Kolkata: World Rapid Chess champion Viswanathan Anand today (Dec 20, 2003) rued that the lack of an agreed world title still continued to be the biggest problem for the game, while regretting that unification was still a far cry.

''The biggest problem for chess is that there is still no agreed world title. The factionalism is not healthy,'' Anandtold newspersons on the sidelines of a function.

Asked whether the move for reunification of the world body has made any progress, Anand replied in the negative. ''There has been no consensus so far on this.''

On the positive side, Anand said that rapid chess has been coming up in a big way in the last few years to fill the vacuum left by the division.

''It is like one-day cricket. It has become an acceptable variant for the masses,'' Anand, who won the official World Rapid Chess title in Cape D'Agde during the year, said.

Anand, who is a strong contender for the Chess Oscar, said that he was very satisfied with his performance in 2003.

''Now I have to keep the momentum going. I have been having a fine run for quite some time now and hope to stretch the good show. Towards that end, I'm planning to set up training camps for the next three months,'' the world's leading Grand Master, who won six of the nine events he played in the calender year, said.

To another query from scribes, Anand said that he would consider playing the Chess Olympiad next year.

''If the All India Chess Federation sends me an invitation, I'll definitely consider it,'' he said.

Anand said that he would play the Wee Kaanjee tournament in Holland in February, before turning out in the Monacco Open in March.

PTI