Comparing the Grandmaster of Chess and Master of Cricket

Before comparing the two Masters, let’s first compare the two games. In India, the game of cricket has huge mass appeal, flamboyancy, media coverage whereas chess is considered to be less glamorous and subdued in nature. Similar are its heroes and the way they are greeted by the masses also finds difference, even though their achievements run parallel.

Both are exceptional talents and one of the best in their fields, honored with the nation’s second highest civilian award, PadmaVibhushan and anytime in future can be graced with Bharat Ratna, one being the King of sixty-four squares and other the Master of twenty-two yards. Uh, no points for guessing please, I am talking about Viswanathan Anand and Sachin Tendulkar, the two iconic sportsmen of India.

  

The universe of both these gentlemen is very different but their journey has been very much similar. The year 1983 is considered to be most memorable for every Indian, yes, we won our first Cricket World cup, but very few may know that in the same year, the Legend of Chess entered the arena of black and white squares. He was sixteen, then, when he won the national senior title. At the same age, Sachin marked his beginning on the big stage, playing for Team India.

Even from his early days, Sachin was considered to be a rapid stroke-maker, bringing in swiftness to the game of Cricket similar to Sir Vivian Richards of West Indies. Likewise, Anand is called the Lightning kid of chess fraternity and the king of rapid format of chess. They have a strong hold on their game, courtesy flawless technicality and calmness. With growing years, both of them went through various ups and downs in their career, but still made their way through all odds and became the Master of their game. But there is an irony to it, as the famous Cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle says, “They look upon their game as vehicle of fulfillment, as a servant rather than Master. The most humble devotees of the game are themselves an idol to so many, finds irony within ironical statement.”

Continuing with more similarities, the two are known to be honest, humble, well-mannered human beings. Anand has always been away from all the fuss about controversies and disputes happening in the world of chess, so is the Master Blaster keeping himself clean in the era of match-fixing, drugs and other non-sense controversies in cricket. Truly, they can be termed as great ambassadors of the sports they play, carrying the national pride on their shoulders for last two decades successfully.

  

Now talking about the popularity of two games in India, no second thought to it, Cricket is followed like religion in India which brings in the pressure of unreal and wild expectations of billion people. When Tendulkar goes out to bat, he carries billion plus hopes on his shoulders along with national pride, such is the mass appeal for the man. Whereas Anand, playing much docile game, carries the nation’s pride up his sleeves if not immense hope from countrymen. Even if that’s not the case, he always makes sure that the billion back home does have a smile and proud feeling when he accomplishes the job. As true battalions, without eyeing for any recognition, these guys keep performing out of their skin so that we can keep our heads high as Indians!

The two Indians have always done remarkably well against the best opponents like Tendulkar against the mighty Aussies and the West Indies bowling attack, whereas Anand has always been in the top form against the Russian greats like Kasparov, Kramnik (Russia is considered to be a country where chess rules). So no question can be raised against their ability to perform. But to every positive deed is attached negativity in some form and it tries to knock out the best within you. Similar thing happened with both the genius, Anand was not in his best of form in the year 2006-07 where he was losing many of the games. It was seen as an end of his era considering the new generation of players coming up and taking over him. Likewise, in the same period, Tendulkar was going through a bad patch and the exit of Team India from 2007 world cup at an early stage added more woes to his downfall. Critics started writing off Sachin, ‘No more class persists’ headlines bubbled.  

But real champions are those who rise from the ashes, they never give up!!

And the rest is history.

 

These two stalwarts of the game would be remembered for generations to come and would keep inspiring millions of people, definitely not only Indians, but people all around the world who have witnessed them and heard about their brilliance and achievements. In India, it is said ‘Cricket is a religion and Tendulkar is God’; courtesy the popularity of the game but if Chess would have been the premier sport here, it would be like ‘Chess is a religion, Viswanathan Anand is God.’

I Salute..nothing more!!