KOLKATA: Notwithstanding five World Chess Championship triumphs, Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand continues to be flexible and is still eager to learn, says a member of his team in the recent successful battle for the crown.
Grandmaster Surya Sekhar Ganguly, the only Indian in Anand's quartet of seconds since 2008, also marvelled at the genius' calm and cool approach which complement his natural talent, dedication and discipline.
"He is ready to play a new move, always eager to learn. He really enjoys and loves the game," Ganguly said.
"Added to these, his exemplary dedication, discipline and natural talent make him a cut above the other great players of this era," the city-based player said, a day after returning home from Moscow where he assisted Anand prevail over Israeli Boris Gelfand 2.5-1.5 in a thrilling tie-break.
Other than Ganguly, Peter Heine-Nielsen of Denmark, Polish GM Radoslav Wojtasek and former World champion Rustam Kasimdzhanov of Uzbekistan constitute Anand's team. They have been with him since 2008 when Anand became the champion for the third time, beating Vladimir Kramnik of Russia. Two years later, they helped him get the better of Bulgarian Veselin Topalov in the World championship contest.
"We have excellent teamwork, we are almost like a family," said the 28-year-old Ganguly, who had created a sensation at the age of 11 by becoming the youngest player to beat a grandmaster.
"Overall, there was a lot of pressure. All through the night we worked. A day before Anand had his games against Gelfand, we would work from morning to night, taking small breaks for lunch and dinner."
As Anand would rest after a game, the seconds would get down to analysing his and Gelfand's game, trying to find loopholes in the Israeli's defence to zero in on a move that could be the killer.
"Daily we decided the strategy, trying to detect flaws in Gelfand's preparations. It was non-stop work," said Ganguly, who became an international master at the age of 16 and a grandmaster at 19.
"And in chess, the entire thing is a tough process. For every new move, we have to analyse 50,000-100,000 moves that could follow or the opponent could play."
Ganguly rated Anand's defeat in the seventh game of the classical format that preceded the tie-breaker as the toughest moment.
"It was very tough throughout the championship, more so when Anand lost. It's good that he immediately came back by winning the next game."
The two players finished 6-6 in the 12-game classical contest, and things moved to the tie-break, where Anand won the second game to clinch it 2.5-1.5.
"Gelfand played really well. He played the games on lines which he had never attempted before. His game always had the surprise element. It was only when Anand won the second game of the tie-break that we started thinking he will scrape through."
What did Ganguly gain from his close involvement in the battle? "I learnt a lot -- new moves, Anand's attitude, and strategies I can now use in my game."
Grandmaster Surya Sekhar Ganguly, the only Indian in Anand's quartet of seconds since 2008, also marvelled at the genius' calm and cool approach which complement his natural talent, dedication and discipline.
"He is ready to play a new move, always eager to learn. He really enjoys and loves the game," Ganguly said.
"Added to these, his exemplary dedication, discipline and natural talent make him a cut above the other great players of this era," the city-based player said, a day after returning home from Moscow where he assisted Anand prevail over Israeli Boris Gelfand 2.5-1.5 in a thrilling tie-break.
Other than Ganguly, Peter Heine-Nielsen of Denmark, Polish GM Radoslav Wojtasek and former World champion Rustam Kasimdzhanov of Uzbekistan constitute Anand's team. They have been with him since 2008 when Anand became the champion for the third time, beating Vladimir Kramnik of Russia. Two years later, they helped him get the better of Bulgarian Veselin Topalov in the World championship contest.
"We have excellent teamwork, we are almost like a family," said the 28-year-old Ganguly, who had created a sensation at the age of 11 by becoming the youngest player to beat a grandmaster.
"Overall, there was a lot of pressure. All through the night we worked. A day before Anand had his games against Gelfand, we would work from morning to night, taking small breaks for lunch and dinner."
As Anand would rest after a game, the seconds would get down to analysing his and Gelfand's game, trying to find loopholes in the Israeli's defence to zero in on a move that could be the killer.
"Daily we decided the strategy, trying to detect flaws in Gelfand's preparations. It was non-stop work," said Ganguly, who became an international master at the age of 16 and a grandmaster at 19.
"And in chess, the entire thing is a tough process. For every new move, we have to analyse 50,000-100,000 moves that could follow or the opponent could play."
Ganguly rated Anand's defeat in the seventh game of the classical format that preceded the tie-breaker as the toughest moment.
"It was very tough throughout the championship, more so when Anand lost. It's good that he immediately came back by winning the next game."
The two players finished 6-6 in the 12-game classical contest, and things moved to the tie-break, where Anand won the second game to clinch it 2.5-1.5.
"Gelfand played really well. He played the games on lines which he had never attempted before. His game always had the surprise element. It was only when Anand won the second game of the tie-break that we started thinking he will scrape through."
What did Ganguly gain from his close involvement in the battle? "I learnt a lot -- new moves, Anand's attitude, and strategies I can now use in my game."
Though Anand has high respect for Kasparov as a chess player and had sought the former World champion's help in preparing against Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria in the last match in 2010, the Russian Grandmaster's comments have not gone down well with the World champion. And not the bullying type, Anand for a change unleashed a counter-attack, like he did on the chessboard against Gelfand after losing the seventh game, against Kasparov.
"I think, Kasparov regrets his decision to retire," said Anand at a press conference organized by his sponsors NIIT on Sunday when asked about what he thought of the former World champion's remark that the Indian's game had gone down in quality and he should retire. "Kasparov lost his match in 2000 (to Kramnik) and retired in 2005. Then since 2011, he has been trying to make me retire too. He is perhaps missing the attention he used to get as the World champion," the current World champion retorted, still keeping his poise and almost to the point of laughter.
The Garry Kasparov albatross has been hanging around his neck ever since he lost to the Russian in 1995 and it revisited him last month in Moscow when the first few games were drawn. Kasparov had adopted intimidatory tactics of banging the clock and trooping out of the playing hall while beating Anand in the 10th game of their World Championship match in New York in 1995. This was after he lost the ninth game to Anand. And when he became World champion in 2000, a section of chess fraternity felt Anand's title got not because he did not beat Kasparov to win it.
The Indian was chased to respond to Kasparov's comments on the same day the Russian visited the venue. Kasparov had earlier made a comment when he retired in 2005 that World champions would not be able to play top-level chess after 40 and should ideally retire around that time. Perhaps, Anand was tired of reacting to the Kasparov comments from Moscow that he had his repartee ready on Sunday.
Anand also used the forum to make it clear that he won't be retiring from chess in the near future."I am enjoying the game and I have just defended the title, so why should I retire," quipped the 42-year-old who added that perhaps Kasparov could not digest that both the World championship contestants were over 40 years in age.
Anand thanked chief minister Jayalalithaa for her decision to include chess in schools and also her role in promoting the game. The TN CM has awarded Anand Rs two crore on Friday for winning the World title. Anand gave a demonstration of the game he won on the display board.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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