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Indian chess legend Viswanathan Anand and his wife Aruna Anand recently hosted a memorable Pongal celebration at their home in Chennai, inviting some of the biggest names in the Indian chess community. The gathering featured chess stars like Gukesh Dommaraju and Vidit Gujrathi, who were seen enjoying the festivities alongside Anand and his family. A lighthearted video from the event captured the group laughing and engaging in playful banter.
Aruna Anand's Playful Remarks Spark Laughter
During the celebration, Aruna Anand's humorous remarks prompted laughter from everyone, including her husband. One particularly funny moment occurred when Aruna joked about Magnus Carlsen's recent shared title. This comment was in reference to Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi sharing the 2024 World Blitz Chess Championship title after a tie in the sudden-death tie-break.
Aruna quipped, "Anand, he's saying they are sharing title," causing everyone, including Viswanathan Anand, to burst into laughter.
Vidit Gujrathi, who was recently engaged, also joined the festivities with his fiancée, and the couple participated in various traditional rituals. One such ritual had the pair searching for a chess piece at the bottom of a pot of milk, a light-hearted competition that had everyone watching in amusement.
Humorous Remarks About Gukesh
The laughter continued when a playful comment about Gukesh was made during the celebration. Someone off-camera jokingly suggested that it was time to perform the rituals with Gukesh, humorously adding, "Everything is ready, only a girl is needed." To this, Aruna Anand quickly responded, "That is okay. We can photoshop the girl into the photos later also." The comment added another layer of humor to the already jovial atmosphere.
Vidit's Heartfelt Gratitude for the Anands
Vidit Gujrathi expressed his gratitude to Viswanathan and Aruna Anand for their warm hospitality during the Pongal celebration. He shared a heartfelt message, saying, "Thank you Viswanathan Anand and Aruna akka for having us in Chennai for the Pongal celebration. Your welcome for Nidhi & I in the traditional South Indian way is a memory we will cherish for a long time."
A Moment of Love and Tradition
The celebration also featured an intimate moment as Anand shared a video of the young couple holding hands and exchanging garlands. He captioned the video, "On this auspicious day to new beginnings!" The event was a blend of tradition, humor, and cherished memories, creating a perfect atmosphere for celebrating Pongal.
Magnus vs Viswanathan
Recently both the Chess Legends were caught in a war of words when Carlsen called Indian Legend undeserving of his FIDE position over his World Championship disqualification.
Carlsen found himself embroiled in controversy when he refused to adhere to tournament regulations, which explicitly prohibited wearing jeans. As a result, he was fined $200 for his outfit, which led to further disputes about the rules.
Carlsen explained the situation in a candid interview, stating, “Well, first of all, let's go back to a couple of days ago. I did have some choice words for FIDE in my interview with you. And I would say that it was a bit imprecise. I definitely mean it when it comes to certain people in FIDE. No question about it
The chess champion continued by expressing frustration with the way the issue was handled by the organization. “I think the situation was badly mishandled on their side. And I was about to basically book my plane tickets and get out of here. My father said that we should maybe wait until the morning to make a decision to speak to the FIDE president, Arkady Dvorkovich, whom we have a good relationship with,” Carlsen added.
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