Anand spearheads campaign for inclusion of chess

“After that, hopefully it will be a fullfledged sport on the Olympic Games schedule,” the current World No 2 told select Indian reporters here on Tuesday.

The Indian wizard is known to be close to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Juan Antonio Samaranch and the International Chess Federation (FIDE) taking advantage of that fact, deputed Anand to canvas its case.

“Samaranch is favourably disposed. It is now for FIDE to convince IOC that we deserve to be in,” he said.

The first stop was achieved with IOC’s recognition of chess as a sport last year. As part of the campaign, Anand has played two exhibition matches of rapid chess with Alexei Shirov of Spain.

Both the matches were drawn. “In the first game I was in a winning postion and in the second he was. Both of us managed to pull back. I guess we were very confused because of the jetlag,” Anand said with an impish grin.

He said while chess World championships have their own importance, the Olympic Games had their own aura and importance. “The chess family is a big one but the Olympic family is a bigger one.”

Anand said just as chess players take to other games for version and to keep themselves fit, many athletes from other disciplines play chess to recharge their mental and physical batteries. He cited Russian tennis star Anna Kournikova as an example.

For the Olympic Games he said rapid chess was ideally suited and not the classical game. “You cannot have each match lasting seven hours in such a crowded programme. Also, rapid chess would mean more matches and that would help more countries to participate,” Anand said.

He said there was no thought yet about getting the inclusion of chess into continental events like the Asian Games. “That, perhaps would follow after the game gets into the Olympic Games programme,” Anand said and conceded that other disciplines graduate from the continental level to the Olympics level.

Though obviously “pretty rushed” here, Anand said he and his wife Aruna were enjoying the whole Olympic experience. He was anxiously following the performances of the Indian contingent.

About his own plans for the near future, Anand said, “right now I am focussed on the FIDE World Championship to be held in New Delhi in November.

It will be nice if I win there. I have not thought much beyond that.”Anand said with so much talent coming up, chess was going fast in India and sponsorship was coming on.He said television could play a big part in popularising chess. “Rapid chess could be shown live and highlights of classical games could also be shown,” Anand said and explaining how in France big chess matches were shown live in theaters with two commentators explaining not only each move but the psychological battles engaged in by the rival players.He had a special word of praise for Kunte (against whomhe remembered playing in 1986 in the National junior championship) and Sasikiran both of whom were knocking at the doors of 2600 ELO points. (PTI)