The winter Olympics haven't really faded away from memory and Sochi gets ready to host another bout of sporting hostilities. Whatever happens in the encore of the one sided Chennai World Chess Championship match, the action should make for better viewing this time around. For one, the positions of the defending champion and the challenger have reversed. Vishy Anand comes in without an entourage of fans trailing him and the undisputed world champion across all formats in his usual cocky frame of mind. Anand has had a stupendous run this year and his win at the candidates surprised not just an army of cynics but also his die hard fans. Given the margin of loss that the former world champion suffered, not may thought him capable of mounting a challenge of this magnitude. With another Bilbao title that he bagged with a round to play, the form guide is certainly even if not slightly in favor of the Indian. Carlsen on the other hand followed up his massive victory last year in the classical format with championship claims in both the blitz and rapid versions as well. His form has been patchy leading up to this match when measured to his lofty standards but that can as well be a well disguised master stroke to hide his preparation. Grzegorz Gazewski of Poland is the only new face in Anand's seconds team and is someone who has a reputation of carving a niche for himself in less known positions. Carlsen has retained his team of the Dane Peter Heine and the Hammer Jon Ludvig. A betting man would undoubtedly put his money on the younger competitor but a better fight would certainly be expected out of the older head. They are like chalk and cheese in how they go about their business but once the board is laid out, chess would be the common denominator in another cold war.
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| Long live the new king...oh well not so new. |
Novak is a family man now. With a baby boy vying for his attention, the tennis courts may not look as inviting as they used to but that didn't stop the world number one from defending his points from last year's Paris masters win. The way he tamed Milos Raonic in the finals a was rude reminder to his contemporaries that the Serb remains the best returner of serve in the game by a far distance. He would go into the season ending World tour finals as the clear favorite and it would take one of the other seven to play out of their skins to topple the defending champion. With Federer slated to take on France in the Davis cup finals for the Swiss and some ATP points on the line, Djokovic would want to make sure, he shuts the door on the year ending numero uno spot with an emphatic thud.
The Abu Dhabi grand prix would be a lottery with a bonus double points on offer. Lewis Hamilton remains in pole position to take home his second drivers' title but his partner at Mercedes would do all he can stop the Brit in his tracks. Nico Rosberg has had to play second fiddle for the last five races but has managed to keep the gap to reasonable proportions and a late charge in the two season ending runs can land the German a much coveted world title. There would be no dearth of competitive edge even though the two ride in the same colors. In another season dominated by one constructor, this may be of some succor to the fans who continue to stick with a sport that is struggling to find solutions to financial and organizational problems.