Successive defeats leave Anand nervy in World Chess C'ship

November 17, 2013

Anand-carlsenChennai, Nov 17: Having suffered back-to-back defeats in the World Chess Championship, defending champion Viswanathan Anand was today left a bit nervy if the press conference after the sixth game is anything to go by.

Replying to a question about what he planned to do in current situation after two losses, Anand said he would want to the best in the coming games.

However when the defending champ was asked what he meant by 'doing the best', the world champion since 2007 was pretty curt in his reply.

"Doing your best mean doing your best. I do not how you understand English," he snapped at the journalist.

Asked was there pressure after losing yesterday, Anand said: "Yes. Probably."

Moments after suffering the loss, the 43-year-old was even asked by one journalist what was his reaction to Sachin Tendulkar's retirement.

"I had noticed and was following what he was doing. But the other things were in my mind," Anand said.

Anand said he had started off well but committed a blunder in the middle.

"I just pretty much started off well. I gave the check and then actually I was going for a rook-g 4 and a simple idea. Then, I just blundered here with f-4. And, this was lost of course," he said.

"Here, I get rook-c and just draw. When I started it was quite good and I thought if I get queen g4 I could get the major pieces get solid positions. But then, I do not know ... perhaps one mistake after the other," he added.

Carlsen was at his best to tackle the new situation.

"Its good go get a healthy lead the half way stage of the match, we still got six games to play," said the challenger from Norway.

While Anand maintained that he would like to do his best in the remaining games, Carlsen elaborated on the sixth game in depth.

"I wanted to carry on from the last game and exert pressure. The position after the opening is about level and when he blundered or sacrificed a pawn, I thought I have my chances," Carlsen said.

The Norwegian, however, maintained that the position was that of a draw.

"The position was a draw in all likelyhood but then I had set up this trap where Anand fell in," he said.

Anand, for the records, has never suffered two losses in a row in World Championship contest since 2008. The second loss could well mean a curtain for Anand's hopes of retaining the title.

With two down and six to play, Anand needs to strike it in the next one as otherwise it may be too late.

Carlsen, on the other hand, was in his elements after the victory. The Norwegian knows its not far for him to win his maiden world title in his first attempt.

Garry Kasparov, his mentor and trainer in 2009 has been vouching for the new talent for quite some time and Carlsen has thus far proven himself to be worthy of the title.Anand needs a plan 'B' if he has to make a serious impression in this match.

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Agencies
June 2,2020

New Delhi, Jun 2: Expressing solidarity with the 'Black Lives Matter' campaign, star West Indies batsman Chris Gayle has alleged that he faced racist remarks during his career and cricket is not free of the menace.

Gayle did not elaborate when he faced racial remarks but hinted it might have been during his stints at global T20 leagues.

"I have travelled the globe and experienced racial remarks towards me because I am black, believe me, the list goes on," he posted on instagram on Monday night.

"Racism is not only in football, it's in cricket too. Even within teams as a black man, I get the end of the stick. Black and powerful. Black and proud," he said.

The big-hitting batsman's comments came in the backdrop of African-American George Floyd's death in the USA after a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, pressed his knee on the handcuffed man's neck as he gasped for breath.

The incident has sparked violent protests across the USA.

"Black lives matter just like any other life. Black people matter, p***k all racist people, stop taking black people for fools, even our own black people wise the p***k up and stop bringing down your own!," Gayle wrote.

Racism in cricket was drew attention most recently last year when England pacer Jofra Archer was abused by a spectator in New Zealand.

New Zealand's top players and the cricket board had offered apologies for the incident to the Englishman.

Also on Monday night, the England cricket team's official twitter handle posted a message denouncing racism.

"We stand for diversity, We stand against racism," the message read.

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Agencies
January 26,2020

Chennai, Jan 26: Former India cricketer Kapil Dev on Saturday said that it will be a big loss for the Indian side when MS Dhoni decides to hang up his boots.

"I think he has served the country so well and nobody has done it like him. Everyone has to retire sooner or later. He is not playing matches currently. So I don't know when he will come out one day and say -- I have had enough. I think it will be our loss because he is such a fabulous cricketer," Dev told reporters here.

In the recently released BCCI contracts list, Dhoni did not find a place for himself. The former World Cup winning captain Dev said that it is unfortunate that Dhoni was not included in the contract list.

"I feel sorry that they have not included him. 

Tendulkar, Gavaskar had to witness the same. It's not my job and I am not there to give the contract to anyone. It is the job of the cricket board. So, I don't know. You can ask this question to the cricket board. They will be able to answer this question," Dev said.

The 38-year-old Dhoni is currently enjoying some time away from the game. He last played competitive cricket during the 2019 World Cup.

Dhoni had to face criticism for his slow batting approach during India's matches in the tournament. 

Especially in the games against England and New Zealand (semi-final), he had to bear the brunt of netizens, who deemed him as the reason for the Men in Blue's loss.

BCCI released the list of central contract list of players for the period from October 2019 to September 2020.

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News Network
April 28,2020

New Delhi, Apr 28: West Indies flamboyant batsman Chris Gayle has lashed out at former teammate Ramnaresh Sarwan calling him 'worse than coronavirus'.

Gayle, the colossal figure in the shortest format of the game blamed Sarwan for his departure from Caribbean Premier League (CPL) franchise Jamaica Tallawahs.

The left-handed batsman joined St Lucia Zouks as their marquee player for the 2020 CPL season after Tallawahs chose not to retain him.

Gayle has played for Tallawahs and St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the past. He has won the CPL title twice with the Tallawahs and played in the final with the Patriots in 2017.

"The owner of the franchise is a very nice man, I have no problem with him. I think he was actually persuaded to get rid of Chris Gayle," Gayle said in three parts on his YouTube channel.

"So someone has to be in his years telling him to get rid of Gayle. Sarwan, you are worse than the coronavirus right now. What transpired with the Tallahwahs, you had a big part to play.

Sarwan, you are a snake. You know, you are not the most loved person in the Caribbean. You are still stabbing people in the back," he added.

Gayle is the leading T20 run-scorer of all time as well as the man with the most centuries in the format. He is also the leading CPL run-scorer of all time, having amassed 2,344 runs in the tournament.

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