Will continue to take help of big players: Anand

KOLKATA - In a virtual snub to Veselin Topalov, who had criticised him for taking the help of two former world champions ahead of the successful defence of the world crown, Indian chess icon Viswanathan Anand Monday said he would continue to take the help of big players if that helped his game.

“I don’t react to reactions. I have already reacted to it by taking help of some big players and will do so again,” said grandmaster Viswanathan Anand, who was in the city to the address a press meet for the launch of NIIT inter-college chess competition.

After his loss to Anand in the April-May world title clash at Sofia April-May, Topalov had said the Indian star should not feel “very proud” of having taken the help of the two Russian greats - Gary Kasparov and Vladimir Kramnik before and during the summit battle.

Anand, on his first visit to Kolkata after winning the World Cup, said it was an intense match between him and Topalov.

“It was an intense match. The match was in a seesaw position till the end,” said Anand.

The world champion was all praise for his second Surya Shekhar Ganguly in the world championship title defence match. “Surya Shekar is a very hard working and talented player.”

On retaining the same set of seconds for years, Anand said: “It is always good to work with the same seconds. As we know each other since long, everyone understands each other. In a span of six-seven years, we have developed a close bonding.”