Anand to play in Linares

By Arvind Aaron

CHENNAI, OCT. 3. World chess champion Viswanathan Anand confirmed that he will participate in the next Linares tournament in Spain starting from February next year.

His absence and that of Russian Vladimir Kramnik from the 2001 edition relegated the tournament, referred as the `Wimbledon of the chess world' into an ATP Tournament according to No. 1 ranked Garry Kasparov.

``The fee and conditions which they offered me are attractive,'' said Anand who won the 1998 edition there. Anand returns to the Mecca of super category chess after taking a one year break.

``I would be able to concentrate and focus on that event well,'' said Anand, who dropped out of two other annual events, the Corus chess tournament at Wijk aan Zee and the Amber tournament at Monte Carlo in 2002.

The proximity of World Championship dates to the Wijk aan Zee event must have been the reason. ``But 22 games of rapid and blindfold are extremely tiring,'' opined Anand as the reason for pulling out of the Monaco event.

``It may mean I can never go back there, but I realised I am 31 years now and I don't know how much my body can take,'' said Anand about the ramification this decision will have.

About his other events in the normally heavy schedule at the start of a new year, Anand said the KPN (Dutch mobile telephone provider) tournament has been moved to April 2002 at Amsterdam and he would play there and at Mexico in May if they happen.

About the Internet rumours of FIDE World chess championship to be held this year at Moscow from November 24, his wife Aruna Anand squashed them saying, ``it is very much on, we already have the contracts.''

Prior to defending his title at Moscow, Anand will defend another title he won last year in the French Riviera. He would play in the Corsica Masters rapid chess tournament from October 26-31 where his main rival will be Alexei Shirov of Spain. Shirov was his challenger at Teheran last December in the World chess championship finals.

Anand, who is back after several short trips inside India said, ``I enjoyed doing this for NIIT and it is to be taken like a tournament.''

He arrived in India on September 6 and had a vacation for a week in Kerala before his commitments for his sponsors for whom he is a brand ambassador. Anand, who will return to his European base in Madrid in the next few days had also got in touch with Chennai's other grandmaster, Krishnan Sasikiran and checked the chess developments that happened recently.

The new schedule for next year signifies that Anand has matured like most world champions and has decided to be selective in events and concentrate on major events like Linares.

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