CHENNAI: As Ravichandran Ashwin announced his retirement, it brought the curtain down on the career of one of the sport's greats. He boasts a strategic mind - a quality that even chess legend Viswanathan Anand couldn't help but admire .
Ashwin's approach to spin bowling was often like poring over the board in a chess game. A keen chess player himself and fan of Magnus Carlsen, Ashwin follows the Indian contingent with a lot of interest and even co-owns a franchise - American Gambits - in the Global Chess League. Anand has met Ashwin a few times and during a chat with TOI, facilitated by the WestBridge Anand Chess Academy, the legend drew a fascinating parallel between cricket and the game of kings.
"I like to think that the bowlers in cricket really have to think about how to outfox their opponent. I'm going to even speculate that chess maybe helped Ashwin, but I'm out on a limb here," Anand said on Wednesday.
Anand, whose own career has been defined by strategic thinking and precision, could relate to Ashwin's decision to retire. The chess genius, who faced his own crossroads in his career, said: "I guess it's a stage that every sportsman reaches in his career. I would say that it's good that he took the decision. It's something I faced in a way, a few years ago," said Anand.
"Just like I stopped several things but did not stop playing one or two tournaments a year, Ashwin has said that he would continue to play (club-level cricket). But you only have to look at his accomplishments; they are just so very impressive. So now he can take a well-deserved break," said the chess master.
"Your relationship with your sport changes because you don't play it for the same reasons you played it before. In a sense it was probably happening for a while but now that you acknowledge it and you are kind of in the state that: That's where you are," Anand said, explaining the philosophy of retirement.
He recalled a recent encounter with the India bowler, a moment that brought the two minds together. "We both were on the same flight to Bombay. We had a nice chat about many things. He's a really nice person. He will find new ways of engaging with the game and I wish him all the best," said Anand.
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