Making the right moves

The proud dad Viswanathan Anand talks about fatherhood and gaining belated admission to the parents’ club

After 14 years of marriage, World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand and his wife Aruna became proud parents of a baby boy, Akhil, two months ago. Says a dazed Anand, “You can never be fully prepared. Boom, he’s there one day, and your life has changed forever. When we came back, we were three people instead of two. But he’s a quiet child and doesn’t trouble us. “It’s probably easier to decode complex chess moves but he’s taking great joy in the process.

Earlier, Anand was based in a quaint town in Spain but now he is rooted in Chennai. The couple talks about the pregnancy, their ideas of parenting and how they want their child to grow up without the celebrity shadow that follows him.

Pregnant Pause:
The couple planned the baby so that when Akhil was born, Anand could have two months off during the lean tournament season. He says, “When Aruna was pregnant, I had a fair amount of tournaments. I had to get used to being alone, as Aruna always travels with me. It’s wasn’t too bad though.”

To this, Aruna quips, “I’m sure Anand only missed me when he needed his shirts ironed! I’m very organised so I had detailed lists of what had to be done. “The chess champion dutifully did as he was told when he was around.At one of the baby ceremonies in her seventh month, everyone said that given her radiance, it was bound to be a girl. “We only thought of a boy’s name as a back-up,” Aruna laughs.

She admits that Anand doted on her during her pregnancy. “I’d say, ‘Just press my legs for me. For all the years I travelled with you, pay me back with interest. “He would fuss over me when I was tired,” she says.

Anand, no stranger to strategy, came up with a foolproof plan, “When she was pregnant, I tip-toed around as much as possible but Aruna took care of herself well.”

Style of parenting:
The Anands are enjoying a peaceful time with the baby, but that will change eventually, they joke. Anand adds, “Right now, we’re fighting over who’s going to discipline him. We both want to be the good cop. We will try not to control him too much. Maybe whack him around a bit in the beginning, or you won’t get any rest for 20 years.”

Will he expect his son to follow his father’s footsteps Anand says, “I will teach him chess and get him interested in lots of other things too. Let him take a decision when he’s older. “His wife empasises that they don’t want to foster those expectations on the child. Aruna adds, “Sports is a demanding career. What I what him to learn from his father is how to be humble. And from me, to not to be too much of a dreamer and be practical.”

The soft-spoken Anand handles the attention that comes with being a celebrity with ease. So have they thought about how the attention may affect the child Aruna says, “At home, we’ve never had this thing that Anand is a celebrity. The child will be conscious only if you create that sort of an environment.”