Viswanathan Anand. The History And Legacy Of A True Game Changer

If you have followed the last FIDE Candidates Tournament, you probably already know that the next challenger for the World Championship title will be the young 17-year-old Indian prodigy Dommaraju Gukesh. He, like many other players of the new generation in India, has certainly been greatly influenced by who I suppose to be one of his idols and heroes. I am talking about none other than the great and legendary former World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand.

Now that the series about chess in the countries where I have lived is over, I have spent some time thinking about what I could write that would bring some kind of similar mix between informative content with my own feelings, point of view, and maybe also some general perspectives of other people rather than only myself. At the same time, I didn't want to let the last Candidates Tournament go to waste in my blogs.

So, I thought it would be a well-deserved tribute to write more about the man who changed the balance of power in the world of our beloved game. Although I included Anand in the honorable mentions in one of my first texts, when telling you who my favorite players are, I did not go into detail about what I think of him. Therefore, now is the perfect time to do so with an entire text about not only him but also the people whose lives he changed.

As always, the introduction, which I intended to be brief, ended up being longer than expected, but now I finally invite you to join me in discovering more about this true gentleman, his career, his history, and most importantly, his legacy.

1)      A short biography

Viswanathan Anand was born on December 11, 1969, in Mayiladuthurai, India. He is a former five-time World Chess Champion and two-time Chess World Cup Champion. Anand became the first Grandmaster from India in 1988, at the age of 18, and has the eighth-highest FIDE rating of all time, an impressive 2817, achieved in March 2011. Known for his ability to find crucial moves in complex positions, but also for his creative and innovative style, he has introduced new ideas and strategies to chess, contributing to the evolution of the game and inspiring other players to think outside the box.

Anand began learning chess from his mother when he was six years old and learned the intricacies of the game in Manila, Philippines, where he lived with his parents from 1978 to the early 1980s. His rise in the Indian chess world was meteoric, starting very early when he won the sub-junior championship with 9/9 points in 1983, at the age of 14. A year later he won the Asian Junior Championship in Coimbatore, India. 

Due to his rapid playing speed as a child, Anand earned the nickname "Lightning Kid" during his early career in the 1980s. Since then, he has developed into a universal player and is considered by many to be the greatest rapid chess player of his generation, having won many top-level rapid and blitz events throughout his career.

In 1995, he played Kasparov in the PCA World Chess Championship at the World Trade Center in New York City. After an opening series of eight draws, Anand won the ninth game with a powerful exchange sacrifice, but then lost four of the next five games, losing the match by a score of 10.5 - 7.5. Five years later, Anand defeated Alexei Shirov in a six-game match to win the 2000 FIDE World Chess Championship, a title he held until 2002. In October 2003, FIDE organized the World Rapid Championship in France. Vishy also won this event, ahead of ten of the top 12 players in the world, beating Kramnik in the final.

In April 2006, he became the fourth player in history to pass the 2800 ELO mark on the FIDE rating list. But it was in 2007 that he finally became the undisputed world champion in classical time control after winning an eight-player double round-robin tournament held in Mexico City from September 12th to 30th. After successfully defending his title against Vladimir Kramnik in 2008, Veselin Topalov in 2010, and Boris Gelfand in 2012, he lost the title to challenger Magnus Carlsen in 2013, to whom he also lost a rematch in 2014, after winning the previous Candidates Tournament.

Anand also won the 2017 World Rapid Chess Championship, defeating Vladimir Fedoseev 2-0 in the final tiebreaks. He won this tournament ahead of Magnus Carlsen, which also marked his first victory in a world championship since losing the classical match to the Norwegian.

One of his most famous games, considered his "Immortal Game", was played against Levon Aronian during the 75th Tata Steel Chess Tournament, held in Wijk aan Zee, the Netherlands, in 2013. 

Anand's Immortal Chess Game - Aronian Vs. Anand, 2013

Today, he is still not retired, but picks and chooses which events are worth his presence and does not play as regularly as before. I think that is fair enough because he has nothing else to prove to anyone.

2)      The new generation of Grandmasters

As I wrote in the text specifically about the Candidates Tournament, from my point of view it would be almost like a new title for Anand if an Indian player achieved the greatest honor in the chess world, considering that he is the one who has inspired the youngsters and boosted the sport in his country as perhaps no other sportsman has ever done in any place in history. For this reason, I have placed the three participating Indians among my top four favorites to win the competition.

Though the popularity of chess has been growing rapidly all over the world due to many different factors, it cannot be denied that this phenomenon is greater in India than anywhere else, and I don't think there is any other reasonable explanation as clear as the inspiration that the "Tiger of Madras" was during his heyday and actually until today. His dedication to the game and his success story have motivated many aspiring kids to pursue their dreams and excel in their fields.

There is a clear before and after him when you think about chess in the most populous country on our planet. It went from something completely secluded and limited to a few people to such impressive popularity that made India become the greatest power in the world, surpassing even Russia and the United States at this point, in my opinion.

Some of the players who represent it are the talents and prodigies who not so long ago could only be considered promising players, but today have already become a reality in the world of top-level chess, such as the aforementioned Gukesh, but also Vidit Santosh Gujrathi, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi and Nihal Sarin. My intention is not to tell the whole life story of each of them, but rather to emphasize how Anand certainly inspired them to become professional players and to push themselves to be better every day.

The respect and admiration they have for “Vishy sir” is evident when we listen to their opinions in interviews. In general, there is a sense of pride and happiness in representing India, honoring and continuing his legacy.

"Vishy sir has been a huge inspiration to me, and I have heavily benefited from his academy. I am truly grateful to him and wouldn't have been close to what I am now if it wasn't for him." – Gukesh.

"When I was growing up, Anand sir was a huge inspiration." – Praggnanandhaa.

“It was a really nice feeling to play against a player to whom you look up to. I was in the Indian Top-5 but never got a chance to play against him, so I was thinking that I'm missing out on that experience.” – Vidit Gujrathi.

Surely this wheel will keep turning, and the guys we are watching now are the ones who inspire the next generation that will emerge in the upcoming years, like a snowball that keeps growing as it rolls down the hill, but which would not have gotten any bigger without the initial push from the man in charge of cutting the tallest bushes. It takes a lot for someone to become the first GM and a world champion representing a place with no proper chess culture or infrastructure before him, and Vishy is the man who single-handedly turned a country with no grandmasters into a chess superpower.

3)      His influence among “ordinary people”

Despite being a big fan of Anand, I am not Indian, nor have I lived there to see and feel how big and respected he is in his home country. So, I thought it would be unfair to talk only about my own perspective and decided to do something different this time.

I have asked some of my Indian friends on this site to briefly share their opinions and thoughts about him. I hope this will give you a closer and more honest idea of his status as a legend there. Below I've included some of the testimonials I've received from close friends who, thanks to him, are now our colleagues on the platform: 

“Viswanathan Anand played a major role in shaping my childhood. His mastery of chess not only inspired me to learn the game but also instilled in me a deeper appreciation for strategy and critical thinking. As I watched his matches and victories, I began to understand the importance of perseverance and dedication.

Anand taught me that success doesn't come overnight; it requires continuous effort and a willingness to learn from mistakes. His accomplishments served as a constant reminder that with passion and hard work, anything is possible. He made me believe that I could overcome any challenge with strategy and finesse.

Unfortunately, my attempts to outsmart my opponents with chess tactics resulted in more checkmates than cheese sandwiches.” – Anonymous.

“Viswanathan Anand is serious, but also very funny, known for his wild answers! What makes Vishy one of the greatest is not only the quality of his game but also the impact and eloquence with which he shares his insights. Such a legend!

In 10th grade, during English class, I read a whole chapter about him and learned that he was a 5-time World Champion and the first Grandmaster from India at the age of 18. We think of Kasparov and Carlsen, but Anand is something else. Everyone recognizes that he is one of the most humble and well-spoken chess players ever.

When he became world champion, parents encouraged their children to become chess players, just like in 1983 when India won the Cricket World Cup, and people started following the sport rapidly. Still, I think he doesn't get the recognition and fame he deserves in India like Sachin Tendulkar or Virat Kohli get for cricket.” - @RDX07

“Viswanathan Anand is a chess icon who has inspired generations of players in India. Growing up, I was fascinated by his achievements because we were told that an Indian ruled the chess world and no one could beat him.

Although it is a bit exaggerated, they like to say that to children to support Indian brain supremacy. Anand's success story, from a young prodigy to a world champion, has fueled the passion for chess in many people. But kids don't always envisage this passion due to a lack of proper guidance, ground-level tournaments, culture, and support.

I remember seeing his picture on the cover of a magazine and feeling a sense of pride and connection to Indian culture around the world. Even today, most players want to emulate him. Despite his greatness, Anand's humility and kindness have made him a beloved figure, and I feel fortunate to have grown up watching him play.” - @Aditya_exp

“Vishy Anand epitomizes Indian Chess! His journey to the pinnacle of the world chess scene catalyzed a surge in the game's popularity across India, inspiring countless youngsters to embrace it. When I started playing the game 20 years ago, Anand stood as the towering icon – a status he still holds today.

His influence was massive, and people around me aspired to emulate his prowess. I am sure every kid in India who started out playing chess would have idolized Vishy Anand. As a young child, I keenly followed his matches, fervently rooting for his victories. Yet, as time passed, I came to appreciate not only his unparalleled success on the board, but also his humility and unassuming personality, qualities that endeared him to the entire chess community, including his rivals.

I feel, this really sets him apart from his peers. As a cherished fanboy moment, I had the privilege of obtaining his autograph during a felicitation ceremony following his triumphant 2007 World Championship.” – Anonymous.

“Let's say there is a guy/girl in your city who has made it big in life and has achieved something that seemed so far away before. For everyone else in the city, the dream would no longer feel impossible.

This is precisely the impact that Anand has had on the Indian chess scene. Everyone in India who learns to play chess wants to play like Anand! As more and more people in India became interested in chess, clubs and coaching centers sprang up all over the country, hoping to nurture the next Anand from India.

The impact of all this has led to India currently having around 90 grandmasters. Vishy can proudly say that the seed of the Indian chess revolution was planted by him. But being the gentleman that he is, he would never say that!” – @HangingPieces97

“For me, he is the greatest chess player of all time. Facing Mikhail Tal in 1989, he performed very well and showed his tactics against the Magician. It was a very exciting game between them. Against Garry Kasparov in the 1995 World Championship, Anand saw his mistake in game 9 and came back into the fight very nicely. Anyway, he has defeated many strong players in his career.

He is a gift from God for his mother, who is also a talented chess player. I hope the new generations will also become great players like Anand. I would appreciate it if names like Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, and Arjun, three youngsters who can also be future World Champions, break his record. 

Personally, I love his middle-games and openings, and my favorite games of his are against Anatoly Karpov. When Carlsen defeated Anand, it was a sad day for all Indians, but he is still a legend.” – @Amansinha3007

As you can see, we are talking about someone who is not just famous or recognized but actually idolized, and who serves as an inspiration to many people both on and off the board, making his country and the world a better place. I would like to thank my friends again for their contributions and hope that this idea of bringing other people's opinions into my blog will be well received.

4)      My personal opinion

Personally, I can say that it was a very hard and painful decision not to include him in the list of my top 5 favorite players because the respect and admiration I have for Viswanathan Anand is so great that sometimes I even think about rewriting that text. Apart from the level of chess played, which in his case does not need to be discussed any further, what really makes me appreciate him is the politeness and kindness he always shows to his opponents, media, or fans.

In such a competitive environment as the chess world is at its highest level, it is very rare and hard to find someone who can be so great and act like a true gentleman all the time. Anand is a beautiful example of how we can be ruthless and brave on the board during a game without losing any class and elegance once the battle is over. Maybe even the fact that my competitive spirit sometimes speaks louder than any kindness makes me admire him for being able to do what I sometimes can't, even considering that I play at a much lower level and in much less important games.

A friend of mine told me a story about Anand in which he was once traveling in a train in India and took it with great sportsmanship when he heard something, shall we say, embarrassing from an unknown man who did not recognize him. Below I have left a link to the video where Anand himself tells this story.

Man on Train told Young Vishy - "You can't make Living Playing Chess Unless...”

But for me what makes him so special is exactly the reason why I decided to write this text in the first place. The way he has encouraged people to play chess in the most populous country in the world has brought the popularity of the game I love to an incredible stage that could never have been imagined before him. I know that the pandemic, the Netflix series, and many other factors have contributed to the growth of chess, but I think that the one man who spread it in a place with so much potential and so many people like India has certainly played a huge role and transformed the chess world to what it is today.

India is now one of the most powerful chess countries, at least in terms of the number of high-level elite players, and this whole scenario was only possible because of him. That is why I would say that along with Bobby Fischer, Anand is the player who has made the greatest contribution to chess in history. I am not talking about the level of the game, nor about his achievements on the board, where he is slightly behind names like Kasparov, Karpov, or Carlsen. But certainly, I would say that he is greater than them in terms of legacy, history, and, above all, transformation.

If you have read this far, thank you very much for your patience and attention! Please share in the comments section below what you think about Viswanathan Anand, what else can be said about him that I may have forgotten, and let me know if you agree that he is at least among the top 10 in chess history or if I should call the hospice and have you admitted immediately.