Jayalalithaa honours new World Chess Champion Carlsen

Julie Mariappan,TNN | Nov 25, 2013, 03.15 PM IST

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa on Monday awarded the new world chess championship to Norwegian prodigy Magnus Carlsen, who dethroned India’s Vishwanathan Anand, a five-time world champion in the world chess championship 2013, held in Chennai last week.

At a prize distribution ceremony held in Hotel Hyatt Regency here, Jayalalithaa gave away the winner’s gold trophy to Carlsen, amid loud cheers from supporters. She also honoured the 22-year-old Norwegian with an olive garland from the Nilgiri hills, while World Chess Federation president Kirsan Illyumzhinov presented him a gold medal.

Anand, who lost the crown in his home city, was rewarded with prize money of Rs 6.03 crore and a silver medal. Carlsen became the new world chess champion after defeating Anand by 6.5-3.5 in 12 game match held between November 7 and 22. The crucial tenth game went in a draw and favoured Carlsen to claim the title.

Later, speaking to TOI, Anand’s parents, Vishwanathan and Susheela congratulated the Norwegian. “Carlsen has done a good job,” was all his mother had to say, but not without a praise of word for her son. “Anand has proved himself five times. I don’t have to say anything now.” His father, Vishwanathan, a retired general manager of Southern Railways, said the event was very well organized. Though disappointment was writ large on his face, Vishwanathan said, “Anand tried his best and probably next time.”

An official release from NIIT, chairman Rajendra S Pawar said that NIIT and Anand would continue to work towards taking Indian chess to greater heights. “Anand has made chess a national movement by initiating 1.65 million students into the game of chess through our joint initiative – the NIIT MindChampions’ Academy,” Pawar said in an official release. This comes against the backdrop of speculations that the Indian champ would be dropped as brand ambassador of NIIT, a brand, which he had been promoting for some years now.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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