New Delhi: Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand has created history and defeated over 60,000 opponents from the global chess community in a special online ‘Vote Chess’ match. He was playing with white pieces and emerged victorious in just 24 moves.
This game was organised to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Kasparov vs The World match in which the former World Champion faced more than 50,000 voters on the Microsoft Network (MSN) and won the match after four months and 62 moves. He later called it “the greatest game in the history of chess”.
How Anand beat 60,000 players of the World
In the match organised by Chess dot com, Anand’s opponents could register to vote for their next move against the Indian legend. Each team had a full day to make a single move. This means that all the opponents that the five-time world champion faced had 24 hours to vote on their next move.
The World team was supported by a team of experienced coaches: IM Tania Sachdev, IM Sagar Shah, IM Kostya Kavutskiy and FM James Canty. Each coach provided commentary and analysis on the game to help participants with different strategies. While they managed to gain an advantage against Anand, the five-time world champion responded well with strategic vision and precise execution.
His queen unleashed upon the board and defeated the defence of the World’s team. His ability to win a game from challenging conditions explains why he is considered as the greatest of all time. The event is not only just a celebration of chess but also a tribute to the five-time world champion for his contribution to the game.
“It’s fantastic to see the global chess community come together for this record-breaking match. To have over 60,000 people playing in a single game speaks to the immense respect people have for Vishy Anand. This match is a celebration of all that makes chess special” said IM Danny Rensch, chess dot com’s chief chess officer.
