Returning home to a rousing welcome in Chennai, Viswanathan Anand finally admitted that he’s ecstatic to win the Chess World championship for the fifth time. Soon after winning the title, the Indian had said in a post match press conference that he was too tensed to be happy and was relieved that the result went in his favour.
“I am ecstatic but few days after the event is when you feel most exhausted as well. It takes a bit of time to recover and you become normal a week afterwards,” Anand told CNN-IBN in an exclusive interview.
Anand at Chennai Airport on Saturday night. Firstpost
CNN-IBN also spoke to Anand’s wife, Aruna, who was also with him in Moscow during the Championship.
“It was not easy to be with him when the World Championship was going on. Even normal things like eating, sleeping were becoming a problem,” Aruna said.
“It’s just inevitable when so much is at stake. You just can’t help your nerves,” she added.
After the tournament, were he defeated Israeli Grandmaster Boris Gelfand, Anand along with his opponent met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the latter’s residence.
“He was very warm and affectionate and seemed very well informed about chess and asked us important questions,” said Anand.
Anand told Putin about the debt he owes to the Russians as he grew up playing chess in the Russian cultural centre. This helped Anand a lot in his interactions with Russian players. To which Putin said, “Ah! You are a problem we made for ourselves.”
