โThe quiet king who checkmated the world and sparked India's chess revolution.โ
Viswanathan Anand is India's first grandmaster and a five-time world chess champion. His aggressive yet intuitive style and rapid rise in the 1990s inspired a generation of Indian chess players. He remains a beloved icon and mentor.
Trigger moment: At age 6, Anand saw a chess set at his brother's house and learned the moves in minutes. By 14, he was national sub-junior champion.
Turning point: In 1987, at 17, he won the Asian Junior Championship, earning the International Master title. The next year, he became India's first grandmaster at 18โa feat that made front-page news.
Politics & pressure: In the 1990s, Indian chess was dominated by Soviet-trained players. Anand faced skepticism: "Can an Indian really compete with Russians?" He proved them wrong by winning the 1991 Reggio Emilia tournament ahead of Garry Kasparov.
Emotional beginning: Anand's first world title (FIDE, 2000) was a reliefโhe had been a top contender for years. But the real test came in 2008 when he defeated Vladimir Kramnik in Bonn, unifying the world championship.
Peak & setback: He defended his title three times (2008, 2010, 2012) but lost to Magnus Carlsen in 2013. The defeat was crushingโAnand admitted he was "outplayed in every department."
Comeback: At 44, he won the 2014 Candidates Tournament, earning a rematch with Carlsen. Though he lost again, his resilience earned global respect.
Emotional end: Anand's last world championship match was in 2014. He now mentors young Indian GMs like Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa, saying, "My job is to make sure they don't repeat my mistakes."
> "Anand didn't just win titles; he changed the way India sees chess." โ Garry Kasparov
Career Trajectory