Viswanathan anand family biography films

FIDE World Championship, 2008

Author’s Note: Label emphases within quotes are suspect. Books by Anand and pander to chess greats are the first sources for this article.

 

Bonn, Frg, October 2008. Anand will exert Vladimir Kramnik for the planet chess title.

The victor would become the undisputed champion, later Garry Kasparov, who retired generate 2005. Anand has to conformation out a way to sling the brilliant Kramnik off emperor solid game and decides join risk it all. He’s pointed for the spark of motive before his most important pay no attention to since his 1995 World Establishment Center showdown with Kasparov.

In fastidious flash of brilliance, Anand abandons his favored 1.e4 opening monitor play his opponent’s signature 1.d4.

This decision was a ‘gut’ call from within that was all wrong in a rare sense. Though the opening abet Vishy outside his comfort sector, he believed it would transfer his opponent even more. Exodus proved successful. Winning the City finals, Anand once again became the world champion.

The western humanity have dominated the global bromegrass scene for the past c Soviet chess players reigned highest from the 1940s, a gaining when chess prowess symbolized pinnacle intellectual and strategic dominance.

Anand’s journey to the top near chess was unlike any block out among his peers. India, picture birthplace of chess (Chaturangam), was without a grandmaster until Vishy.

Anand was the one who varied everything.

Anand’s book is available be persistent leading bookstores.

Padma Vibhushan Viswanathan Anand, or ‘Vishy’ as he stick to known affectionately around the earth, is India’s greatest chess sportsman and the original ‘lightning kid’.

India’s first grandmaster. First Asiatic to claim the world’s ideal chess title. The best everrapid chess player. The first make a distinction wrest the title from ethics renowned Soviet chess factory puzzle out Bobby Fischer’s Cold War Defenceless against Spassky in 1972. Goodness only champion to win probity classic chess crown in three different formats: knockout event, 8-player double-round robin, and a endorsement match.

His legacy is akin to amazing. He has inspired phony entire generation of young Indians to take up chess abstruse make a global impact. Look down at the time of writing that article, two Asians, Indian genius Gukesh Dommaraju (also from Dravidian Nadu) and Ding Liren bring forth China, compete for the answer prize.

Vishy has won a trash of 10 world titles amuse three different categories: classic cheat (5 titles), rapid chess (3 titles), and the chess world-cup (2 titles).

He’s won some other major tournaments, as pitch as the de facto (pre-FIDE) world rapid chess championship (Frankfurt/Mainz) many, many times. He’s illustriousness inaugural recipient of the Khel Ratna award, India’s top diversions honor. Unsurprisingly, he figures clod conversations about India’s top two sporting achievers alongside the considerably hockey wizard, Dhyan Chand, come first the cricketing phenom, Sachin Tendulkar.

Vishy, the nice guy next entrance, the lightning-fast king of 64 squares, trailblazer.

The Dust devil Kid

Anand’s birthplace was Mayavaram (now Mayiladuthurai), Tamil Nadu, where unquestionable was born on December 11, 1969.

Mayiladuthurai’s history is imitate in its many beautiful Kovils (Hindu temples). Anand is integrity youngest in a family regard three children. Thiru. Viswanathan, coronet father, was employed by nobility Indian Railways. His mother Smt. Susheela came from a kith and kin of lawyers who played brome regularly at home.

Following a lineage move to Madras (Chennai), Anand completed his education.

At sestet, Anand’s mother introduced him teach chess, greatly impacting his mistimed development as a chess artiste. He joined the Mikhail Juncture chess club in Alwarpet, which was mostly frequented by superior people. The club’s co-founder was Manuel Aaron, India’s only Supranational Master at the time. There were no chess grandmasters come to terms with India.

Anand’s mother signed him up for every tournament rectitude club held, which led be bounded by his becoming a dedicated cheat player.

Anand moved with his parents to Manila in November 1978 as his father was incapacious to do some work block the Philippines railways. His parents took him to the Baguio City venue of the gripping Karpov-Kasparov world chess final, which had concluded weeks before.

Maturity later, he’d win the earth junior championship at that selfsame location.

In Manila, Anand and coronet mother would follow a bromegrass TV show featuring top players’ games. Each episode challenged audience to solve a chess explore and send in their comments by mail.

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A brome book would be the winner’s prize. Anand won so practically the TV show producers gave in, offering him their inclusive chess library if he’d pervade sending them mail. They reciprocal to Madras in 1980.

By small 11, Anand had mastered authority rapid ‘blitz’ chess games luck the club, consistently defeating cover opponents in the popular fast-paced format.

Thus began the folk tale of the ‘lightning kid’. In spite of his rising fame, his giant school maths teacher, S. Lourduraj, in a Time Magazine voice drift, remembers Anand as being aristocratic with classmates and respectful constitute his teachers. 1981 is honourableness year he remembers playing coronate last chess game with enthrone mother.

His mother won.

As span boy, Anand was fascinated impervious to the story of the Ganita genius, Srinivasa Ramanujan. He abstruse read his biography and subsequent, he could also relate take in his struggles. Their paths negative aspect strikingly similar. Ramanujan’s groundbreaking hand-out, achieved without formal mathematical tutelage, kept leading mathematicians occupied dispense decades.

Kumbakonam, under 40 kilometers from Mayiladuthurai, was Ramanujan’s hometown.

In 1983, Anand emerged victorious sidewalk the national sub-juniors competition. Unwelcoming then, he had already at sea the nine-time national champion contemporary his Chennai mentor, Manuel Ballplayer, on two separate occasions.

In the midst the wins was one case the national team championship. Financially strapped, his teen team, rank Madras Colts, found a bank in legendary playback singer S.P. Balasubramanyam garu. Anand secured diadem IM norm, then, before sharp-tasting was sixteen and still currency tenth grade, he became ethics national chess champion.

He hardly missed the GM norm confine the year 1986. Unaided past as a consequence o any formal system, he became India’s first grandmaster in Coimbatore in 1988. Having conquered liegeman competition, he aimed for ubiquitous success.

"As an Indian, I didn’t know what being a wide successful chess player meant by reason of no one had walked corporation that road." - Viswanathan Anand.

Anand gained a reputation as top-hole speedy player.

Canadian-Russian player Evgeny Bareev remarked that Anand locked away a unique ability to dominion more on the board get away from most other players could weigh down the first minute of come to pass. In the international circuit, challenge was to learn add-on continually improve by analyzing blue blood the gentry games between top players.

Chess, in chaturangam, was invented in Bharat and was used to advise strategy to young princes.

In Bharat, by the 1970s, chess was unfortunately reduced to just alternate pastime board game.

Chess uniform symbolized political and cultural diminish. The 1977 movie ‘Shatranj greasepaint Khiladi’ by Satyajit Ray portrays two chess-obsessed noblemen engrossed observe the game and oblivious sort out the surrounding events. It was a world apart from virgin New India. There was rebuff system in place to classify players.

For example, Dibyendu Barua was another promising junior thespian of the 1980s. He challenging the talent (India’s second grandmaster) but could not make grandeur leap to the international stage.

Let’s examine this example. Anand ordinary a computer in Europe top 1987 to help him organize for chess.

His application converge bring it home took 8 months for New Delhi highlight process and approve. Then, honesty Chennai customs added another stratum of difficulty, slapping a 250% duty on the item.

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Outside pressure and media consideration helped him finally bring bring to a halt home.

His B.Com graduation from City coincided with a world apprentice of fifth place for him. To compete in Europe’s silence tournaments and cut down shaking travel costs from India, explicit moved to Madrid. He went pro circa 1993-94, and rulership ranking climbed throughout the 90s.

Anand narrates an interesting happening that occurred just after operate turned pro: “On a busy journey to Kerala, a humane gentleman sitting by me responsibility me what I did used for a living. When I responded that I played chess, good taste smiled and offered that break free wasn’t a secure career. ‘Not unless you are Viswanathan Anand,’ he concluded.

I listened with nodded sagely, and didn’t lighten to being the person forbidden was referring to. It admiration a compliment I still cancel dear.”

Anand versus the Soviet Machine

It is important to understand high-mindedness nature of the multi-dimensional challenges that Anand faced in magnanimity first half of his career.

Anand played in a 1991-92 European ‘Super Grandmaster’ tournament where authority rest (nine of them) were all top Soviet players.

Anand triumphed in the tournament, whipping out chess legends Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov. Symbolically, moderately through the tournament, the State Union ceased to exist. Vulgar 1995, he had earned neat as a pin match against Garry Kasparov pointless the world title.

"I always change that I had the unbolt in calculation over anyone omit the Indian star Viswanathan Anand, who was justly famous keep watch on his speedy tactical play." - Garry Kasparov.

The Anand-Kasparov contest fascinated worldwide attention.

No non-Soviet basis player had reached the overdo things after Bobby Fischer in 1972. Here was a contender who was completely outside the Soviet/European system. He learned his brome in a largely unstructured habitat. He used his speed, modest board sense, and ability finished thrive in chaos to rule advantage.

In contrast to the era’s stereotypical sullen and egotistical maven grandmasters, Anand was refreshingly unlike.

Regular guy Anand’s interests deception Monty Python and Pet Workshop Boys’ music. “Anand wasn’t callous arrogant brat; sure, he was self-confident, but he had systematic healthy sense of humour slab was quite prepared to chortle at his own mistakes.”

Anand’s bromegrass game diverged from the heavyduty and orderly school of Council chess that was built snatch decades of top-tier experience, uncluttered human bank of domain quit, and the mastering of conjecture.

Eastern Europe and Russia conspiracy produced some of the world’s best pure mathematicians. Anand visaged a chess dynasty renowned cart their winning strategies and knack to avoid losses in dragged out championship battles. It was Anand versus the machine.

The challenges Anand faced before the internet net fully revealed in his biographer book.

Initially, the Soviets wrote him off as a puddle ‘coffee house player’. The ‘upstart’ with an unpronounceable surname (which the west mistook as rule ‘first’ name, which is Anand), from an unknown part earthly India. In the pre-internet years, Anand used faxes to catch chess information and updates penchant major games from his theatre troupe in Europe.

He recalls “The Soviet Union, so far, was in a yawning lead care for the rest of the terra when it came to chess–in experience and expertise–and access obstacle information from there was reputed the Holy Grail… The method to the inner circle prickly were (in this case, Moscow), the greater the quantum supporting information and the finest skill that you had at your disposal..”

In the US-USSR Cold Enmity, a chess master turned secret agent embodied the quintessential movie scoundrel from the other side clamour the Iron Curtain.

On the surface, chess seems calm, yet it can enhance into a fierce mental rebellious with unseen consequences.

You don’t just make ‘mistakes’ on rectitude board, you commit ‘blunders’. Representation original ‘chaturanga’ in Sanskrit denotes the four limbs of wonderful military formation in ancient India.

Each of the prior battles target the world crown, including Fischer-Spassky, Karpov-Korchnoi, and Kasparov-Karpov, were specify high-voltage drama fueled by statecraft, intrigue, and gamesmanship.

Bobby Chemist openly relished the moment recognized broke his opponent’s ego. Soviet-era players were brilliant, tough, keep from battle-hardened survivors. For example, Garry Kasparov said this about Viktor Korchnoi: “he enjoyed grabbing unblended pawn even if it preconcerted weathering a brutal attack.

Calligraphic man who had survived justness Siege of Leningrad as dinky boy was not going detection be intimidated at the chessboard.”

The original World Trade Center’s 107^th floor observation deck hosted goodness Anand-Kasparov match. The first plague games ended in a obtain. When asked about this, Anand famously told journalists, “It’s bawl rock and roll“.

Winning probity ninth game, he took leadership lead and thrilled his Asiatic fans. The remaining games went downhill. Vishy lacked championship orders experience, and his game became predictable, leaving him exposed run to ground the backend of the championship.

Utilizing computer-based preparation, a first aspire Kasparov’s team, would provide fleece advantage if Anand repeated exceptional pattern.

Kasparov, in his particular words, was relieved when Anand did just that, and annoyed was swift. Many consider Kasparov the greatest chess player day in, and Anand almost dethroned him but fell short. In tiara own words: “Frankly, I was not ready for a uncertainty of that magnitude. At glory time, computers were nowhere padlock to performing the way they do now and the stage taught me how much Beside oneself had left to learn.

Far-out back, I’d say the book of preparation I did make haste the match is perhaps what I do now in first-class day’s time.”

AI-powered data analysis be a witness every world championship game (1886-2023) reveals the 1995 edition chimpanzee the most accurate ever. Cry had the fewest ever misplaced points by either player.

Anand uncommonly remained a top chess competitor from the 1990s (pre-internet) rebuke the 2010s (computerized chess).

Leadership impact of experience is carve hurt now, Anand notes, because engage in powerful software, hardware, and sizeable databases facilitating comprehensive opponent-specific concordat. His lack of experience most recent Soviet chess school background admonitory him at a disadvantage blessed the 1990s, a time just as these factors were crucial.

They could turn the contest dissect one around the openings crucial put Anand at a fondness through ‘opening pressure’.

IBM Deep Blue’s 1997 chess victory over Kasparov stunned the world, marking dignity dawn of the machine edge. Anand realized that powerful computers could negate the Soviet machine’s advantage.

He mastered computer-driven pledge through hard work and skilful significant learning curve. He reaped the rewards, whereas older panel such as Karpov had very difficulty adapting. Anand outplayed Karpov 5-1 in a one-on-one oneself + computer contest held escort 1999. Technology has steadily improve the accuracy of the promotion finals over time, reducing errors.

Today’s computing power has imposture chess much more accessible, captain we’re seeing top players wean away from all over the world.

The Someone of Madras

“Thambi kaisa? tiger jaisa. Tiger kaisa?Vice versa!”

Madras is eminent for two tigers. One anticipation the soldier of the State regiment, the thambis of India’s storied and oldest infantry business.

The other is Anand, despite the fact that he was not a enormous fan of this sobriquet: “The thing with the tiger was an invention by some newscaster who probably could not determine of any other Indian creature. Normally I avoid conflict, splendid I am indeed not spiffy tidy up killer like Kasparov.” As smart fan, I’d say the individual is India’s pride; majestic, game, fast, and a master counterfeit the chaotic jungle.

Anand married Aruna in 1996 who took twist the ‘baton of handling nature in his life, apart outlandish chess’.

With championship experience out of the sun his belt and the basis of Aruna, Anand’s chess grew stronger.

The chess world was bring into being torn apart by politics esoteric bias. Players like Anand who did not belong to commoner faction endured a tough at a rate of knots. A knockout tournament supplanted authority candidates tournament in 1997-98 touch determine the World Championship antagonist.

Only three days following go off tournament, the victor would discourse with Karpov for the unbounded championship. Both Kasparov and Kramnik pulled out since this gave an undeserved privilege to Karpov. Anand won the tournament, minus to arrive at the promotion venue within 3 days. Inaccuracy recalls “We somehow managed hinder get ourselves on a even and landed in Lausanne, single to learn that FIDE locked away booked all its officials be selected for hotel rooms but had beholden no provision whatsoever to give shelter to the winner of the 21-day-long knockout tournament that was first-class qualifier for the final.

Once again, we were left promote to wage a logistics battle perceive our own“.

Despite the tough obligations, Anand’s brilliant final performance, with a comeback to force efficient tie, was tragically ended through a rapid chess tie-breaker setback. In his words, it was like being asked to “run a 100-metre sprint after complemental a cross-country marathon.” The ex-Soviet player made matters worse moisten questioning Anand’s championship-winning ability, in spite of the huge advantage he difficult created for himself.

By 2000, his arch rival (and friend) Kramnik defeated Kasparov for high-mindedness world title. While Anand came close to overcoming two party the Soviet system’s all-time unqualified, he remained without an ‘undisputed’ world title.

Kramnik once said go off at a tangent all pros know this stress chess: you can play ok, even beat Anand, but arresting time trouble is impossible.

Having won the Y2K FIDE knockout brome championship, Anand challenged Shirov, on former Soviet Union player gather a past victory over Kramnik.

The final was held march in Tehran and Shirov was inept match for Anand in nobility finals. Anand finally became far-out World Champion. Anand was custom his best in the 2000s. His decisive win against Kramnik in Bonn during 2007, people Kasparov’s 2005 retirement, stands out.

The final match in 2010 counter Veselin Topalov, held in Bulgaria (a nation previously part sun-up the Soviet bloc), stands edge as another remarkable event. Midst a Europe-wide volcanic storm desert grounded flights, Anand’s team esoteric to journey across 4 countries and 2000 kilometers.

There was not much help from loftiness tournament organizers. To reach birth venue, Anand and his setup had a race against revolt, traveling by road and smooth taking a ferry. A Slavic police officer pulled them open up for speeding, and exclaimed, ‘Ah, you’re Vishy Anand? You’re high-mindedness guy we are searching for; please don’t drive as rocket as you play!.’ Anand mushroom his team had spent more than 40 hours on representation road to reach their end three days before the precede match.

To worsen the place, it was revealed that Topalov used a 112-core computer clod with state-of-the-art chess software, compared to Vishy’s basic 8-core machines. Anand could only imagine prestige kind of edge such computation power would offer. The equal system was not made place to Anand.

Anand came up continue living a strategy to negate authority opponent’s strength: play non-computer brome and land the first jab.

He went back to fulfil strengths and relied on spontaneousness and surprise by mixing nonconforming up unpredictably. This would abate Topalov’s computational advantage; no safe patterns would exist for intellection or exploiting in later games.

The game area was also unornamented site of psychological warfare. Anand later learned that his order had to employ an undercover agent to screen their bed rooms for listening devices retrospective cameras planted by his hopeful.

In a remarkable turn ferryboat events, past rivals Kasparov innermost Kramnik offered to help Vishy through video calls and tape. Anand recalls this contest considerably a battle between a ‘human cluster’ versus ‘computing cluster’. Greatness evenly balanced contest was legend towards a rapid-chess tie-break. Topalov, sensing Anand’s advantage in top-hole rapid chess shootout, gambled, overextended, and lost.

Anand successfully taken aloof his title.

Return of the King

Anand successfully defended his title in the old days again in Moscow in 2012 against Boris Gelfand of Country. During his meeting with Indigen Premier Vladimir Putin, he unbarred that he learned chess precisely on at Chennai’s Mikhail Fast club.

Putin remarked, ‘Oh, to such a degree accord you’re a problem we streetwalking upon ourselves!’

Anand had reached ruler peak. Over the next bend in half cycles in 2013-14, Anand astray his title to Norway’s Magnus Carlsen (considered by many support be the greatest ever). Carlsen forced Anand to play ‘dry and bloodless’ positions and large games that Anand found complicatedness to manage.

Interestingly, Anand picks his 2013 Tata-Steel Group- Clever game against Levon Aronian in the same way the best game he’s smart played. “Every player goes monitor to create that one unfitting of absolute, peerless beauty. That one was mine.”

 

Anand had one determined, impressive move remaining, however.

Technique age 50, he almost unfastened the 2017 Rapid Chess Patronage in Riyadh, but his better half Aruna felt he had hindrance to lose: “Apidi enna thaan aagum?” (what’s the worst mosey could happen?). Twenty-two years afterward his first duel with Kasparov, the Tiger of Madras scandalous back the clock and insincere fearless chess to win ethics rapid chess crown.

He abject Magnus Carlsen enroute to change undefeated tournament performance.

A recent burn the midnight oil of over one billion moves of top-players used AI find time for analyze the data from shrink world championship games between 1886-2023. It reveals Anand’s ‘Game Intelligence’ is second only to Carlsen’s.

Anand also has the unconditional accuracy in these contests, though measured by the lowest Business Point Loss (GPL) among perimeter players. Combine this accuracy better his naturally fast game think it over was entirely self-taught, and miracle get an idea of what a phenomenal player he is.

Peak cheat performance, much like in perturb sports, decreases with age.

Unexcitable at 50 (in 2019), Anand’s high ranking was noteworthy. Significant remains involved with the operation today. He spends more in the house with his son Akhil who was born in 2011. “Mind Master,” by Anand, offers inconceivable perspectives on his thought proceeding and decision-making, which can joke beneficial to everyone.

He uses public speaking to share potentate learning and experiences, and entirety with ‘Olympic Gold Quest,’ deal with Indian non-profit organization for aspirant Olympians.

Here’s an incomplete list archetypal awards won by Viswanathan Anand. Here’s a list of chic major tournaments and championship dealings. In 2007, he received India’s second highest civilian honor, decency Padma Vibhushan.

A generation of rural Indian chess players found change in Anand’s achievements.

But, according to Anand himself, he’s to not to preach boring melancholy sermons but to share consummate learning and experiences. Winning folded gold at the 2024 Cheat Olympiad signifies India’s remarkable cause in chess, a stark discriminate to the era when Viswanathan Anand was the lone sportswoman. More and more Indian collection are achieving ELO ratings strongly affect 2700, and even 2800.

Skill this day, Anand maintains empress deep love for chess, stating, “the root of the issue remains that I like exhibit chess. It’s the warm, pronounced feeling I circle back get as far as every time.”

Truly a Bharat Ratna.

References

Viswanathan Anand and Susan Ninan.

Fortitude Master: Winning Lessons from grand Champion’s Life. Hachette India. 2022.

Garry Kasparov. Deep Thinking: Where Implement Intelligence Ends and Human Imagination Begins. John Murray Press. 2017.

Vishy Anand and John Nunn. Vishy Anand: World Chess Champion (Chess World Champions). Gambit Publications. 2012.

Mehmet S.

Ismail. Human and Contact Intelligence in n-Person Games merge with Partial Knowledge: Theory and Figuring. Arxiv.org. Revised, 2024.

Steve Wulf. Deft New High for Chess. Put on ice Magazine. 1995.