It hurts them, it hurts us, it hurts the game: Anand

AMINUL ISLAM

NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 18: CONSISTENCY and a steely nerve, if juxtaposed, will always lead to one logical conclusion: Viswanathan Anand. With an ice cool temperament and composed as ever, Anand has dominated world chess quite consistently and comprehensively over a period of time. Despite threat from a fresh breed of players, the Indian GM is still sitting high at the pinnacle.

However, Anand who has achieved everything ever since he strode into the limelight after winning the World Junior crown in 1987 in Baguio City, Phillipines, is disappointed and deeply hurt as the chess world is threatened by a possible split.

The context of the immediate war of words between Gary Kasparov led-Professional Chess Association (PCA) and FIDE, the world chess body, was the announcement of this year’s FIDE World Championship in Moscow (November 24 to December 11) which directly clashes with the three-man Super Tournament featuring PCA world champion Vladimir Kramnik, Kasparov and former FIDE champion Anatoly Karpov. The PCA tournament is scheduled to be held from December 1 to 12.

The Indian GM, who was felicitated here on Tuesday for his victory over Vladimir Kramnik in Mainz, Germany, admitted that the existence of two parallel world bodies definitely hurt the interests of the game. But it did not, in any way, take away the credit from the winner of a tournament organised by either, he said. ‘‘It hurts that some people have preferred to have the split," said Anand referring to former world champion Gary Kasparov’s idea of floating a rival body. ‘‘It hurts them, it hurts us, it hurts the game,’’ disappointment dripped from his voice.

On being pointed out that even Kasparov declined to acknowledge his title, Anand said: "As long as FIDE acknowledges me as the world champion there should not be any dispute. And anyway, FIDE hasn’t asked for an opinion from Kasparov. It doesn’t affect me at all no matter what he says and does."

That he posses those rare combination of a brilliant chess player, a sharp and mature brain, Anand described the ongoing tussle between PCA and FIDE in chess terminology. "It is like chess on a 64-square board. FIDE and PCA are criss-crossing each other on the white and black squares. Difficult to say about the result, but we should not be bothered at all."