Hero's welcome to Vishy Anand
Viswanathan Anand, FIDE World Chess Champion, returned to Chennai to a tumultuous welcome at the Anna International Terminal. The bustle and din there gave way to scenes of spontaneous celebrations as airport personnel and passengers joined the well-wishers in according the four-time World Champion a warm welcome. Among the first to greet the champion were his parents, Susheela and Viswanathan.
Anand retained the World Chess Championship on May 11, defeating Topalov by a score of 6.5-5.5 in Sofia. The decisive win came in the 12th game of the match. Making light of a loss in the first game that came on the back of a 40-hour bus journey to Sofia that was occasioned by the cancellation of air traffic all over Europe, Anand raced to a one-point lead at the end of the fourth round. Though Topalov stretched Anand all the way to the 12th game, the Indian triumphed with black pieces in the final encounter to defend his title.
Topalov admitted that he was desperate for a win in the last game as Anand's fearsome reputation in the rapid games - which would decide the title if the scores were tied at the end of the series of classical games - would have given him a distinct edge. As it happened, the Bulgarian blundered in going for a win, to let Anand pull the rug from under his feet.
Much was made of the difference in age between the champion and the challenger before the series, but Anand outlasted Topalov, 35, over several marathon encounters that went beyond five hours. In good humour after his home-coming from Frankfurt, Anand said: “Oh this one [compared to his gruelling bus ride to Sophia] was nothing at all. I slept through it.”
"It was the most difficult game in my life, the most intense match I ever played," Anand told a news conference after his win in the conclusive 12th game, that lasted more than four and half hours. "We were under enormous pressure in the final stages of the game," added the player, who played with the black pieces in the title-decider but needed no invitation to take advantage of some Topalov errors.
The epic battle that started in the imposing building of the Central Military Club in the Sofia downtown on April 24 maintained its suspense until the very end with a tie-breaker in rapid chess looming on the horizon. "Topalov was and still is a great opponent, he's one of the best players in the world," added Anand, proclaimed "Mind King" by the chess fans in India. The maestro, who will receive 1.2 million Euros ($1.52 million) in prize money, did enough to put his name in the history book as he's the first player to have won the world championship in three different formats -- knockout, tournament and final match.
Analysts said the duel in Sofia was roughly equal with Anand winning thanks to his ability to shine at key moments while local hero Topalov will probably look back in anger to an 11th game where he wasted some very good chances.
"I am delighted at the excellent show by Grandmaster Vishy Anand at Sofia, retaining his world chess title. He has proved himself to be a great World Champion as he brushed aside the effects of his late arrival at Sofia for the Match due to unexpected air traffic disruption all over Europe. The last game was vintage Anand. The entire Chess fraternity looks at this Indian genius with great admiration" said N.Srinivisan, President of the All India Chess Federation.
