Anand went on to lose that match and a couple of weeks later, he ran into Kramnik near the Champs-Elysses in Paris. It was like a peer ganging up against him. When Anand learnt that Kramnik was part of Kasparov's team for the match, he felt almost betrayed. These were still early days and Anand and Kramnik hadn't morphed into rivals yet since Kasparov was the man to beat anyway. Kramnik was handpicked by the latter to be a part of his close band of seconds for the match. It was in 1995 when a 26-year-old Anand found himself pitted against the reigning champion Kasparov for the world title on the 107th floor observation deck of the World Trade Center in New York City. It was a piece of news that both surprised and pained Anand in equal measure then. There was an instance in the past, though, when Kramnik was part of the rival camp of trainers in a match against Anand. "That should work as a huge boost for us." "Kramnik has agreed to train the team over possibly two pre-tournament camps," says All India Chess Federation (AICF) secretary Bharat Singh Chauhan. In many ways, the pre-Olympiad sessions this year will be a second coming-together of sorts for two of chess' brightest minds of all time. Their bond grew stronger with age, fatherhood and the wave of young players who've populated the chess scene. Kramnik volunteered to be a part of Anand's team during the latter's world title match against Bulgaria's Veselin Topalov, remotely assisting the Indian through Skype sessions. It was the time when the chess world and the world title were split.įollowing years of parrying and rivalry and after Anand's world title wins over Kramnik in 20, the relationship hit a curve. The year Kramnik ended Kasparov's reign as world champion in 2000, was also the one that rung in Anand's first world title. "It will be interesting to hear from him and I have lots of questions for him." The careers of Kramnik and Anand - who is six years older than the Russian - have been closely entwined, often finding each other in the way of their fiercest ambitions and vaunted dreams, most importantly that of turning world champion. "I'm really looking forward to the pre-tournament sessions that Kramnik will have with the team," Anand tells ESPN. This time, he will transition to training and working with the country's strongest elite players including Anand, in the run-up to the Olympiad. Having retired from competitive chess in 2019, Kramnik has since coached teenaged Indian Grandmasters through two short camps in Chens-Sur-Leman in France, and in Chennai. Five-time world champion Anand, who made his return to the biennial team event in Batumi, Georgia, in 2018 following a 12-year break, has decided to feature in this year's event as well. Now, Kramnik will be the trainer for the Indian men's team ahead of the chess Olympiad in August in Moscow this year. The 44-year-old Russian, who beat Garry Kasparov in 2000, held onto the World Championship title until Anand ended his run in 2007. Viswanathan Anand is making mental notes of the questions he wants to throw at his former fiendish rival-turned buddy, Vladimir Kramnik. You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser
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