on 93 players in five hours.

"This is the best day in my life," said one chess fan who took Anand's autograph. Like him many others left happy after their first date with Anand. At the end, Anand's mission of making the lesser fortunate ones to laugh louder was fulfilled.

GM Anand putting his next move into BlitzIn.

Ready for autographs!

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