Viswanathan Anand Biography – The Chess Master from India

Viswanathan Anand, the Indian chess player won several World chess titles in regular matches, tournament and knockout formats. His book 'My Best Games of Chess' fetched him an award from British Chess Federation.

PHOTO BY PAWEł GROCHOWALSKI

Viswanathan Anand Biography - Claim to Fame

Popularly referred as "Vishy”, and “the Tiger from Madras", Viswanathan Anand is a Chess player of Indian origin who holds a place of supreme importance in world chess. Right from his childhood, Anand showed traits of his genius in the game. He learnt the game when he was just a 6 year old child. He stunned the Chess experts with his marvelous intuition and speed of playing. These qualities helped him in becoming the youngest National Chess champion. He was just 16 when he had achieved this feat. Viswanathan Anand biography is replete with the tales of meteoric rise of the Indian in World chess arena. In 1987 He added another feather to his cap by becoming the First Asian to bag the top spot in the World Junior Championship. The icing on the cake was his earning the prestigious Grandmaster title, which he got at 18. His win of "Reggio Emilia" in 1991 in Italy added to his credentials. Viswanathan Anand biography stuns the readers with his numerous achievements and records set at young age.

Viswanathan Anand Chess - India’s Pride

Viswanathan Anand bagged the Linares Super Torneo in the year 1998. Before that he trounced the rivals in important tournaments like the Credit Suisse Masters in 1997 and the Melody Amber tournament. Viswanathan Anand chess achievements are numerous. In India he has been awarded the Padmashri and the Arjuna Award. He was the first recipient of the coveted Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award. He faced the Russian chess legends Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov several times in his career. In 1995 World Championship final, he was beaten by Kasparov but took the revenge by trouncing him in rapid chess tournament next year. He also managed to beat Fritz, the popular chess software application in 1999. Now he lives in Spain along with his spouse Aruna. Viswanathan Anand chess playing style has inspired many players of next generations and Anand himself spends a lot of time in promoting the game.

World Chess Champion - Anand’s Feat

Viswanathan Anand became the world champion in Chess for the first time in 2000 when he beat Spain's Alexei Shirovyoungest. The World chess champion title went to him again in 2007. The next year he made his fans proud by retaining the title by tying with Russia’s Vladmir Kramnik. Despite his stupendous achievements and towering fame, Anand is quite humble in nature. He retained his title once again in 2010 when he trounced Bulgaria’s Veselin Topalov. It was a nerve wrecking contest and Anand was awarded 1.2 million Euros as prize money. He will face the next challenger for the world champion title in 2012 in London.