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Grand master: Anand felicitated the winners of the West Zone finals of NIIT Mind Champions Academy - Chess Master 2008.</td></tr></tbody></table>"MAHARASHTRA is a heavy weight state in chess and has to play a big role in promoting the game in India," said world chess champion Viswanathan Anand. A hero to many chess-crazy kids in the city, Anand promised to visit the city more often to encourage them. The chess champion was in Pune to felicitate the winners of the West Zone finals of NIIT Mind Champions Academy - Chess Master 2008. Bhakti Juikar of Mumbai and Prabha Rajwade of Chattisgarh emerged as the West Zone winners and were rightly rewarded by Anand. The children were all ears when Anand spoke about his desire to encourage and promote chess in Pune. u00a0 He said Mind Champions Academy a joint initiative by NIIT and Viswanathan Anand would do everything to promote the game in Pune. "NIIT Mind Champions Academy has a student base of 6,000 schools and 25 lakh students and it is growing," he said. He praised Kruttika Nadig and Swati Ghate, the two chess champions from Maharashtra, for their game. When asked about his future plans, Anand said, "I will focus on chess and I am sure results will follow. If I am not enjoying the game I will look to something else, but right now I am enjoying the game and looking forward to play in the Linares Chess tourney in Spain."

"MAHARASHTRA is a heavy weight state in chess and has to play a big role in promoting the game in India," said world chess champion Viswanathan Anand.

Anand meets chess-crazy kids

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Anand meets chess-crazy kids

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