Country's first Grandmaster who has inspired generations of chess champions, Viswanathan Anand, enthralled the packed hall at city’s Beldih Club with a rare insight into his life.
Releasing his book, Mind Master, Anand said, “While the book is biographical, it is a slightly different format. Instead of a linear flow of events from the start of my career, the book covers lessons in my journey that I have found to be the most important. It also covers tournaments that have been great learning experiences for me.” India has 65 grandmasters today, but it was not the case 23 years ago when Anand became India’s 1st grandmaster in December 1987. Since then, the five-time world champion has been an inspirational ambassador of the sport. He asked youths to get devoted towards their goal l.
Earlier in the day, Anand interacted with over 200 children from the city including several from the Tata Steel Chess Centre who have represented the country at the international stage. The excitement was palpable as the young chess enthusiasts interacted with their hero at the JRD Stadium.
The day marked the end of the Tata Steel Literary Meet series for 2020. Starting with the Tata Steel Bhubaneswar Literary Meet from January 11-13, followed by the Tata Steel Kolkata Literary Meet from January 22-26 and concluding with Tata Steel Jharkhand Literary Meet in Ranchi from February 1-2. The events this year have seen packed audiences entertained by a host of icons of literature and other artistic pursuits. The sessions were filled with engaging dialogue and thought-provoking debate on a host of relevant and contemporary issues.
Luminaries who were part of this year’s events included Nobel Laureate Abhijeet Banerjee, actors Ayushmann Khurrana, Pankaj Kapur and Amol Palekar, as well as legends of music, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, TM Krishna and Usha Uthup.
“It’s fitting that we have the Curtain Call for the 2020 Literary Meet series here in Jamshedpur. This year we’ve seen a best-ever turn out in the three events at Bhubaneswar, Kolkata and Ranchi. The overwhelming response, level of engagement and positive feedback we have received from literary enthusiasts has been very gratifying,” said Chanakya Chaudhary, Vice President, Corporate Services, Tata Seel.
“Like every year, the Tata Steel Literary Meet series offered a range of sessions to cater to diverse literary and cultural preferences. The success of the 2020 series gives us the confidence that this is an ideal platform to connect with the community and enrich the art, literature and cultural heritage to build a sustainable tomorrow,” Chaudhary added.