Kasparov ‘kept out’ on Team Vishy’s instruction
Susan Ninan, TNN | Nov 14, 2013, 01.01 AM IST
CHENNAI: The Anand-Kasparov rift is out in the open. Vishy might have given the impression that he was not bothered by the Kasparov-effect in the World Championship, but the truth is he didn’t want the legend in the first two rows of the spectators’ area.
Fide deputy vice-president Georgios Makropoulos revealed on Wednesday that it was on the basis of Team Anand’s request that Kasparov was allotted a seat in the back-row.
“Obviously Kasparov was a great player and now he’s also running for Fide presidency, by that count he’s an important dignitary. But we thought the demand of the Anand camp was legitimate and we needed to act upon it.”
Anand was prompt to shoot down the theory. “I am not aware of it,” he said (But Anand never said that his camp did not make this request, just that he wasn’t personally aware of it).
The Russian in fact chose to catch up on the action over TV at the business centre.
Kasparov addressed a press conference in Moscow during last year’s Championship slamming the string of draws played out by Anand and Gelfand. He also said that “Anand has lost interest in the game”.
Fide secretary-general Ignatius Leong, who is a part of Kasparov’s team for the next elections, said the former World No. 1 was unaware of any seating structure. “I doubt the truth of the statement since it comes from somebody like Makropoulos,” Leong said.
Magnus Carlsen made it clear that he didn’t have a talk with his former guru Kasparov.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
So somebody lied.