India-China to sign agreement on chess series

India-China to sign agreement on chess series
Hari Hara Nandanan

Chennai, August 24: India and China are likely to sign an agreement with regard to the conduct of a chess Test series between the two countries.

The Fide vice-president hoped India would get the services of Viswanathan Anand for the series. ``Category won't be a hitch for Anand in this case as China has a strong team of Grandmasters,'' said Koya. ``I will talk to Anand in Shenyang (China) about this and I hope he would make himself available.''

The dates, venues and the number of Tests for the series will be finalised only in Shenyang. ``But this will be a mutual effort with one series scheduled to be held every year,'' said the Fide vice-president.

The Test as a means of popularising chess was tried three decades ago when the then Soviet Union took on the Rest of the World. The competition was labelled the Match of the Century as former World champions like Mikhail Botwinnik, Mikhail Tal and Boris Spassky matched their wits with Bobby Fischer and Bent Larsen in a multi-board match.

Recently, the idea was revoked as the veterans took on the women in a match in which the likes of Vassily Smyslovs, Viktor Korchnois and the Polgars came together on the same platform.