Amidst the joy and emotional waves that swept across Indian chess at the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Viswanathan Anand remembers one particular moment even days later. One it also caused the wizard's mind to race with the enormity of the accomplishment.
"I recall that after the Indian national anthem concluded, we heard it again a short while later," Anand remarked. And it was a satisfying realisation that India had taken home two gold medals from the Olympics, with the women's and open teams setting records that no Indian team had ever set. Both that chapter and history had been altered by that Indian chess game.
After being dominated for years by a single player, Indian chess today boasts two champion teams. So it made sense that the man who was supposed to be carrying the trophy was also there at that same moment. Shortly after presenting the trophy to D Gukesh and his team, who managed the Open division, during the prize distribution event, five-time world champion Anand took it and held it high. “They (Indian players) had been passing the trophy around, and that I could get my hands on it as well was very nice,” Anand said in Mumbai on Thursday after a meet-and-greet event of the Global Chess League. “You enjoy it at many levels. You enjoy it as a player. You enjoy it as a fan. You enjoy it as an Indian. It’s just a pleasant feeling. You’re not thinking very much at that point. You’re just there in that moment and smiling along. "Just placing the medals around them and dividing the work with Judit (Polgar) was a very nice touch to the whole thing." For Anand, it was even more so since these were, in the words of Garry Kasparov, "Vishy's children" who had grown up to make history. When asked about that remark, Anand paused and then said, "Uh, I guess I'm sort of flattered." Don't make me say no."Knowing many of them for many, many years just makes you feel very happy," he continued. It's also really pleasant to be there and celebrate with them in addition to placing the medals around them. You are aware of the significance of winning two gold medals in a single year for the nation.
Anand didn't take long to point out that India may have also won the gold in Chennai two years prior. Budapest, though, was distinct. With no moments when they sensed the slightest threat, the undefeated men demonstrated the depth of Indian chess at the moment. Anand acknowledged that this "talented generation constantly surprises with what they can do," but he also wondered if this was "a high-water mark." "I believe it would have still felt like a happy surprise or a minor mishap in Chennai. By the fourth round, I got the sense here quite quickly: "Which team is going to stop us?" he said. "It feels unreal that we won with four points." "They weren't as dominant, in my opinion, which is why I say surprised. However, the reason their achievement strikes me as so remarkable is because they faced challenging and uncertain times when everything might have been taken from them, he added. "And then to win it hands-down is an amazing accomplishment."Additionally, it's crucial because, in my opinion, more ladies need to play chess for the game to flourish in India. This is a long-term objective for all of us. Thus, this is rather significant. Anand has designed and observed the game of chess in India become stronger and more popular over decades, breaking through "barrier after barrier."
