Anand looking forward to playing in Olympics

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Sydney: Indian chess superstar Vishwanathan Anand has said that he would love to play for the country at the Olympics, the ''mother of all sporting events'' in the world.

The world number two Grand Master is here to campaign for the inclusion of chess in the games. Talking to reporters, Anand said, ''It is my dream to play chess in the Olympics, I am confident that chess will be included in the games in the near future.''

He said the response of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had been positive because they accepted chess world body (FIDE) president K Iymzinov's request to hold an exhibition match during the Games.

Anand played the two-game rapid clash against Latvia-born Alexi Shirov, who now lives in Spain. The match, which ended in a 1-1 draw, generated good curiosity here.

''It is a very good experience to be here, to watch the Olympics and to be a part of it though in a much smaller way,'' the unassuming Indian Grand Master said.

Anand was of the view that television could play a very important role in popularising the game, especially rapid chess, if it could be fine packaged with graphics and good commentary.

He was confident that the New Delhi World Championship would be agrand success. ''India Has all the infrastructure and the resources and there is no reason why the World Championship will not be a landmark in the history of the game,'' he said.

''Once chess gets into the Olympics, it will gain tremendously in terms of sponsorship and participation,'' he added.

UNI