Chess grandmaster Viswanathan Anand stuck in Germany due to COVID-19 scare
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The five-time World Champion Vishwanathan Anand travelled to Germany in February for SC Baden OOO in Bundesliga Chess, but the pandemic outbreak of the novel coronavirus has brought all the sporting events even the chess tournament to a halt.
Chess Grand Master Viswanathan Anand is said to be stuck in Germany amid the on-going coronavirus outbreak.
The five-time World Champion Vishwanathan Anand travelled to Germany in February for SC Baden OOO in Bundesliga Chess, but the pandemic outbreak of the novel coronavirus has brought all the sporting events even the chess tournament to a halt.
Anand currently is under self-isolation in his apartment near Frankfurt for more than a week. He said that his current routine while self quarantining includes speaking with family, catching up with family and going out for walks.
Anand gave an interview to Times of India on Sunday where he said: "This is a very unusual experience for me. For the first time in my life and for many others as well, I am forced to self-isolate myself, one important part of the day is the phone call from home. I have a video chat with my son Akhil and wife Aruna as soon as I get up. We try to get some happiness talking to each other."
Germany has been hit with the coronavirus, the global pandemic was confirmed to extend its roots in the country on January 27, when the first case of COVID-19 resurfaced.
"I am sitting with a lot of time on my hand and so are my friends around the world due to the COVID-19 outbreak. For the first time, we have the possibility to communicate with friends over the internet and it’s nice to do that. Besides that, I go for a nice long walk once or twice a day. If I meet someone on the way, I ensure to keep a few metres of separation at
least," Anand said.
Anand's wife Aruna was worried about her husband's delayed stay in Germany, she said: "I feel awful that he is there. But we have to be thankful that his situation is better than many people who are stranded. We miss having him here and keep telling him to eat well, ventilate and of course wash hands. I hope he returns to India by the end of this month."