There is something special about Surya Shekhar Ganguly. For, Viswanathan Anand has used the Kolkatan’s services thrice in World Championship finals.
Now again, as the five-time world champion gets ready for Magnus Carlsen, he has Ganguly in his team, as one of the seconds.
Ganguly worked with Anand when he won world titles against Vladimir Kramnik (2008), Veselin Topalov (2010) and Boris Gelfand (2012).
The fact that Ganguly could successfully plot the downfall of three players who are different from each other helped him get the nod from Anand. Like Anand, Ganguly began playing chess at a tender age and made immediate impact. He holds the record for being the youngest to beat a Grandmaster. He beat the Uzbek GM Gregory Serper at the 1995 Goodricke Open when he was 11.
GM RB Ramesh believes seconds are important, but he still feels it is the player who has to take the call.
“Seconds are important as long as he serves the purpose of the player. Anand will not take a second just because another player has a second. Anand’s choice will be based purely on how he wants to prepare for a big event,” said Ramesh.
Ganguly has won six consecutive national titles, from 2003-2008. He also won the Asian Championship in 2009. “Ganguly is very good player who has a flair for the basics. He is also good at tactics and has a good insight into the game,” complimented Ramesh.
Ganguly has won many international tournaments also, the latest being the Fujairah Masters 2012 in UAE ahead of many strong GMs. The 30-year-old has been a regular member of India’s Olympiad team from 2000.
So what prompted Anand to have Ganguly in the team for the fourth time? “You see the relationship between a second and a player is a professional one. If Ganguly was of no use, Anand would not have picked him. Anand knows best what is good for him. Obviously Ganguly’s usefulness prompted Anand to retain him,” explained Ramesh.
Will Ganguly’s experience of working as a second come in handy? “Certainly. Both Anand’s and Ganguly’s experience will come in handy while preparing for the match,” said Ramesh.
Ganguly’s current Elo rating is 2646 and accuracy is his strength.
“He is a good player and analyst who works really hard. We have worked together for six to seven years and will work together for a long time,” was how Anand had once praised Ganguly.