Commentary to keep Anand busy in Germany

The 50-year-old wizard was to return to Chennai on Monday after competing at the Bundesliga Chess League but had to stay back near Frankfurt given the travel restrictions, his wife Aruna said. Anand is set to don the commentator’s hat for the FIDE Candidates tournament, which will begin in Yekaterinburg, Russia, on Tuesday.

He will handle his role from the present location for the event that will spot the challenger to world champion Magnus Carlsen. “He will be commentating for the Candidates for a website. I guess it will also keep him busy,” said Aruna. The Indian was playing for OSG Baden-Baden at the Bundesliga Chess League.

“We will have to wait to know about his return plans. He is near Frankfurt. With all the travel restrictions and advisories, we will have to wait and watch with regards to his return plans. The situation is very fluid,” she added. Aruna said Anand is practising social distancing as a precautionary measure.

She said though these are exceptional circumstances, Anand has stayed in touch and speaks to her and their son Akhil regularly. “It is an exceptional situation. But we are in constant touch, thanks to technology. We stay in touch over phone and video calls. It is a virtual holiday,” she quipped.

“As for Akhil, chatting with his father over phone and video calls ensures he doesn’t miss him. With schools closing, Akhil will have a lot more free time and more opportunity to keep in touch with Vishy,” she added. The Coronavirus pandemic has brought international sports to grinding halt with events either cancelled or postponed for the next fortnight.