Viswanathan "Vishy" Anand is an Indian chess grandmaster and a former World Chess Champion. Born on December 11, 1969 in Chennai, India, he is considered one of the greatest chess players in the history of the sport.
Anand became India's first grandmaster in 1988 and held the FIDE World Chess Championship from 2000-2002. He became the undisputed World Champion in 2007 and successfully defended his title against Vladimir Kramnik in 2008. He also defended it against Veselin Topalov in 2010 and Boris Gelfand in 2012. However, he lost the title to Magnus Carlsen in 2013 and was unsuccessful in his attempt to regain the title in 2014.
Anand has won the Chess Oscars for the best chess player of the year five times and he was the World Rapid Chess Champion in 2003. Anand was also the FIDE World Rapid Chess Champion in 2017.
In his career, Anand has displayed versatility by excelling in multiple formats of the game, including classical chess, rapid chess, and blitz chess. His contributions to chess in India have also been significant, leading to a heightened interest in the game throughout the country.
Apart from his chess career, Anand has written an autobiographical book titled "Mind Master: Winning Lessons from a Champion’s Life." He is married to Aruna Anand and they have a son together. He has been recognized globally for his chess achievements and has received various awards, including the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India's highest sporting honor, and the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian award.