A keen player, Khan surprised the organisers, the Pune District Chess Circle under the aegis of Maharashtra Chess Association. "We thought it would be a casual match, but both of them took it seriously. Aamir, in fact, made Anand think," says an organiser, adding that Khan used a glossary of technical terms, impressing the League players. Perhaps he picked up tips from Anand — the two have been acquaintances for years.
In fact, the chess grandmaster indulged in some good-natured baiting hours before the match, tweeting,
I will be playing a game of chess against Aamir khan @aamir_khan heard you have been practising very hard !! :) @NIITLtd @NIITNguru
— Viswanathan Anand (@vishy64theking) May 22, 2015
Meanwhile, we hear that the chess champ's wife Aruna enjoyed watching the match from the sidelines. Anand is her knight in real life, but she's been a longtime fan of the star. So much so that when Anand saw her room for the first time, it was filled with posters of Khan.