The Hour I Lived

I wanted a headline that would be a little more exhilarating because a game with a world champion of chess does not happen everyday. It unequivocally deserved a better headline but then there are some things in life when least emphasized has more effect, are more alluring. I exert my mind to find words that could denote the game I played with WORLD CHAMPION V.Anand. While writing this piece it still sends shivers to my spines, nerves and gives pain to my arteries. I think it does even more than that. Freezes the brain itself.

So at 3 am, I start writing this article. Crazy as the game of chess,crazy as me.

Even though I have an awful memory (Irony of my life). I still have vague but bright memories of the match I played with Vishy Anand in 2000, just after he became the World Champion in 2000 in Tehran, Iran. Anand won his first title defeating Spaniard Alexei Shirov in the final. It was a knockout tournament held in two citites. New Delhi hosted the knockout and the final was held in Iran.

Lead up to the game-

I was participating in a school tournament in Dombivli (My hometown), a tense sixth round game which I won and got the tittle. So after winning the tournament my mom comes walk's up to me and says, “Son, since you have won the tournament your gift is you are going to meet Mr. Vishy Anand. I looked up to my mom and said, "Are you like kidding me"? (Definitely I would have not said it this way but something more equivalent to it I presume)

Then with some train travels, going to Bhandup ( I eventually found out later that it was Anand's brother's place) I was sitting on a sofa waiting for the world champion to arrive and surprise, stump and shock me. Even up to this point I was not genuinely believing that I was going to meet Mr. Vishy Anand. THE VISHY ANAND?

And then Mr. Vishy Anand comes from that corridor walks upto me and gives me a handshake. My eyes lits up like a 3 year old kid after seeing an ice-cream.

I could not believe he was Anand. COULD JUST NOT BELIEVE. I had to pinch myself hard, pretty hard just to make sure it was a dream? NO. I have met Vishy Anand! THE VISHY ANAND :)

Even though I had no idea what life meant at the moment I thought I have lived it all! The bespectacled man looked at me, I was shy (eyes straight down) and trying to sink that moment in. And yes I was fisting my hands that "I did it".(And Anand noticed that) It was some sort of achievement, perhaps maybe better than being a World Champion!

The Game- With all the numbness, dumbness, awesomeness surrounding me my mom popped out the idea of me playing a game with the World Champion. I got cold feet, my heart stopped pumping. I looked up to him and gave a wry smile thinking "You cant beat me! I just won a tournament!"

I arranged the pieces slowly, precisely, keeping the pieces at the center of the square (at that moment everything mattered) and took the white pieces without asking him and giving him the look " I am the kid! Let me atleast have that color. ( I did that, certainly)

 Half of my queenside is already cleaned up.

 Moment to savor for the rest of my life.

I played 1.e4, he played c5 (Normally when you play c5 from black these gentleman is going to play for double-edged positions. I had this vague theory when I was young and later realized how vast chess is ) and he played the Scheveingen defence. I blitzed my theory knowledge to almost 17 moves ( I was proud about that when I was young but today it all looks elementary where the computers have taken the preparation a notch higher) He was playing fast, I tried to match him by playing at his speed but you cant keep it up with the speed king for a long time. After a while, I simply missed a tactic lost a pawn and gradually the game. The game duration was for more than an hour. THE hour I lived ;)

After obviously losing the game, Anand gave me a pep talk. The one advice which sets apart from the rest is "You should practice chess as you brush your teeth everyday". Simple but effective. These words were going to be etched in my mind forever.

After that I have had many encounters with Anand and the feeling maybe has sunk in. But that day it was distinctive. The day which could change the course of my life.

Anand's Birthday party. We were invited after the Indian Youth Team won the World Championship
Me, Adhiban(The red shirt), Sethuraman (Behind Aruna Anand), Shyam Sundar and Priyadarshan were part of the team 

If you are chess player and an Indian then Mr. Vishy Anand is a GOD to you. You meet Gods in your dreams and as people say in heaven. But it was a bit different for me. IT WAS A REALITY ;)

People have asked me billions of times what inspired me to play chess and here is my answer to all.So here I am completing the article at 5am and signing off!

While my friend takes on Tennis

Prasanna Rao

International Master, India