A Common Fan’s Sports Diary

First my heartiest congratulations to Vishy. I have waited for 13 years for this moment and now Iam thrilled to bits. For those who have read the Hindu epic ‘The Mahabharata’, I feel exactly like Draupadi would have felt after Bhima killed Dushasana and she washed her hair with the slain man’s blood to fulfil her vow. Just for the record, I have no intention of further damaging my precious little hair with Kramnik’s blood. I just share the same feeling of redemption

As for Vishy, he would have done the Count of Monte Cristo proud. I am sure he’s carried the pain of that crushing defeat to Kasparov in his heart all along and waited for a chance to avenge it. Now the revenge has been completed in the most emphatic manner.

This was Mount Everest for Anand

This is easily the biggest win of Anand’s life. Please make no mistake – the World titles won in the round-robin and knock-out formats just don’t compare. None of the super GM tournament wins can match this. This was chess the good old-fashioned way. Any chess aficionado will vouch for this. This win will also shut up all the critics (mostly Russian) who thought Anand was a little shaky in the classical format. He just crushed the guy, who everybody thought was the master at this format.

As far as chess goes, Anand has now completed the full collection of achievements and titles. He has now won and done everything there is to win and do in the game of chess. He has won all the tournaments in all the formats. Has won titles in classical, blindfold, rapid and blitz. Beaten man and machine. Has achieved an ELO rating of 2800. There is no peak left unconquered.

He is as complete as Roger Federer would be when he wins the French Open. Or Sachin Tendulkar would be after he gets a triple hundred, wins the Cricket World Cup and gets a test series win in Australia. He is as complete as Zinedine Zidane who’s won the World Cup, the European Cup, the Champions League, League titles and also the title of the World Player of the Year.

India's Best

In the annals of Indian sport, Vishwanathan Anand now shares space only with Dhyan Chand. They are the only two guys who ran out of challenges very early in their lifetime.

Anand is well and truly a ‘complete’ champion now

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