Anand wants closure to controversy

Nikhil Kamath, co-founder of an online stock brokerage firm, had defeated Anand during an online charity match and later admitted that he had cheated, leading to a huge backlash on social media.

File image of chess ace Viswanathan Anand.

“It’s time to move on and get closure on this.”

That is the quote from five-time World champion Viswanathan Anand, referring to the controversy following his online simultaneous chess games against celebrities on Sunday. It had become obvious that some of the players had used the aid of the computer during their matches.

Nikhil Kamath, co-founder of online stock brokerage firm Zerodha, had defeated Anand during an online charity match and later admitted that he had cheated, leading to a huge backlash on social media.

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The organiser of the COVID-19 fund-raiser event,  chess.com , had closed the account of three players for unfair practices. On Tuesday, however,  chess.com  has reopened those account because of -- according to  chess.com  -- “...the forthcoming co-operation of the players and the clarification that not all the rules were properly understood...Anand...has expressed no interest in further pursuing the matter. While he wants clearly expressed that he does not endorse the use of the non-approved assistance in chess, he agrees fully that the games were played in good faith...”