Viswanathan Anand, lovingly known as ‘Vishy’ hardly needs any introduction as the Indian chess grandmaster has many feathers to his cap. Five-time World Chess Champion and two-time World Rapid Chess Champion, Viswanathan Anand became the first grandmaster from India in 1988. There are many records and accolades to his name.
As they say, behind every successful man, there is a woman, and in Vishy’s case, it is his wife, Aruna Anand. When Viswanathan got married to Aruna, many thought that his career would come to an end. But marriage worked like a charm for him as Aruna not only became his support system but also looked after his profession.
Aruna Anand, who was also Viswanathan’s manager, is the key reason for his success. Once, Viswanathan and Arun graced Simi Garewal’s show, Rendezvous with Simi Garewal, in which she talked about her life as Viswanathan’s manager. When Simi asked which part of his life she had taken charge of. To which she stated:
“I don’t think there is something specific but if there is a match, there are certain things, which have to work according to his schedule. The clothes he need to wear, like phone calls coming, like these sort of things, I take over.”
Years later, Aruna recalled a time when she made Anand do 50 push-ups after he lost two games because of silly mistakes. Speaking to CNBC TV18, Arun talked about the same and also highlighted the importance of staying physically fit. In her words:
“Anand was playing a tournament in Argentina, and he was winning. He was in contention and then he went and lost two games. Both were due to what we call silly mistakes and I was really angry at him. I mean everything is going good and then he goes and spoils my life like this. So, I said, if you want dinner tonight, (give me) 50 push-ups now!"
In the same interaction, Arun stated that staying physically fit is very important, even for chess. In her words:
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“And the poor man did it... Between wanting to live with me again, coming back home and staying at someplace in Argentina. Physical training is a very big game changer because everybody thinks chess is a mental game, but it's becoming a physical game.”
To watch the video, click here.
Viswanathan Anand and Aruna had met each other through their parents. Anand had gone to Aruna's home to see her. Within 20 minutes of their meeting, they decided to spend the rest of their lives together. Viswanathan Anand and Aruna tied the knot in a traditional ceremony in July 1996. Viswanathan and Aruna were blessed with a baby boy in 2011, and they have named him Akhil.
What do you think about Aruna Anand’s revelations? Let us know.
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