India’s own grandmaster

Chennai

Chennai, Nov 1

Viswanathan Anand, 46, a Chess Grandmaster, is a five-time winner of the World Chess Championship. He is one of only two persons to have won the Classical, Rapid, and Blitz world championships and the only one to have won the World Championship, playing in Match, Tournament and Knockout formats.
Learning to play chess at age six from his mother, Anand, at 15, became the youngest Indian to earn the international master’s title.

“Chess has changed a lot in Chennai since the 1980s, when there were only a couple of chess clubs. Today, there are clubs everywhere and schools are having chess in their syllabus,” says Anand, talking exclusively to DT Next. “Chennai has always been aware of the achievements of players like Manuel Aaron and the young Adhiban Baskaran and not mine alone. The city has produced a number of international Grand Masters. I think more schools need to introduce chess,” he adds.

“Chennai is a fabulous city and if you were to ask me, if there was one match that I wish I had played in Chennai, then it would be my 2008 match against Vladimir Kramnik in Bonn. Chennai is the best city and beyond chess, my home town will always be about kaapi, the beach and music,” says Anand.