The Hindu : Sport / Chess : ‘Kramnik’s taunts helped me’

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‘Kramnik’s taunts helped me’

Rakesh Rao

BONN: “Did you notice something? My last world title and this one were precisely 13 months apart. Last year, I won in Mexico City on September 29. Yesterday was October 29. It’s some strange kind of coincidence but I would have still preferred to finish it on the 27th itself.”

The highly infectious smile of Viswanathan Anand was firmly in place as he pointed at the role played by numerology in his last two triumphs for the world title.

When Anand mentioned his preference to end the much-followed 12-game match two days earlier, he meant he would have loved to remain unbeaten in what was clearly the biggest match of his astounding career.

The morning after the epoch-making victory over challenger Vladimir Kramnik on Wednesday, Anand was ready to start a long day meant for interviews, starting with The Hindu.

On his triumph: This is brilliant. A highlight. I know what they (the sceptics) would have said, if I had not won here. I had to deal with it.

Ironically, if you want to make a case that matches are ‘the’ format but they are not superior to others, you have to win a match. Mexico is in no way a lesser achievement. But if I had not won there, I could not have made it here.

In that sense it is very nice. For me, Mexico was beautiful. You win the title for the first time, the unified title, and here you hold it. Both are very nice.

You really can’t choose between memories. I can’t say whether my Baguio victory (for the World junior title in 1987) was any less. At that moment, it was very special.

On Kramnik: Against someone, who doesn’t even lose three games in a year, to win three out of four games was something special. But I am very proud that I could win by such a margin. It (the margin) could have been three points, and that would have been incredible. But in the second half, he clearly showed what a player he is.

Clearly, in the match, we hit the ground running. I am sure his preparations would have been excellent had I fallen into them. But we managed to show what we had. And, it’s just an ambush.

On the five factors that led to victory: 1. My team (comprising former world champion Rustam Kasimdzhanov, Peter Heine Nielsen, Radoslav Wojtaszek and Surya Shekhar Ganguly) was extremely good.

2. I was disciplined in letting Aruna (wife) handle everything else.

3. This time I really thought I was in the bubble for several months and I am coming out only just now.

4. Kramnik taunted me a lot and that helped me concentrate better. I knew I had to do a good job here otherwise I had to deal with this…not winning a match and so on. So it led to my being focussed. He was extremely gracious yesterday but I guess it comes in the territory. In election campaigns they insult each other and then they shake hands and show how well they are in the end.

5. Finally, I was just able to maintain my concentration level during the match. You cannot play without good concentration because the positions were so sharp.

On the support from his fans: I would like to say, “Thanks a lot to all of you.” Before the last game when you know there are all these people, the best wishes I got, meant a lot. It gives you a lift when you are behindThis time, if there was any pressure, I genuinely enjoyed it. I’d be lying if I said I enjoyed it five minutes before each game. But looking back, it was nice.

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