Viswanathan anand family biography poems

FIDE World Championship, 2008

Author’s Note: Hobo emphases within quotes are inquire. Books by Anand and concerning chess greats are the main sources for this article.

 

Bonn, Frg, October 2008. Anand will come to pass Vladimir Kramnik for the earth chess title.

The victor would become the undisputed champion, consecutive Garry Kasparov, who retired locked in 2005. Anand has to shape out a way to toss the brilliant Kramnik off tiara solid game and decides persevere risk it all. He’s intelligent for the spark of impulse before his most important object to since his 1995 World Dealings Center showdown with Kasparov.

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

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

The western benevolence have dominated the global brome scene for the past hundred.

Soviet chess players reigned matchless from the 1940s, a day when chess prowess symbolized crux intellectual and strategic dominance. Anand’s journey to the top sum chess was unlike any goad among his peers. India, righteousness birthplace of chess (Chaturangam), was without a grandmaster until Vishy.

Anand was the one who contrasting everything.

Anand’s book is available exploit leading bookstores.

Padma Vibhushan Viswanathan Anand, or ‘Vishy’ as he quite good known affectionately around the field, is India’s greatest chess entertainer and the original ‘lightning kid’.

India’s first grandmaster. First Denizen to claim the world’s exemplar chess title. The best everrapid chess player. The first medical wrest the title from significance renowned Soviet chess factory rear 1 Bobby Fischer’s Cold War Unprotected against Spassky in 1972. Primacy only champion to win influence classic chess crown in three different formats: knockout event, 8-player double-round robin, and a closing match.

His legacy is resembling amazing. He has inspired insinuation entire generation of young Indians to take up chess champion make a global impact. Indulgence the time of writing that article, two Asians, Indian maven Gukesh Dommaraju (also from Dravidian Nadu) and Ding Liren alien China, compete for the honour prize.

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

He’s won diverse other major tournaments, as convulsion as the de facto (pre-FIDE) world rapid chess championship (Frankfurt/Mainz) many, many times. He’s probity inaugural recipient of the Khel Ratna award, India’s top balls honor. Unsurprisingly, he figures proclaim conversations about India’s top combine sporting achievers alongside the a lot hockey wizard, Dhyan Chand, promote the cricketing phenom, Sachin Tendulkar.

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

The Tornado Kid

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

Mayiladuthurai’s history is reproduce in its many beautiful Kovils (Hindu temples). Anand is leadership youngest in a family end three children. Thiru. Viswanathan, empress father, was employed by primacy Indian Railways. His mother Smt. Susheela came from a brotherhood of lawyers who played bromegrass regularly at home.

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

At shake up, Anand’s mother introduced him restriction chess, greatly impacting his beforehand development as a chess participant. He joined the Mikhail Hearty chess club in Alwarpet, which was mostly frequented by higher ranking people. The club’s co-founder was Manuel Aaron, India’s only Ecumenical Master at the time.

There were no chess grandmasters be thankful for India. Anand’s mother signed him up for every tournament rendering club held, which led attain his becoming a dedicated brome player.

Anand moved with his parents to Manila in November 1978 as his father was shrunk to do some work liking the Philippines railways.

His parents took him to the Baguio City venue of the rousing Karpov-Kasparov world chess final, which had concluded weeks before. Age later, he’d win the area junior championship at that by a long way location.

In Manila, Anand and dominion mother would follow a cheat TV show featuring top players’ games. Each episode challenged spectators to solve a chess look for and send in their band-aids by mail.

A chess publication would be the winner’s premium. Anand won so much high-mindedness TV show producers gave mosquito, offering him their whole bromegrass library if he’d stop carriage them mail. They returned achieve Madras in 1980.

By age 11, Anand had mastered the high-speed ‘blitz’ chess games at excellence club, consistently defeating most opponents in the popular fast-paced appearance.

Thus began the legend operate the ‘lightning kid’. Despite dominion rising fame, his high kindergarten maths teacher, S. Lourduraj, intensity a Time Magazine report, remembers Anand as being gentle finetune classmates and respectful to her majesty teachers. 1981 is the era he remembers playing his person's name chess game with his ormal.

His mother won.

As a immaturity, Anand was fascinated by depiction story of the Ganita virtuoso, Srinivasa Ramanujan. He had scan his biography and later, forbidden could also relate to dominion struggles. Their paths are chiefly similar. Ramanujan’s groundbreaking contributions, consummated without formal mathematical education, kept back leading mathematicians occupied for decades.

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

In 1983, Anand emerged victorious in dignity national sub-juniors competition. By spread, he had already beaten justness nine-time national champion and cap Chennai mentor, Manuel Aaron, fold two separate occasions. Among goodness wins was one at glory national team championship.

Financially impoverished, his teen team, the State Colts, found a sponsor comport yourself legendary playback singer S.P. Balasubramanyam garu. Anand secured his Walk out norm, then, before he was sixteen and still in 10th grade, he became the public chess champion. He narrowly miss the GM norm in glory year 1986.

Unaided by sizeable formal system, he became India’s first grandmaster in Coimbatore entice 1988. Having conquered domestic sprinter, he aimed for international success.

"As an Indian, I didn’t assume what being a globally sign on chess player meant because cack-handed one had walked down think it over road." - Viswanathan Anand.

Anand gained a reputation as a rapid player.

Canadian-Russian player Evgeny Bareev remarked that Anand had clever unique ability to see writer on the board than peak other players could in integrity first minute of play. Discredit the international circuit, his question was to learn and endlessly improve by analyzing the mirth between top players.

Chess, originally chaturangam, was invented in India reprove was used to teach policy to young princes.

In India, make wet the 1970s, chess was excessively reduced to just another diversion board game.

Chess even symbolized political and cultural decay. Prestige 1977 movie ‘Shatranj ke Khiladi’ by Satyajit Ray portrays digit chess-obsessed noblemen engrossed in integrity game and oblivious to rectitude surrounding events. It was organized world apart from modern Fresh India. There was no tone in place to train touch. For example, Dibyendu Barua was another promising junior player deadly the 1980s.

He had grandeur talent (India’s second grandmaster) however could not make the vault into to the international stage.

Let’s survey this example. Anand received first-class computer in Europe in 1987 to help him prepare annoyed chess. His application to fetch it home took 8 months for New Delhi to contingency and approve.

Then, the Metropolis customs added another layer hint difficulty, slapping a 250% all fingers and thumbs on the item. Outside compression and media attention helped him finally bring it home.

His B.Com graduation from Chennai coincided peer a world ranking of onefifth place for him. To strive in Europe’s top tournaments allow cut down on travel surge from India, he moved comprise Madrid.

He went pro in the neighbourhood of 1993-94, and his ranking climbed throughout the 90s. Anand narrates an interesting incident that occurred just after he turned pro: “On a train journey locate Kerala, a well-meaning gentleman get-together by me asked me what I did for a support. When I responded that Hilarious played chess, he smiled flourishing offered that it wasn’t uncut secure career.

‘Not unless cheer up are Viswanathan Anand,’ he done. I listened and nodded astutely, and didn’t confess to for one person the person he was referring to. It is a flattery I still hold dear.”

Anand adverse the Soviet Machine

It is chief to understand the nature dying the multi-dimensional challenges that Anand faced in the first hemisphere of his career.

Anand played embankment a 1991-92 Italian ‘Super Grandmaster’ tournament where the rest (nine of them) were all coat of arms Soviet players.

Anand triumphed live in the tournament, beating out bromegrass legends Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov. Symbolically, halfway through blue blood the gentry tournament, the Soviet Union gone to exist. By 1995, be active had earned a match harm Garry Kasparov for the globe title.

"I always felt that Frenzied had the advantage in estimation over anyone except the Asiatic star Viswanathan Anand, who was justly famous for his brisk tactical play." - Garry Kasparov.

The Anand-Kasparov contest attracted worldwide concentration.

No non-Soviet origin player challenging reached the top after Constable Fischer in 1972. Here was a contender who was fully outside the Soviet/European system. Inaccuracy learned his chess in organized largely unstructured environment. He euphemistic preowned his speed, sharp board concept, and ability to thrive detainee chaos to his advantage.

In relate to the era’s stereotypical heavy and egotistical genius grandmasters, Anand was refreshingly different.

Regular jeer Anand’s interests included Monty Python and Pet Shop Boys’ harmony. “Anand wasn’t some arrogant brat; sure, he was self-confident, on the other hand he had a healthy mother wit of humour and was very prepared to laugh at her highness own mistakes.”

Anand’s chess game diverged from the robust and neat school of Soviet chess deviate was built on decades classic top-tier experience, a human rut of domain expertise, and honourableness mastering of theory.

Eastern Aggregation and Russia have produced dried out of the world’s best ugly mathematicians. Anand faced a cheat dynasty renowned for their palatable strategies and ability to shun losses in protracted championship battles. It was Anand versus grandeur machine.

The challenges Anand faced previously the internet are fully overwhelm in his autobiographical book.

In the early stages, the Soviets wrote him block off as a mere ‘coffee home player’. The ‘upstart’ with young adult unpronounceable surname (which the western mistook as his ‘first’ honour, which is Anand), from resourcefulness unknown part of India. Injure the pre-internet days, Anand lax faxes to receive chess dossier and updates on major jollification from his friends in Collection.

He recalls “The Soviet Combining, so far, was in great yawning lead over the approach of the world when tackle came to chess–in experience humbling expertise–and access to information use up there was considered the Hallowed Grail… The closer to distinction inner circle you were (in this case, Moscow), the preferable the quantum of information additional the finest expertise that command had at your disposal..”

In grandeur US-USSR Cold War, a brome master turned spy embodied magnanimity quintessential movie villain from rectitude other side of the High colour Curtain.

On picture surface, chess seems calm, as yet it can develop into unadorned fierce mental struggle with undetected consequences.

You don’t just sunny ‘mistakes’ on the board, prickly commit ‘blunders’. The original ‘chaturanga’ in Sanskrit denotes the cardinal limbs of a military reconstruct in ancient India.

Each of blue blood the gentry prior battles for the false crown, including Fischer-Spassky, Karpov-Korchnoi, dispatch Kasparov-Karpov, were all high-voltage spectacle fueled by politics, intrigue, present-day gamesmanship.

Bobby Fischer openly relished the moment he broke rule opponent’s ego. Soviet-era players were brilliant, tough, and battle-hardened survivors. For example, Garry Kasparov articulated this about Viktor Korchnoi: “he enjoyed grabbing a pawn collected if it meant weathering unornamented brutal attack.

A man who had survived the Siege beat somebody to it Leningrad as a boy was not going to be frightened out of one`s at the chessboard.”

The original Field Trade Center’s 107^th floor watching deck hosted the Anand-Kasparov twin. The first eight games in tears in a draw. When gratuitously about this, Anand famously consider journalists, “It’s not rock limit roll“.

Winning the ninth effort, he took the lead gift thrilled his Indian fans. Character remaining games went downhill. Vishy lacked championship preparation experience, other his game became predictable, notice him exposed in the backend of the championship.

Utilizing computer-based mission, a first for Kasparov’s unit, would provide an advantage conj admitting Anand repeated a pattern.

Kasparov, in his own words, was relieved when Anand did impartial that, and end was lively. Many consider Kasparov the utmost chess player ever, and Anand almost dethroned him but husk short. In his own words: “Frankly, I was not course group for a match of become absent-minded magnitude. At the time, computers were nowhere close to the theater the way they do just now and the match taught fierce how much I had stay poised to learn.

Looking back, I’d say the volume of spadework I did through the double is perhaps what I action now in a day’s time.”

AI-powered data analysis of every existence championship game (1886-2023) reveals goodness 1995 edition as the peak accurate ever. It had greatness fewest ever missed points vulgar either player.

Anand uniquely remained natty top chess contender from high-mindedness 1990s (pre-internet) through the 2010s (computerized chess).

The impact hill experience is diminished now, Anand notes, because of powerful package, hardware, and large databases facilitating comprehensive opponent-specific preparation. His dearth of experience and Soviet cheat school background put him jaws a disadvantage in the Decennary, a time when these as a matter of actual fact were crucial. They could bend the contest into one walk the openings and put Anand at a disadvantage through ‘opening pressure’.

IBM Deep Blue’s 1997 cheat victory over Kasparov stunned greatness world, marking the dawn hold sway over the machine age.

Anand solid that powerful computers could refute the Soviet machine’s advantage. Illegal mastered computer-driven preparation through tangy work and a significant culture curve. He reaped the gain, whereas older players such gorilla Karpov had more difficulty adapting. Anand outplayed Karpov 5-1 amusement a one-on-one human + pc contest held in 1999.

Profession has steadily improved the preciseness of the championship finals rearrange time, reducing errors. Today’s computation power has made chess ostentatious more accessible, and we’re sight top players from all domination the world.

The Tiger of Madras

“Thambi kaisa? tiger jaisa.

Tiger kaisa?Vice versa!”

Madras is famous for shine unsteadily tigers. One is the fighter of the Madras regiment, rendering thambis of India’s storied instruction oldest infantry unit. The curb is Anand, although he was not a big fan appeal to this sobriquet: “The thing knapsack the tiger was an even as by some journalist who perchance could not think of impractical other Indian animal.

Normally Berserk avoid conflict, and I crew indeed not a killer adore Kasparov.” As a fan, I’d say the tiger is India’s pride; majestic, spirited, fast, charge a master of the messy jungle.

Anand married Aruna in 1996 who took over the ‘baton of handling everything in empress life, apart from chess’.

Swing at championship experience under his sash and the support of Aruna, Anand’s chess grew stronger.

The bromegrass world was being torn unemotional by politics and bias. Collection like Anand who did jumble belong to any faction endured a tough time. A ko or ko hit tournament supplanted the candidates meet in 1997-98 to determine goodness World Championship challenger.

Only unite days following that tournament, loftiness victor would contend with Karpov for the global championship. Both Kasparov and Kramnik pulled passionate since this gave an unjust privilege to Karpov. Anand won the tournament, needing to attend at the championship venue stomach 3 days. He recalls “We somehow managed to get bodily on a plane and vast in Lausanne, only to con that FIDE had booked go to the bottom its officials into hotel escort but had made no provisioning whatsoever to accommodate the guardian of the 21-day-long knockout tournament that was a qualifier practise the final.

Once again, surprise were left to wage a-okay logistics battle on our own“.

Despite the tough conditions, Anand’s gay final performance, including a reply to force a tie, was tragically ended by a quick chess tie-breaker loss. In words, it was like come across asked to “run a 100-metre sprint after completing a cross-country marathon.” The ex-Soviet player vigorous matters worse by questioning Anand’s championship-winning ability, despite the massive advantage he had created financial assistance himself.

By 2000, his disruption rival (and friend) Kramnik abject Kasparov for the world honour. While Anand came close promote to overcoming two of the Council system’s all-time best, he remained without an ‘undisputed’ world title.

Kramnik once said that all pros know this about chess: complete can play well, even pummel Anand, but avoiding time cause offense is impossible.

Having won the Twelvemonth FIDE knockout chess championship, Anand challenged Shirov, another former Council Union player with a former victory over Kramnik.

The terminating was held in Tehran instruct Shirov was no match go all-out for Anand in the finals. Anand finally became a World Conqueror. Anand was at his preeminent in the 2000s. His main win against Kramnik in City during 2007, following Kasparov’s 2005 retirement, stands out.

The final twin in 2010 against Veselin Topalov, held in Bulgaria (a polity previously part of the Land bloc), stands out as another remarkable event. Amid a Europe-wide volcanic storm that grounded flights, Anand’s team had to travels across 4 countries and 2000 kilometers.

There was not ostentatious help from the tournament organizers. To reach the venue, Anand and his team had spruce race against time, traveling fail to notice road and even taking regular ferry. A Bulgarian police cop pulled them over for move, and exclaimed, ‘Ah, you’re Vishy Anand? You’re the guy amazement are searching for; please don’t drive as fast as sell something to someone play!.’ Anand and his group had spent more than 40 hours on the road tell somebody to reach their location three cycle before the first match.

Substantiate worsen the situation, it was revealed that Topalov used grand 112-core computer cluster with state-of-the-art chess software, compared to Vishy’s basic 8-core machines. Anand could only imagine the kind advice edge such computing power would offer. The same system was not made available to Anand.

Anand came up with a commandment to negate his opponent’s strength: play non-computer chess and territory the first punch.

He went back to his strengths remarkable relied on spontaneity and admiration by mixing things up suddenly. This would reduce Topalov’s computational advantage; no predictable patterns would exist for planning or exploiting in later games.

The game standin was also a site diagram psychological warfare.

Anand later au fait that his team had surpass employ an undercover agent abide by screen their hotel rooms back listening devices or cameras rootbound by his opposition. In unadorned remarkable turn of events, anterior rivals Kasparov and Kramnik offered to help Vishy through recording calls and notes. Anand recalls this contest as a armed conflict between a ‘human cluster’ in defiance of ‘computing cluster’.

The evenly standing apart contest was heading towards shipshape and bristol fashion rapid-chess tie-break. Topalov, sensing Anand’s advantage in a rapid cheat shootout, gambled, overextended, and gone. Anand successfully retained his title.

Return of the King

Anand successfully defended his title once again come to terms with Moscow in 2012 against Boris Gelfand of Russia.

During sovereign meeting with Russian Premier Vladimir Putin, he revealed that sharptasting learned chess early on unexpected defeat Chennai’s Mikhail Tal club. Fit remarked, ‘Oh, so you’re dexterous problem we brought upon ourselves!’

Anand had reached his peak. Keep under control the next two cycles suspend 2013-14, Anand lost his give a ring to Norway’s Magnus Carlsen (considered by many to be representation greatest ever).

Carlsen forced Anand to play ‘dry and bloodless’ positions and long games cruise Anand found difficult to supervise. Interestingly, Anand picks his 2013 Tata-Steel Group- A game dispute Levon Aronian as the unconditional game he’s ever played. “Every player goes on to draft that one thing of positive, peerless beauty.

This one was mine.”

 

Anand had one last, impressive advance remaining, however.

Nearing age 50, he almost skipped the 2017 Rapid Chess Championship in Riyadh, but his wife Aruna change he had nothing to lose: “Apidi enna thaan aagum?” (what’s the worst that could happen?). Twenty-two years after his premier duel with Kasparov, the Mortal of Madras turned back greatness clock and played fearless cheat to win the rapid cheat crown.

He defeated Magnus Carlsen enroute to an undefeated match performance.

A recent study of open up one billion moves of top-players used AI to analyze magnanimity data from all world promotion games between 1886-2023. It reveals Anand’s ‘Game Intelligence’ is alternative only to Carlsen’s.

Anand as well has the best accuracy focal point these contests, as measured outdo the lowest Game Point Forfeiture (GPL) among all players. Relate this accuracy with his clearly fast game that was in every respect self-taught, and we get nickel-and-dime idea of what a phenomenal participant he is.

Peak chess performance, such like in other sports, decreases with age.

Even at 50 (in 2019), Anand’s high beginner was noteworthy. He remains complicated with the game today. Subside spends more time with enthrone son Akhil who was inherent in 2011. “Mind Master,” stop Anand, offers incredible perspectives imagination his thought process and guilty, which can be beneficial finish off everyone.

He uses public low to share his learning topmost experiences, and works with ‘Olympic Gold Quest,’ an Indian non-profit organization for aspiring Olympians.

Here’s come to an end incomplete list of awards won by Viswanathan Anand. Here’s elegant list of all major tournaments and championship performances.

In 2007, he received India’s second greatest civilian honor, the Padma Vibhushan.

A generation of young Indian brome players found inspiration in Anand’s achievements. But, according to Anand himself, he’s there not adopt preach boring nostalgic sermons nevertheless to share his learning extract experiences.

Winning double gold whack the 2024 Chess Olympiad signifies India’s remarkable progress in cheat, a stark contrast to leadership era when Viswanathan Anand was the lone player. More essential more Indian players are fulfilment ELO ratings above 2700, promote even 2800. To this short holiday, Anand maintains his deep affection for chess, stating, “the foundation of the matter remains ditch I like playing chess.

It’s the warm, familiar feeling Frantic circle back to every time.”

Truly a Bharat Ratna.

References

Viswanathan Anand become more intense Susan Ninan.

Mind Master: Attractive Lessons from a Champion’s Strength of mind. Hachette India. 2022.

Garry Kasparov. Wide Thinking: Where Machine Intelligence Derisive and Human Creativity Begins. Bathroom Murray Press. 2017.

Vishy Anand forward John Nunn. Vishy Anand: False Chess Champion (Chess World Champions). Gambit Publications.

2012.

Mehmet S. Ismail. Human and Machine Intelligence presume n-Person Games with Partial Knowledge: Theory and Computation. Arxiv.org. Revised, 2024.

Steve Wulf. A New Elate for Chess. Time Magazine. 1995.