Good start for the morning. Saw that Anand has won his second game against Topalov.
I watched the streamed version of the second for a while. I thought that Anand looked confident and Topalov looked tense. I am not sure if it was wishful thinking.
I watched the IPL final too till 11. I wanted CSK to win. Someone asked me why I wanted it to win. My answer? Because Dhoni is from Ranchi. I have a soft corner for Ranchi and that is a long story.
The contrast between the game of chess and IPL finals was striking.
The glamour, glitz and the bling of IPL. The deafening noise and physical energy of all involved. The colours, the lasers and lights and the dancing girls and the endless discussions about the nuances of the game. Even the murky happenings behind the scenes appeared to be erased.
The chess? Two immobile figures. One dressed as if he is attending a board meeting and the other looking almost ridiculously informal, in a formal shirt, in contrast. The display of the board on the screen in black and white. For those who do not have a deep understanding of the game, which includes me, the affair must appear incredibly boring.
The match itself does not lack drama. An Icelandic volcano erupts. Air traffic is cut off. The defender of the title reaches the venue by road. 22 hours in a bus. Three day postponement of the start requested. One granted. Defender loses the first game against a well rested challenger playing before his home crowd. The word crowd sounds almost irreverent and inappropriate. Does "the challenger playing in front of his countrymen" or some such thing sound better?
But! Imagine the happenings in the brains of the contestants. Neurons firing. Memory being accessed. Patterns being compared. Moves being evaluated. Imagining patterns that would emerge with a certain course of the game. Steely wills. Controlling the emotions and the thought processes.
The "fireworks" in their combined brains will perhaps put to shame the wildest creations of the pyrotechnic artists.
Coming down to the results, CSK won. Anand won. I feel happy.
I hope Anand wins and retains the title.
That's great, Anil. I can almost see it. Topolev - Knight to A6, Anand's rook under threat!! Anand - remains cool, asks for a fresh glass of water, and Rook to C4 - check and mate! (the dancing girls gyrate Sivamani creates a deafening din, and the audience goes crazy and chant Anand! Anand! with a tamil accent).
ReplyDeleteHere's a clerihew for Modi
Modi, former IPL commissioner
Now, just a common sinner
He made a lot of money,
He might do time
Brilliant Ravi.
ReplyDeleteNo Mexican waves? Only Icelandic clouds? Pity.
Rumour has it that Sivamani is planning to change the spelling of his name to Shivamoney or Sheermoney after IPL. A numeroligist has told him that it will make him richer and even hair grow on his head so that he can discard the Bandana.