Elated after their son retained his World Chess Championship title, Viswanathan Anand's parents on Wednesday said the win is very special as the Indian tamed challenger Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria in his own backyard.
"It is a special moment for us on many counts. Firstly, we are thrilled that no player had won the title so many times as Anand. Winning the title in 2002 and retaining it since 2007, Baba (as Anand is affectionately called by his parents) is the greatest player. We are sure that he will continue to rule the roost at the highest levels in the game," the champion's parents, Viswanathan and Susheela, said in Chennai.
Anand retained his crown by wrapping up the final game against Topalov in Sofia.
Viswanathan said the triumph shows that his son is mentally very strong.
"Right from his young days he always ventured to take challenges," he said.
Anand's mother said she was delighted with the result after all the problems he was forced to confront prior to the tournament. Anand had to travel by road to compete in the world championship as air traffic had been disrupted due to volcanic ash over Europe.
"We were still very hopeful of his triumph because he has always been focused on his work from younger days," she said.
"We were not under any pressure and we do not think that Anand was in any such situation. We were not at all worried about his game since we knew his capabilities and abilities in handling complex situations.
"As usual, we did not talk to him during the tournament. Aruna (Anand's wife) gave us information on a daily basis. Our prayers were answered and we are happy that he has defended his title," she said.
