No ulterior motive

No ulterior motive behind help: Anand
Hari Hara Nandanan, TNN, May 25, 2010, 02.48am IST

CHENNAI: Historically, politics and individual animosity marked world chess battles over the years. But in a marked departure from practice, world champion Viswanathan Anand and wife Aruna would like to stress that all the controversies that erupted before the world chess title match in Sofia were in fact figments of imagination.

Back in Chennai, the champion told in a chat with TOI on Monday that he never suspected any ‘ulterior motives’ behind the moves of Garry Kasparov or Magnus Carlsen to help him. On the contrary, he thought it was a ‘generous gesture’.

History was made in Sofia when two former world champions Garry Kasprov and Vladimir Kramnik voluntarily helped Anand along with world No 1 Magnus Carlsen. About 15 years ago, the same Kasparov used ‘intimidatory’ tactics over the board, banging the clock and door after each move to rattle the Indian in the PCA title match in New York and it was quite unbelievable that he would come forward to offer advice to Anand against Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria.

Magnus Carlsen’s case is somewhat different as he is known to be Anand’s friend ever since the Norwegian first offered him help before his Mexico World championship. Kramnik might have old scores to settle as Topalov had alleged during their face-off in 2006 that the Russian had access to external help while he was in toilet during the games.

However, the fascinating part of Anand’s ‘human cluster’ of help is that it came without Anand asking for it. Has chess become too transparent so that the players get involved in a game, not looking at it just as a sporting encounter but a continuous debate between schools of thought? “I don’t want to read too much into the help. I was pretty lucky that they all helped,” said Anand, refusing to be drawn to the possibility that Carlsen, who is closely working with Kasparov, is fast emerging as a challenger to the Indian and he might have wanted to have a closer look at how the champion prepared.

Anand repeated that the trio coming forward to help is historic and he found no reason beyond the actual deed for it, which is typical of his philosophy. “I don’t want to dwell too much on whether it was against somebody or completely for me but I am touched by it,” he explained and recalled how during the world championship match in 1978 in the Philippines, Anatoly Karpov received the Russian govt’s support and with it also the luxury of a couple of former world champions helping him against defector Viktor Korchnoi.

But that was a totally different scenario with politics playing the key role. The current world champion has not thought about whether he should return the favour to any of them, barring Kasparov, who is no longer active. “There is no clear understanding in the help that they offered me. Anyway, one thing is clear, in 2012 I don’t have to help any of them. In future, I don’t know,” the world champion cleared the air.

Here is the full article.