FIDE bows to Anand and pressure

Press Trust of India

NEW DELHI, April 1: After initially depriving Viswanathan Anand of the top position in its latest ranking list, the International Chess Federation (Fide) today bowed to widespread pressure and crowned the Indian as the world no. 1.

Fide rating committee chairman Mr Casto Abundo confirmed Anand as the game’s new no. 1.

“Congratulations to Anand and the All India Chess Federation. Pleased to inform you that we have rated Linares event today and Anand is world no 1,” Mr Abundo said in his message from Elista, Russia.

The Indian was to become the world no. 1 on Fide charts for the first time in his career after he won the Morelia-Linares tournament in Spain last month. But the Fide list showed Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria still on the top, 13 points ahead of Anand.

The game’s world governing body said that the Morelia-Linares tournament was not taken into consideration while updating the rankings since it concluded on 10 March, outside the cut-off date of 28 February. But following the AICF’s strong protests and widespread criticism, Fide agreed to correct the list.

Here is the full article.

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