Thursday, July 10, 2008

VISWANATHAN ANAND (THE CHESS MASTERPIECE)


Viswanathan Anand, popularly known as Vishy', is one of the most dazzling talents on the chess universe today. he makes his moves with such speed that it has earned him the sobriquet 'lightning kid' on the chess circuit. At 13, he defeated the legendary Manuel Aaron. At 14, he was awarded FIDE Master's title. At 15, he became the youngest Asian to win the International Master's title. At 16, he was the youngest winner of the national title and youngest to receive the Arjuna Award. At 17, he became the first Asian to bag the World Junior Chess Championship, a title that has traditionally been the preserve of men like Boris Spassky, Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov. At 18, he was conferred the Hony. Doctorate by the Jawaharlal Technology University and awarded the Padrna Shri. Anand is also the recipient of the Soviet Land Nehru award from Sportstar and Sportswortd. He was conferred with the Padma Bhushan in 2001.Born at Madras (now Chennai) in Tamil Nadu on 11 December 1969, Vishy learnt the basics of the game from his mother Susheela during his father K. Viswanathan's stint as a railway consultant (1979-1981) to the Philippines, a country known for its tremendous involvement in chess. Young Anand would be glued to the TV to watch the feature "Chess Today" and would respond regularly to the puzzles shown in the programme. He even won prizes for his solutions.On return to Madras in 1981, he joined the Tal Chess Club run by the Russian Consulate. The 12-year old Anand - now a seventh class student of Don Bosco School - claimed a double in the local Kastauri Cup Tournament. In 1983, he won two All-India open tournaments in Madras and Sivakasi. He won the National Sub-Junior Championship in 1983 and 1984 and set a new record by scoring 9/9 points. He represented Madras colts in the Nationals in Bombay where he defeated Manuel Aaron.He bagged the National Junior Championship (under-19) from 1983 to 1986 and Asian Junior (under-19) in 1984 and 1985, earning the title of International Master at the age of 15, thus becoming the youngest Asian ever to receive the International Masters epaulettes. He twice pocketed the Lloyd Bank Junior title (1984 & 1985), won the Arab-Asian International in 1986 and became the youngest ever player to win the National ‘A’ Chess Championship in 1986, a feat he was to repeat in 1987 and 1988. Fittingly, Philippines was the country he returned to win the Junior World title in 1987. A voracious reader, Anand has awesome grasp over the game's theory. His strengths lie primarily in memory and progressive thinking. Some believe that he knows by heart 'Sokohoski Information', the bible of the chess updated every year, and can recall every move of the games he had seen years ago. With only 42 days' attendance in the final year at Don Bosco School, he passed the 12th class examination scoring 90% in optional and 99% in mathematics. Later he passed his B.Com- by attending evening classes at Loyola College in Madras.Source : "India's Highest Sports Awards and Those Who Won Them" by S.S.Gandhi, The Defence Review

No comments: