Viswanathan Anand chases fivedom

The World Chess Championship, starting in Moscow on Thursday, was originally allotted to India. With backing from Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa, the All-India Chess Federation (AICF) had put up a strong $5 million bid and even obtained the go-ahead from the world chess federation (FIDE) officials.

However, the Russian federation came up with a counter bid at the last minute. It upset India’s plans to stage the event in Chennai. The AICF cried foul alleging its bid was leaked but the decision was made.

In any case, the change of venue is unlikely to have a serious impact on Viswanathan Anand’s chances in the match against Boris Gelfand. A world chess match is no World Cup where placid pitches, packed stadiums and noisy crowds can make the hosts favourites. Here the pitch is cerebral and Anand has always enjoyed playing before a discerning rather than noisy gathering.

“Moscow as a venue is always special. It is like playing in the heart of chess land. I am sure the event will be very well organised and I hope that spectators get to enjoy the games,” Anand told DNA before leaving for Russia for the 12-game match.

That settled; Anand’s focus has been on his Belarusian-turned-Israeli opponent. For someone who has beaten players of the calibre of Vladimir Kramnik and Veselin Topalov, a match against world No 20 Gelfand — it’s his lowest ranking in the last 25 years — should ideally be no more than a minor scrap. But it could turn out to be the trickiest of contests. “When I first heard that Gelfand will be the challenger one year ago, I thought it would just be cakewalk for Anand. But now, I have my doubts if it would be a one-sided match,” says RB Ramesh, who like Anand, is a Chennai-based Grandmaster.

Ramesh’s second thoughts stem from Gelfand’s position. At 43, Gelfand has got one last chance to crown himself with glory and that burning desire could be too much to handle for Anand who has already won the world championship four times. “If motivation were to be the factor in the contest, then Gelfand could be difficult to stop,” remarks Ramesh.

Motivation, of course, will not be the only factor. As Gelfand himself says, perfect preparation, good form, a willingness to fight and some luck will be the key. But Gelfand has not counted on the experience factor which Anand has in abundance. Having played two championship matches, the Indian GM knows what it takes to win it.

Anand also knows that Gelfand is in the form of his life after a period of lull following a splendid start to his career. He played some tough games to win the World Cup in 2009 and his second wind blew away players like Gata Kamsky, Alexander Grischuk in the candidates’ cycle to propel him to challenger’s position. Anand’s chances will hinge on how well he has prepared for Gelfand’s newfound rhythm. “We’ve done our bit and we’re hoping for the best,” says Surya Sekhar Ganguly, Anand’s second.
Gelfand claims he has done his homework too. “I have studied the games of my opponent thoroughly and hope to have done everything necessary for the struggle for the chess crown. My goal will be to play in a detached and enlightened fashion, as is necessary for chess at the highest level. Uncompromising attack against Anand can be a fatal strategy — he is a born tactician. But if I have a chance I will, of course, go on the attack. Yes, I have discovered weaknesses in his game, but I will not discuss them here,” he says.

Gelfand is a strong positional player with a wide repertoire of openings. He is a classical player with immense knowledge of the game but he is known to play in his cocooned sphere of play. His style is quite traditional that is very typical of the players from the Soviet Union.

Anand, as Kramnik says, is a colossal talent. He is known to create counter play in any position out of nowhere and is equipped with an uncanny ability to attack and create something out of nothing. He is also brilliant with the knights. He has widened his opening reserves and his preparation is known to be impeccable. A complete player.

Says Hans-Walter Schmitt, an Anand group member and a noted chess promoter, “The mood in the Anand camp is excellent. We have all the usual seconds and everybody is optimistic. I can tell you one thing: this man will never become tired of chess. Never! He loves the game too much.”

Anand’s qualities will be severely tested in the next three weeks and how much he loves the game will be known by the end of this month. Keep watching this space!