Viswanathan Anand, known as Vishy, is a former chess legend from India with five World Championship titles. He became the first Indian chess grandmaster in 1988, dominating the world stage for years, reaching number one in the world rankings and securing victories in various formats. Even after retiring from competitive chess, he remains a voice in the chess world and holds the position of deputy president of FIDE.
Biography of Viswanathan Anand
- Full name: Viswanathan Anand
- Nickname: Vishy
- Profession: Chess player
- Famous For- Five-time World Championship
- Net Worth: $5 million- $7 million
- Twitter handle: @vishy64theking
Physical Status of Viswanathan Anand
- Height: 175cm, 5’9” in
- Weight: 75kg
- Eye Colour: Black
- Hair Colour: Black
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Personal Life of Viswanathan Anand
- Date Of Birth: 11 Dec,1969
- Place Of Birth: Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu
- Nationality: Indian
- Hometown: Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu
- School: Don Bosco Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Egmore, Chennai
- College: Loyola College, Chennai
- Hobbies: Swimming, Reading, and listening to music
Family Life of Viswanathan Anand
- Marital Status: Married
- Father: Krishnamurthy Anand
- Mother: Susila
- Brother: Shivakumar
- Sister: Anuradha
- Wife: Aruna
- Marriage: 1996
- Children: Akhil
- Religion: Hinduism
Career Statistics of Viswanathan Anand
- National team Debut: 26th Chess Olympiad in Thessaloniki, Greece, in 1984
Records and Achievements of Viswanathan Anand
Records
- 1983: Becomes India’s youngest National Champion at the age of 16.
- 1984: Earns the International Master title at the age of 17.
- 1985: Secures the Grandmaster title at the age of 18, the youngest Indian player to achieve it at the time.
- 1986-1987: Shared first place in the prestigious Reggio Emilia chess tournament.
- 1987: Reaches the quarterfinals of the World Chess Championship Candidates Tournament, establishing himself as a world-class player.
- 1988: Wins the Linares de Rio tournament, defeating several top players including Kasparov and Karpov.
- 1989: Achieved a peak Elo rating of 2618, entering the top 10 players in the world rankings.
- 1991-1992: Plays in his first World Chess Championship Candidates Match, losing to Nigel Short.
- 1994-1995: Qualifies for his second Candidates Match, losing to Gata Kamsky.
- 1996-1998: Wins the Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Tournament three times consecutively, showcasing consistent strength
- 2000: Becomes World Chess Champion by defeating Alexei Khalifman, a historic achievement for Indian chess.
- 2003: Successfully defends his World Championship title against Péter Lékó.
- 2004: Plays a key role in India’s historic gold medal victory at the Chess Olympiad.
- 2007: Wins the World Chess Championship again, defeating Vladimir Kramnik in a match contested across Mexico and Argentina.
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Achievements
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- 1983: He won the title of National Sub-Junior Chess Championship with 9/9 scores only at the age of fourteen
- 1985: Received the ‘Arjuna Award’.
- 1987: At the age of eighteen, he received the ‘Padma Shri’
- 1987: He received the National Citizens and Soviet Land Nehru awards.
- 1992: Also won the ‘Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award’.
- 1998: ‘Sportstar Millennium Award’ by the Sportstar magazine.
- 2000: His Elo rating is proven 2817, which is the fourth-highest of all time.
- 2003: He won the World Rapid Chess Championship.
- 2007: Honoured with the ‘Padma Vibhushan’.
- 2007: He won the Round Robin Tournament.
- 2011: Received ‘Global Strategist Award’ by NASSCOM
- 2012: Received ‘Order of Friendship’ award by Russia
