India's Viswanathan Anand, NIIT Brand Ambassador, has once again done the country proud by winning the coveted Oscar Award for a record second time. His 1998 performance of winning a record of six out of eight tournaments won him the award.

Anand won four out of five classical chess tournaments and two out of three rapid tournaments*. The highest category Linares tournament and the strongest Rapid Championship in Frankfurt forming part of the honours.

The Chess Oscars were founded in 1967 by Jorge Puig. The first winner was Bent Larsen in 1967 and the award ceremony was held in Madrid. In 1988 Puig died and the award was not given until 1995.

The Chess Oscars have a lot of prestige in the chess world. Many great chess luminaries like Bobby Fischer, Bent Larsen, Boris Spassky Anatoly Karpov, Gary Kasparov and Viswanathan Anand have received the award. In the race for the 1998 honours Anand finished ahead of Kasparov for the second time in 2 Years.

The Oscars are held by the prestigious Chess magazine "64". The Oscars are given to the star performer of a particular year chosen by the chess media from round the world. This year the magazine received 271 lists from fifty-seven countries. The largest number of entries was from Russia, USA, Ukraine, Yugoslavia, England, Israel, Spain and India are some of the countries forming part of the list. According to Mr. Roshal, the Chief Editor of the magazine "Anand was chosen Number One to our mind for his famous results in 1998."The journalists placed him first in one hundred and eighty five lists, second in sixty-eight lists and third in six lists, in three lists he was first -second. The person who had the closest tally was Morozevich with thirty-eight first places, seventy one-second places and thirty-five third places. Kasparov who came third finished with thirty-six first places, fifty five-second places and forty-three third places.

The list of the top ten contenders is as follows:

(First place in the list - 13 points, second - 11, third - 9, fourth -7, fifth - 6...tenth - 1.)

Mr. Roshal who has reinstated the Oscars in 1995 says the Oscars are based on democratic voting. Its unique voting system takes journalist opinion with regard to a player as a performer and as a person.

The ceremony is to take place later this year. According to Mr. Roshal, The trophy is a bronze sculpture entitled "Fascinated Wanderer ", something that aptly describes Anand moving from country to country every week, mesmerised by the beauty of chess. This wanderer travels on a (chess) knight. The foundation of which is the (chess) rook. On the side of the statue it says " Viswanathan Anand-"The Best Player of 1998". A similar award was given last year to Anand.

Anand was in the lead from the time the count started. Many chess magazines like the prestigious New in Chess had already proclaimed Anand the winner after Anand's Tilburg win in November 1998.

Vishy Anand who is now training for his next series of tournaments that begin on 11th of June was elated on being the winner twice in a row. "Winning it for the first time for 1997, gave me a feeling of acceptance of being on top. This win for 1998 reassures me of my top performance. Two times at a stretch is really an honour. I wish to thank all the journalists who voted. Moreover the magazine "64" for it's renewed efforts in making this coveted award happen."