V. Anand, Super Grandmaster & World Chess Champion thrice – a trice a tribute.

12.05.10: V. Anand at 40, married but childless, is the new World Champion in chess for the third time. He became the World Champion after Kasparov retired and broke the Russian strangle hold in 2007. He repeated it in 2008 against a new Russian challenger, who no longer is seen. Again, this year, in Sofia (Bulgaria), he beat Vaselin Topalov, present challenger, by 6.5 to 5.5 points in 12 games and collected 1.2 million Euro currency ( 1 Euro = Rs.67). He exclaimed after his win that the 12th and last game was the decider and “most intense game”, it was. It could have gone either way (i.e., even against him) in 56 moves! But he hung on, converting a possible draw into a resounding win, to retain his world championship till 2012. He will be known as “Viva” Anand hereafter!

Anand by his earlier play spread over a dozen and more years has bagged ‘Khel Ratna’ award of Govt. of India, sports ministry. He was the first ‘Khel Ratna’ followed by Sachin Tendulkar in cricket and Pankaj Advani in billiards.

V. Anand, a Tamilian, has inspired hundreds of chess players in India and converted them into many International Masters (over 20) and Grand Masters (over 12) in a short time. There is Women GMs India, apart from at least 10 men, one of them youngest in the world (Parimarjan Negi). He revolutionized Indian indoor games with his great victories and became an icon and a legend alive. He is NIIT ambassador in technology. His wife Aruna is his current manager. Anand is a model sports star.

But for V. Anand, India would never have become a chess nation. Chess originated in India and traveled to Russia. Moscow was the Mecca, but Viva Anand has made India as the Kashi of chess.