You got it right: That's a hoarding - pat in the middle of Chennai - for cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar. A group of fans have put it up.
India is a cricket-crazy country with crazier fans. Walk down Chennai streets and there's very little banner space left for chess fans. Either it's cricket fans taking away space to wish their "god" a farewell as he plays his final test series before retirement this November, or it's Chief Minister Jayalalitha's banners announcing the World Chess Championship in Chennai.
It's almost a ritual to cheer for your favourite sports hero. If there's no space on Indian streets, it's elsewhere... on Facebook and Twitter! Considering chess is not all that a street sport, this was expected. Definitely more Indian chess fans in the cyberworld (than the streets of Chennai).
First up was NIIT Limited, Viswanathan Anand's long-time sponsor, who started the #Wish4Vishy (http://www.wish4vishy.com) hashtag for a national movement to enable every Indian to cheer for reigning World Chess Champion and NIIT MindChampion Viswanathan (Vishy) Anand, as he prepares to take on challenger Magnus Carlsen.
Another NIIT creative poster (though not specifically on Carlsen versus Anand):
Amul is an Indian dairy cooperative, and is sometimes even referred to as Anand (!!!) Milk Union Limited because it is based in Anand, Gujarat.
The text on the Amul hoarding reads, "Lick, Maskarlsen, Anand" a smart pun on the names of the chess players as well as a line that says, "Make your move."
For the uninitiate, 'maska' refers to butter. Amul is the #1 butter available in India since generations. Bun-maska (bun and butter) is the hottest street breakfast you can find anywhere in India on any given morning.
This poster comes from 'Veni, Vidi, Vishy' - a social media chess campaign that will also run on Facebook and Twitter through the World Chess Championship.
The creative idea, copy and design are all by Qruize's marketing team. Qruize Technologies Pvt. Ltd is a young research driven Information & Communications Technology Company based out of Chennai.
Qruize decided to first wish Viswanathan Anand in the local language Tamil with: Pattaya Kelappu Thala. That roughly translates to "Rock on boss". They will upload more cool posters on their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/qruize throughout the World Chess Championship.
Here's another of Qruize posters, a little easier for international chess fans to understand!
Ram Vellayan of Qruize says, "Initially, we wanted to run the poster campaign because we love Anand. We are proudly made in Chennai. But, then we also feel there is lukewarm response to the World Chess Championship in the national media."
Vellayan says, "For example, on Friday, on the eve of the first game, top Indian newspapers do not have the chess match on their front pages for their North India editions! It's only for their South Indian editions. Look at top news sites like Rediff, NDTV etc. They have one chess story for every 100 cricket stories. That's when our resolve to run this creative campaign got stronger."
As a chess fan, you just need to do a small social media search. You will be checkmated by the options available.
There are thousands of chess groups on Facebook, and we cannot even start listing them. A single search will leave you zapped at the very number of chess groups you could join right now what with virtually each one of them talking about the World Chess Championship in Chennai.
For twitter, you have the excellent Twitter guide by Eric van Reem on MateinChennai.com. The official hashtag for the Anand versus Carlsen World chess Championship is #FWCM2013. There's another very popular one #AnandCarlsen and much more easier to remember as well. Let's hope one of them trends on Twitter in India during the World Chess Championship this November.
Magnus Carlsen has himself been tweeting a little via @MagnusCarlsen and Vishy Anand has tweeted a little via Vishy64theKing.
If you like our selection of stories surrounding the Anand versus Carlsen Chennai World Chess Championship, do like our Chess Magazine Black & White Facebook page as well. ;)
Online, or offline, right now majority of chess lovers in India are rooting for Viswanathan Anand. At least everyone in Chennai is.
However, no matter where you are, and no matter whose side you are on, let's cheer for chess.
This Anand versus Carlsen Chennai World Chess Championship 2013 is going to bring great joy to all chess lovers for sure. -- Rajat Khanna
(Photo (left): Outside the venue Hyatt Regency in Chennai)
However, no matter where you are, and no matter whose side you are on, let's cheer for chess.
This Anand versus Carlsen Chennai World Chess Championship 2013 is going to bring great joy to all chess lovers for sure. -- Rajat Khanna
(Photo (left): Outside the venue Hyatt Regency in Chennai)
* World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand the credible brand ambassadors (videos of advertising)
* Sachin Tendulkar is playing the first Test against the Caribbeans in Kolkata from November 6 to 10 and the second - Tendulkar's 200th - is in Mumbai from November 14 to 18.
* Anand vs Carlsen World Chess Championship schedule
* No Pressure, Anand tweets away
* Two Indian Legends: Sachin Tendulkar and Viswanathan Anand
* Anand on SportsKeeda List of Indian Sportspersons
* Anand vs Carlsen World Chess Championship schedule
* No Pressure, Anand tweets away
* Two Indian Legends: Sachin Tendulkar and Viswanathan Anand
* Anand on SportsKeeda List of Indian Sportspersons