This month marks the birth anniversary of Viswanathan Anand. The phenomenal rise of the Indian super talent created a chess wave in his own land that shows no sign of diminishing. Vishy has been an inspiration for many young players, and today he is an ambassador for the game. Here our columnist recalls the early career of the former world champion.
Guess who got India s first medal in chess Olympiad?Former World Champion and India s first Grandmaster (GM) V. Anand? India s first International Master (IM) Manuel Aaron or the second IM V Ravikumar or early GMs like Dibyendu Barua or Pravin .
It was none of these, but Rafique Khan who made India proud at the 1980 Olympiad held in Malta, making everyone present take note of India. Playing on the third board, he scored 10 points out of 13 with nine wins, two draws, and two losses.
Guess who got India s first medal in chess Olympiad?Former World Champion and India s first Grandmaster (GM) V. Anand? India s first International Master (IM) Manuel Aaron or the second IM V Ravikumar or early GMs like Dibyendu Barua or Pravin .