Visually challenged makes move with 'Vishy'

This story was another one which was provided to me by Anil Mudgal, a very good friend who runs ‘Arushi’ a NGO for the welfare of the disabled and specially the visually challenged. One evening when I was taking an evening walk near the office I happened to bump into him and he was narrating that he would be leaving with a 15 members blind students for Chennai to meet Chess Grand Master Vishwanath Anand. And so this story was written.

“The Gift given at the year end, Lifted the motherland’s glory to unachievable heights, Said the mother in joyous mood, Keep this wonderful work always as high, Hey Anand remain elevated in this century, Happy millennium and a happy new year”

This translation of a Hindi poem penned by the visually challenged Radheshyam Panwariya (23) will be presented to the world chess champion, Vishwanath Anand, in Chennai on February 5, 2001. Do not think that what he does only is writing poems in awe and admiration. He has the gumption to throw gauntlet at the world champion across the chessboard. February 5 springs up another such moment for him to match his brain with Vishy.
The last time Panwariya played with Anand was in 1999. He played the white to lose to the Grand Master in 42 moves. “This year I am going well prepared to give at least a scare to the tiger of chess,” says Panwariya.
“I have done my home work well and made up some moves which the Grand Master will appreciate,” he added like an exuberant fighter.
While playing the last time Panwariya started with king pawn only to loose his queen Knight within five moves. “I was offensive though in the middle of the game Anand advised me to cool off. This time I will play safe and try me best to protect the knights as long as possible,” he said.
“if I can delay his victory this time, it itself is an achievement,” says he who started playing Chess at the age of 12. he thanks Arushi, an NGO working among the visually challenged in Bhopal for providing him all that is needed to stay ahead in the brain game.
On being asked about offering the white to Anand to play with, he laughed with a quip, “Do you want me to become a sacrificial goat? “Anand is the king in the white game and I will be finished in ten moves.”
After the game in 1999, Anand shared a few tricks of the trade with me. I have always kept them in my mind while playing practice matches with the computer. Though I have won a few practicing game, I lost many as well.” Anand did tell me the last time that he lost a game in five moves to his mother, when he had made some rash moves seven years ago. “Playing safe will always make the opponent think and in the process there is every chance that he makes a mistake on which you can make up moves to victory,” said the Grand Master.
On asked what he would achieve by playing with the world champion, “more knowledge about the game” was his reply.
“The Grand master is a good human being and so is his wife, Aruna. They spent a whole day with us the last time an hopefully they will repeat the same this year,” says Panwariya.
Though Panwariya knows that he will loose the game, he says, “If things go well in the coming years, I will keep challenging the Grand Master time and again till I win.”