Saina, Bindra fired me up, says Viswanathan Anand

World champion Viswanathan Anand on Friday said the series of successes by various Indian sportspersons had motivated him in defending his title against Vladimir Kramnik of Russia.

“I am really happy to see so much sporting success for India this year. Apart from cricket, I followed Abhinav Bindra and Saina Nehwal’s triumphs. In fact, that gave me a little bit of extra motivation to win again,” Anand said on his return to Chennai.

Anand arrived in Chennai to a tumultuous welcome in the wee hours of Friday and was greeted by a horde of fans and quote-hungry reporters.

This is his first visit home after retaining his title, his return to the country being delayed by illness. He will be taking a couple of months off and will play his next tournament in February.

Anand, who looked tired, was received by his mother Sushila at the airport.

The large crowd that turned up overwhelmed him. “The reception and the enthusiasm of the fans is fantastic. I hope none of you gets killed in the melee,” he said.

The 38-year-old said he was proud of the thumping he gave former world champion Kramnik in the 12-game match — a format that is supposed to be the Russian’s forte.

“A three-point lead is unheard of, especially against a player like Kramnik,” he said, and admitted that his “opening preparations played a big part”.

“Games 3 and 5 were not only important wins but were also beautiful wins,” said Anand, referring to his three-point lead in Bonn last month.

Anand said he was also proud of his consistency and that he managed to peak at the right time because of which he reached the pinnacle of the game.

“I am pretty proud of my consistency. I have been in the top-three (in the world) from 1996... I also managed to peak in the right years which is very important,” he said.

Anand said he had not reached a cul de sac as far as the game was concerned. “I am still learning a lot about chess. I am enthusiastic about it and (still) motivated to play,” he told a news channel.

Asked about his legacy, Anand said, “I am happy and proud that I have contributed in making India a potential powerhouse in chess”.

Anand is the lone Grandmaster to win world titles in three formats — he won the 128-player knockout format in Teheran in 2000, the tournament format in Mexico in 2007 and the traditional match-play format last month.