Emotion, errors and an education: Chess legend V. Anand remembers his first time

The first time can be a trying time. The first time in the biggest final – Wimbledon, the Olympic 100m – can carry the scent of intimidation. And so the first time he is understandably “a bundle of emotions” because no one from his nation has come so far before. He’s the first Indian on this particular moon. “Part of you feels well prepared,” grandmaster V. Anand tells The Straits Times. “Part feels like everything will go wrong. You don’t know really what you feel.”

This first time in a world chess championship final for Anand was 29 years ago in New York where his rival, the great Garry Kasparov, was slamming doors to “get under my skin”. Anand, beloved in his nation, stayed quiet. Too polite, you understand.