India, Sept. 8 -- It is a late Monday afternoon, but inside the 400-odd seater spectators' arena at the Lalit Ashok, there is barely any semblance of a working weekday. Nor is there room for breath. The spectators, headphones on, follow the live commentary at the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League venue, as the moves appear on the board. There is the familiar hush of a chess crowd-hundreds of people watching players move pieces in near silence.

At the centre of it all, under the blinding white lights, sit two old rivals. Thirteen years ago, they met in a World Championship match for the first time. Much has changed since. Viswanathan Anand, 56, currently acting Fide president, is no longer a regular sighting on the tournament circuit. Car...