CHENNAI: Greatness is as elusive a term as exclusive, though its yardsticks — if tangible — are frequently redefined. So what if Ivan Lendl has never won a Wimbledon, or George Best ever played a World Cup, let alone win one, their legitimacy to greatness is redoubtable.But what exactly qualifies for greatness? Of all the plausible explanations, Willam Shakespeare’s conjecture of men being born into greatness is the most hyperbolic. And his surmise of greatness being acquired is the closest to reality.Whatever, greatness is a fleeting attribute, shelf-life too momentary, transcended only by those consummate greats, whose greatness turns to be as universally accepted. Like Donald Bradman, like the Beatles, like Van Gogh, like Mozart; Viswanathan Anand conforms to the pattern.The raw materials that constitute Anand is startling — a seamless blend of memory, logic, intuition and concentration. The synapses in his brain travel faster than supersonics, spending little time to fathom his opponent’s move, jot it down, look at his options, before taking the decisive step. But make no mistake; it is as much ingrained, fine-tuned by years of conditioning. This process started with his mother Susheela initiating him to the realm of 64 squares when he was only six, the same age Bobby Fischer started playing chess.At 16, Anand won the national championship, and by 18 he had become India's first GM. He developed a reputation as a fast player, besides being a good all-rounder: equally adept at classical, rapid and knockout format. This versatility sets him apart from the rest.It’s so easy to get intoxicated by early fame. To Anand’s credit he has maintained equanimity right from his rookie days. Not for him the arrogance or flamboyance of a four-time world champion, not the usual “next time” to an autograph seeker or a “hurry up” line to a photographer. It’s just that Anand can only be Anand.He is a man without the vain shenanigans of an intellectual snob. He is the most regular of all icons in Indian sport. Hence, his worth should be gauged not only by the lofty standards he has achieved in chess but also for the person he is.Maybe, he realised that success is a relative term, and its boundaries could be expanded. For all these years, he has ascended again and again to expand the horizon of greatness, to find new levels of it. And for this he could endure any pain, whether it meant a 40-hour travel by train or bus to the venue or to battle 31 games in 30 days. The two instances are separated by a decade and two years, but both indicate his insatiable hunger. One could say he was positively selfish, which in individual sports proves beneficial.Like so many champions, he has inspired a generation. Though Manuel Aaron is widely reckoned as the pioneer of modern chess in India, Anand made it popular. For a chess chronicler in India, the demarcation would be before Anand and after Anand. Anand was India’s first GM, and India now have more than 25 GMs.The Chess Oscars — equivalent to cricket’s Wisden Cricketer of the Year — he has won it six times (1997, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2008) and puts his greatness into real perspective.The aura that wraps him is not of invincibility but humaneness. He should be cherished for the champion that he is in his sport and the human that he is away from the board.
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