Pariah
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Just read about this:
India's 'Tiger from Madras' crowned world chess champion
1 day ago (from 9/30/2007)
Congratulations to the Tiger!
1 day ago (from 9/30/2007)
MEXICO CITY (AFP) The chess world hailed a new champion Sunday with the crowning of India's Vishwanathan Anand, victor of a grueling tournament that brought together eight of the game's best players.
"I enjoy this new feeling of being world champion," Anand, who was ranked world number one going into the tournament, told AFP shortly after Saturday's victory.
The road to the title, while not exactly easy, did not appear to present major obstacles for the former chess prodigy.
"I had a couple of difficult games, nothing too worrying for this kind of tournament," said Anand, 37, who also had a reign as world chess champion in 2000.
Known as the "Tiger from Madras," Anand replaces Vladimir Kramnik of Russia as champion, winning the tournament on points after tying a match with Hungarian Peter Leko on the 14th day of the contest, which he dominated from the start.
"I am just very happy with my game, we had a good team, I felt very well, my second (coach) helped me (with) a lot of interesting ideas, everything clicked," the new chess champ said.
His proud mother Susheela Viswanathan told the Press Trust of India news agency that her son was emotional when he called to inform her early Saturday about his win.
"With a choking voice, Anand said 'amma (mom), I have won. I am the world champion for the second time," she said, speaking in the south Indian city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu state.
An official of the state's chess association said the group was planning a big welcome for Anand on his return to India.
"Anand has justified his status in the world of chess. He had something to prove, which he achieved in great measure of comfort," Manuel Aaron, secretary of the Tamil Nadu Chess Association, tod PTI.
And the victory would provide inspiration to India's future chess players, Aaron said. "Anand's second world champion title is a boost to every aspiring kid in India."
The Russian Kramnik saw the championship slip from his gasp on Friday after a tie, and finished second, followed by Israeli Boris Gelfand.
Eight of the world's top chess brains met in Mexico for the competition. Prominent players such as the world number two, Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria, did not make it through the championship's complex qualification process.
Anand played at a clearly superior level throughout the 17-day tournament but came close to defeat on Friday. He managed to tie his five-hour, 73-move game with another Russian, Alexander Grischuk.
He would have won the tournament immediately if he had beaten Grischuk, who has been focusing on a poker career.
The Indian, who learned to play chess at the age of six, said he was elated at again holding the world championship, especially now that the chess world is no longer split between two rival world titles, as it had been during his earlier reign.
"For me it is not different or more important than the 2000 title, for me they are both lovely memories," he said Saturday.
Anand distinguished himself as a youth for his chess acumen. At the age of 13, he won the junior title in India, and at 16, the senior chess title.
As champion he gets a prize of 390,000 dollars, while the runner-up will go home with 260,000 dollars and third place gets 180,000.
Anand may have to fend off a tough challenge to his newly-won title next year from Kramnik in a duel of the 2006 and 2007 champions.
He said he planned to keep a light playing schedule for the rest of the year but anticipated tough matches upon his return.
"I will not play too much between now and January, and I will start again the tournaments with Morelia, Linares and Monaco," he said.
"I think there is a lot of room for improvement and also the others are going to be working very hard and I am sure the next tournament will be a difficult competition," he said.
I guess, after inventing the game, you would think India would have more of these guys, but those Russians, man...
"I enjoy this new feeling of being world champion," Anand, who was ranked world number one going into the tournament, told AFP shortly after Saturday's victory.
The road to the title, while not exactly easy, did not appear to present major obstacles for the former chess prodigy.
"I had a couple of difficult games, nothing too worrying for this kind of tournament," said Anand, 37, who also had a reign as world chess champion in 2000.
Known as the "Tiger from Madras," Anand replaces Vladimir Kramnik of Russia as champion, winning the tournament on points after tying a match with Hungarian Peter Leko on the 14th day of the contest, which he dominated from the start.
"I am just very happy with my game, we had a good team, I felt very well, my second (coach) helped me (with) a lot of interesting ideas, everything clicked," the new chess champ said.
His proud mother Susheela Viswanathan told the Press Trust of India news agency that her son was emotional when he called to inform her early Saturday about his win.
"With a choking voice, Anand said 'amma (mom), I have won. I am the world champion for the second time," she said, speaking in the south Indian city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu state.
An official of the state's chess association said the group was planning a big welcome for Anand on his return to India.
"Anand has justified his status in the world of chess. He had something to prove, which he achieved in great measure of comfort," Manuel Aaron, secretary of the Tamil Nadu Chess Association, tod PTI.
And the victory would provide inspiration to India's future chess players, Aaron said. "Anand's second world champion title is a boost to every aspiring kid in India."
The Russian Kramnik saw the championship slip from his gasp on Friday after a tie, and finished second, followed by Israeli Boris Gelfand.
Eight of the world's top chess brains met in Mexico for the competition. Prominent players such as the world number two, Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria, did not make it through the championship's complex qualification process.
Anand played at a clearly superior level throughout the 17-day tournament but came close to defeat on Friday. He managed to tie his five-hour, 73-move game with another Russian, Alexander Grischuk.
He would have won the tournament immediately if he had beaten Grischuk, who has been focusing on a poker career.
The Indian, who learned to play chess at the age of six, said he was elated at again holding the world championship, especially now that the chess world is no longer split between two rival world titles, as it had been during his earlier reign.
"For me it is not different or more important than the 2000 title, for me they are both lovely memories," he said Saturday.
Anand distinguished himself as a youth for his chess acumen. At the age of 13, he won the junior title in India, and at 16, the senior chess title.
As champion he gets a prize of 390,000 dollars, while the runner-up will go home with 260,000 dollars and third place gets 180,000.
Anand may have to fend off a tough challenge to his newly-won title next year from Kramnik in a duel of the 2006 and 2007 champions.
He said he planned to keep a light playing schedule for the rest of the year but anticipated tough matches upon his return.
"I will not play too much between now and January, and I will start again the tournaments with Morelia, Linares and Monaco," he said.
"I think there is a lot of room for improvement and also the others are going to be working very hard and I am sure the next tournament will be a difficult competition," he said.
I guess, after inventing the game, you would think India would have more of these guys, but those Russians, man...
Congratulations to the Tiger!