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Legendary Anand wins Tata Steel blitz tournament in style

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Kolkata, Nov 14 (IANS) Indian chess legend Viswanathan Anand saved his best for the last to clinch the inaugural Tata Steel Chess India Blitz Tournament by getting past overnight leader Hikaru Nakamura in the playoff here on Wednesday.

The 48-year-old five-time world champion, who was fourth after the first leg, secured six wins and three draws in the final nine rounds to draw level with the world number three of blitz Nakamura.

In the two-round play-off which was faster than blitz in reduced time format of a three-minute game, Anand won with white pieces, before drawing with black to seal the issue 1.5-0.5.

“Today was just like a dream. I wanted to show the audience what is that I do in some other part of the world all the time and it was nice to be able to do it here,” Anand said during the prize distribution ceremony.

In the blitz category, Anand had last won a bronze medal at the World Championship in December 2017 Riyadh, in the same meet where he had won the rapid title.

Nakamura, meanwhile, had a forgettable outing on the final leg where he eked out four victories and four draws and suffered a defeat to Pentala Harikrishna in the 11th round.

Praising Anand, he said there is no reason why the legendary player should stop playing.

“To me what Vishy has done….I am almost certain I won’t be playing chess at that age. So it’s really remarkable and I think especially if you compare (him) against Gary (Kasparov) for example.

“Gary kind of came out of retirement to play in St. Lucia. And I think Vishy did better than he did. There is no reason he should stop and it just shows what a truly amazing chess player he is.”

Anand had India’s youngest Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa to thank as the 13-year-old did a huge favour in the last round when he held Japanese-American Nakamura in the final round.

Playing white against the 13-year-old, Nakamura was on the verge of winning but the wildcard entrant Praggnanandhaa probably displayed the best defensive game of his life to manage a miraculous draw that forced a playoff against Anand.

In the play-off, Anand was at his best winning the first in an Italian game.

Anand displayed superb chess after Nakamura took some risks initially, with a one up pawn.

They had a rook and pawn endgame where Anand sealed the issue with a solid display.

Nakamura resorted to long term strategy in the second game after being down 0-1 thinking Anand would break down trying to defend.

But Anand did not falter and went in for an allout attack to put Nakamura on the backfoot.

Finally, the game was forced in opposite square bishop endgame where Nakamura was forced to concede a draw and hand the title to Anand.

Asked what keeps him motivated even after winning it all, Anand said he wanted to win here and that is what drove him to do well.

“I knew that a lot of people would be interested in how I play here and I wanted to show them something. Most of the events you play 10-12 times and your motivation might not be always as high but here it was different,” the legend said.

–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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