Life comes a full circle for Indian chess fans as the world rapid and blitz goes back to NewYork.
Indian chess fans will always remember the 1995 world championship match between Anand and Kasparov as an epoch making moment in Indian chess.
After 18 games, with a final score of 10½ to 7½ Kasparov retained the PCA World Chess Champion title.
Anand like his illustrious predecessor from another field was the humble clerk from madras. And, like his illustrious predecessor from a bygone era, Anand went on to stun the world of chess.
But his legacy was not just 5 world championships but also the 80+ GMs, some of whom will compete at the world rapid and blitz.
This event adds added significance as Arjun Erigaisi is in search of Circuit points that will help him qualify as the winner of the fide circuit for the next candidates.
While Arjun does have many other avenues to qualify, sealing the qualification this early in the cycle will help him focus on the candidates, preparation etc.
Arjun, Vidit and Nihal will lead the Indian charge while there are other promising Indians in the fray.
Indians have been for long known as some of the best calculators in the business while not having a âfeelâ for the game.
The âfeelâ aspect is most important in shorter time controls and most Indian GMs will have a point to prove given that the former world champion Magnus Carlsen has persistently raised this issue in relation to the Indian storm of the chess world.
Just like the 95 match and the city of NewYork itself, the next few days will have plenty of twists and turns.
One hopes though that this result is better than that of the 95 match.
