Five-time world chess champion Viswanathan Anand is a huge fan of playback singer S.P. Balasubrahmanyam.
On Twitter, Mr. Anand spoke about SPB sponsoring his team — Chennai Colts — in the national team championship in 1983. “His music gave us such joy,” he said.
Mr. Anand said the national team championship in 1983 was, in a way, a turning point for him. “I was 13 years old [then]. I didn’t meet him [then]. It was [a gentleman called] Aarudra who arranged [for the sponsorship]. In a way, that was my breakthrough event [the national team championship]. We won the team event and I won the top board prize and went on to qualify for the National ‘A’ & ‘B’ championships,” he recalled.
“We have been waiting for good news [about SPB’s recovery]. Every time there was an update that he seemed to have got better, I was relieved. Then, when news emerged that he was very…