Midnight welcome parade for Anand

NEW DELHI: A grand welcome awaits newly crowned world chess champion Viswanathan Anand on his arrival here shortly after midnight on Monday.

A midnight parade with a busload of fans and a dinner where the dress code is checks and other welcome ceremonies await Anand when he returns to India after winning the championship Oct 6 in Mexico City.

"It is not everyday that an Indian becomes the world champion in chess, the most cerebral sport and one which is played in over 200 countries. We want to make sure he is given a welcome that he deserves," says Bharat Singh, the joint secretary of the Delhi Chess Association and also the joint secretary of the All India Chess Federation.

"Since Anand is arriving at night, we thought some fans who would otherwise have come would find it difficult, so we arranged for a free bus from Karnail Singh Stadium, which is located very centrally," Singh said.

Anand is scheduled to arrive at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport at 12.35 a.m. on Monday.

Another function, albeit private, has been lined up by NIIT, for whom Anand is the brand ambassador. NIIT chairman Rajendra Pawar has thrown a dinner for Anand where the dress code of checks (to symbolise a chess board) in any colour.