Viswanathan Anand — “Vishy” to fans everywhere — is the Indian grandmaster who kicked open the door for chess in India. He became the country’s first-ever grandmaster in 1988, then spent the next two decades at the very top of the game as a five-time World Champion. Known as the “Tiger of Madras” (and, in his youth, the “Lightning Kid”), he’s widely rated one of the fastest and most complete players the game has ever seen.
Quick facts
- Full name: Viswanathan Anand · Born: 11 December 1969, Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu, India
- Title: Grandmaster — India’s first, earned in 1988
- Peak rating: 2817 (March 2011) — the 8th-highest peak in history
- World titles: 5× World Champion (FIDE 2000–2002; undisputed 2007–2013), plus 2× World Rapid Champion
- Style: universal and famously fast — one of the greatest rapid players ever
Who is Viswanathan Anand?
Born in Mayiladuthurai in Tamil Nadu in 1969 and raised largely in Chennai (then Madras), Anand learned chess from his mother and rose through the ranks with startling speed. He earned the grandmaster title in 1988 — the first Indian ever to do so — after winning an international tournament in Coimbatore at age 18. In a country where chess had deep roots but no world-class modern stars, Anand became a one-man revolution.
He first won a version of the world crown as FIDE World Champion in 2000, beating Alexei Shirov in the final. But his defining achievement came later: in 2007 he won the World Championship tournament in Mexico City to become the undisputed World Champion, unifying a title that had been split for years. He then defended it in three straight matches — against Vladimir Kramnik (2008), Veselin Topalov (2010), and Boris Gelfand (2012) — before finally losing the crown to a young Magnus Carlsen in 2013.
What is Anand’s playing style?
Anand is a universal player who can handle any structure, but his trademark has always been speed. As a teenager he calculated so fast that opponents nicknamed him the “Lightning Kid,” and that ability made him arguably the greatest rapid chess player of his generation — he won the World Rapid Championship in 2003 and again in 2017, the second time at age 48.
Over his career he evolved from a razor-sharp attacker into a supremely well-rounded champion: deep opening preparation, ruthless tactical vision, and the calm technique to convert. We break it all down in Anand’s playing style.
What openings does Viswanathan Anand play?
With White, Anand is a lifelong 1.e4 player who has leaned on the Ruy Lopez for decades. With Black he’s played some of the sharpest openings in the book — the Sicilian Najdorf in his attacking prime, the Semi-Slav (which powered his 2008 title win), and the rock-solid Petroff Defense when he needed to hold.
See his full repertoire in Anand’s openings.
Career highlights
- 1988: becomes India’s first grandmaster, at age 18.
- 2000: wins the FIDE World Championship, defeating Alexei Shirov in the final.
- 2007: wins the World Championship tournament in Mexico City to become undisputed World Champion.
- 2008: defends the title against Vladimir Kramnik.
- 2010: retains the crown against Veselin Topalov, winning the final game with Black.
- 2011: reaches his peak rating of 2817, the 8th-highest in history.
- 2012: defends again, beating Boris Gelfand in a tie-break.
- 2013 & 2014: loses the title, then a rematch, to Magnus Carlsen.
- 2017: wins the World Rapid Championship at age 48 — a stunning late-career triumph.
The best games
Anand’s masterpieces span attacking brilliancies and clutch championship wins — including a Meran Semi-Slav against Levon Aronian that many call his “immortal” game. We’ve collected the highlights in Viswanathan Anand’s best games.
Fun facts
- His nicknames tell his story: the “Lightning Kid” for his speed as a youngster, and the “Tiger of Madras” for the city that raised him.
- He was the first sportsperson to receive India’s Padma Vibhushan, one of the nation’s highest civilian honors.
- He beat Magnus Carlsen on the way to winning the 2017 World Rapid title — years after losing his classical crown to him.
- He’s fluent in several languages and is famous in the chess world for his warmth, humor, and encyclopedic memory of games.
FAQ
Who is Viswanathan Anand? He’s an Indian grandmaster, his country’s first, and a five-time World Chess Champion. He held the undisputed world title from 2007 to 2013 and is regarded as one of the greatest rapid players in history.
What is Viswanathan Anand’s highest rating? 2817, reached in March 2011 — the 8th-highest peak FIDE rating ever recorded.
How many World Championships did Anand win? Five in total: the FIDE title in 2000, then the undisputed crown in 2007, successfully defended in 2008, 2010, and 2012.
Why is Anand called the “Tiger of Madras”? It’s a nod to Madras (now Chennai), the city where he grew up and learned the game. He’s also nicknamed “Vishy” and the “Lightning Kid.”
When did Anand become a grandmaster? In 1988, at age 18 — making him the first grandmaster in Indian chess history.
Keep exploring
Go deeper into the legend: his best games · his playing style · his opening repertoire · his rating history · fun facts & records · or browse all chess players.
Written and fact-checked by the Chess Lab Academy Editorial Team · Facts verified against Wikipedia, his FIDE profile, and Chess.com, as of July 2026 · Last verified 2026-07-10 · How we verify content.