Anand achieved many firsts in a sport that had no history of even moderate success in India before his emergence.
Sachin Tendulkar has been awarded the Bharat Ratna on the day he retired. Not many will argue that the decision of the union government was unfair considering that Sachin was not only a cricketing legend, but also a great role model for the younger generation for his single-minded devotion towards his chosen trade, hard work, endurance, longevity and humility. This article is to show why chess ace Viswanathan Anand has a stronger case to get the honour.
Anand has been the chess gem of India for more than 25 years. Anand achieved many firsts in a sport that had no history of even moderate success in India before his emergence. He was a pioneer who brought about a revolution in Indian chess single-handedly.
There are now 34 GMs and more than 70 IMs in India and Anand, 44, continues to be the leading light. Unlike cricket, there was not much money in chess and Anand had to finance himself for training and taking part in big tournaments early on.Cricket is played in just eight countries, not counting the also-rans.The competition has always been intense in chess that is a truly global game. Countries from the erstwhile USSR have a rich tradition of producing many world champions and several outstanding players.Europe, too, has been producing many talented players.
Let's not forget Magnus Carlsen is from Norway . Anand was not only the first Indian but also the first Asian to challenge the formidable Soviet chess supremacy, winning prestigious tournaments and ultimately the world chess crown in 2000.
It has to be noted that Anand is already a Padma Vibhushan. Cricket may be popular than chess in India but it is clear that popularity cannot be any of the reasons for conferring the award on Sachin when one sees the list of 43 Bharat Ratna awardees.
It is awarded for excellence in the chosen profession, great achievement, service to society/country etc. No doubt Sachin had the adulation of the cricket loving public but Sachin's persona has always looked bigger than the man himself considering the support he got from many quarters.Anand was India's first world junior champion as well as India's first GM.
He is a five-time world champion now and has been the undisputed world champion since 2007. Anand won the Fide world rapid chess championship in 2003. He has won the prestigious chess Oscar six times, between 1997 and 2008. Anand has won the Amber tournament, where competition is generally tough, five times and twice he won in two categories, blindfold and rapid. He is the only one to have achieved this feat. Anand is the only chess playe to have won the presti gious Corus super tournament five times.
He is the first He is the first player to have achieved victories in each of the three big chess super tournaments: Corus (1989, 1998, 2003, 2004 & 2006), Linares (1998, 2007 & 2008), Dortmund (1996, 2000 & 2004).
Anand holds the record of having won the Mainz chess super tournament continuously for seven years. Anand is one of six players in history to break the 2800 mark on the Fide rating list.
One wonders what more Anand needs to achieve to become worthy of a Bharat Ratna! (S. Balaji is better known as Anbuda Bala on social media.
His e-mail id is balaji_ammu@yahoo.com
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( Source : dc )
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