Vishwanath Anand
- While there are many games to test physical abilities, there are very few to test mental abilities. Chess is one of those few games that require a sharp and focused mind. And the person who made India proud by winning 5 world championships is Vishwanath Anand, the uncrowned king of Indian Chess.
- Chess tests a person’s focus and patience. A player has to have the patience of a photographer who is in the wild to photograph a rare animal. Vishwanath Anand was an embodiment of such patience and dedication.
- Today we have budding talents like Ramesh Praggnanandhaa and Gukesh. But back in the 80’s there weren’t many people to look up to in the field of chess. Vishwanath Anand was the one who made it big in chess and inspired the next generations to take up the game of chess. He won the Grandmaster title in 1988 and is the first person from India to win.
- There are very few chess players who have scored higher than 2800 Elo. Vishwanath Anand is one of those top players.
- He is one of the first players from Tamil Nadu to gain international recognition. The higher he went, the higher Tamil Nadu’s flag flew.
- He received the prestigious Arjuna Award in 1985. In 2001, he was honoured with Padma Bhushan, and in 2008, he was honoured with Padma Vibhushan.
- In 2012, he was chosen as the ‘Indian of the Year’ by CNN. He is the first player from Tamil Nadu to receive this honour.
- Having inspired a number of youngsters with his extraordinary game, it would not be an exaggeration to say that Vishwanath Anand is the God of Chess!