Updated June 15th, 2021 at 23:51 IST
Viswanathan Anand puts cheating row to rest; ban on Nikhil Kamath's account withdrawn
Sharing the official statement of Chess.Com- India, Viswanathan Anand appealed to his fans to move on from the controversy that erupted after the charity match
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Indian Grandmaster and five-time world Chess champion Viswanathan Anand has decided to put the cheating row which took place during a charity match to raise COVID-19 relief funds to rest. Viswanathan Anand on Sunday played a friendly charity match with Indian celebrities from different sectors. Although Viswanathan reigned supreme, a major shocker soon transpired when Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath defeated the chess champion.
'Move on,' says Viswanathan Anand on cheating row
Viswanathan Anand on Tuesday took to his Twitter handle and shared the Chess.com- India's statement. Sharing the official statement of Chess.Com- India, Viswanathan Anand appealed to his fans to move on and sought closure on the controversy. In the official statement shared by Chess.Com- India, it has been revealed that Viswanathan Anand has 'expressed no interest in further pursuing the matter.'
"While he clearly expressed that he does not endorse the use of non-approved assistance in chess, he agrees fully that the games were played in good faith for the fun and good intentions of the charitable efforts and wishes matter to be put to rest," says the official release by Chess.Com- India. The official release also stated that the ban on Nikhil Kamath's account has been lifted.
It’s time to move on and get closure on this. https://t.co/9H4jk0Pj9Z
— Viswanathan Anand (@vishy64theking) June 15, 2021
Nikhil Kamath's Cheating Controversy
Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath issued a public apology, admitting that he had help from 'people analyzing the game and computers', in essence, that he'd cheated. Viswanathan Anand and Zerodha's Nikhil Kamath had engaged in a charity game on Sunday to raise funds for the COVID-19 battle. While several celebrities played against Anand and lost, to everyone's surprise, Nikhil Kamath ended up winning the game against the five-time world champion.
In his official statement, the Zerodha co-founder remarked that it was 'ridiculous' to think that he really beat Vishwanathan Anand in a chess game, likening it to beating 'Usain Bolt in a 100 metres race'. In a carefully crafted statement, without mentioning the word cheating, Nikhil Kamath said that he had 'help' from people analyzing the game, computers and the 'graciousness of Anand sir' to treat the game as a learning experience.
(Image Credits: @NIKHILKAMATHCIO/Twitter/PTI)
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Published June 15th, 2021 at 23:51 IST
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