How Viswanathan Anand became the Indian Grandmaster of Chess?

Chess! One of the favorite and common pastimes of most of us. Nobody had given a thought of becoming a chess champion, when Viswanathan Anand emerged as the ace of the game. Winning a championship in various national and international chess tournaments was not a miracle for him, but it was his years of hard work and blessings of his parents.

Now, you must be thinking about the role of his parents in his success. Let’s have a look.

Childhood:

Viswanathan Anand was born and brought up in Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu on 11 December 1969 and later moved to Chennai with his family.

A popular family background and genetic talent were not the factors that helped him in becoming a champion, instead he was blessed to General Manager of Southern Railways; Viswanathan Iyer and a housewife; Susheela. A little support, guidance and knowledge of playing chess is all that he gained from his family.

Training:

Apart from his other hobbies of reading, swimming and listening to music, Anand was just 6 years old, when he showed traits of his excellence in the game. His mother was a chess aficionado who taught him to play. This was not the only role of his mother, but there were some more exercises that his mother used to do with him.

A few of them are as follows:

● She used to help him solve chess puzzles whenever he found them difficult.

● Anand was told by his mother to maintain a diary to make record of his performances.

● His mother’s tips worked for him to study and analyze the moves. Ultimately, he started recognizing his strength and weaknesses.

● She assisted him to boost his speed of playing along with beating the opponent.

This is how, his mother made him to work hard to overcome his glitches and errors. Later, when his parents spotted his talent, they sent him to Philippines for professional training.

After one year of training, he came back to India and chose chess as his career. Slowly and gradually, he earned numerous of championships and became the youngest national chess champion of India.

Career: Then and Now

● At the age of 14, he achieved his first success and following it, at the age of 15, he was the youngest who was honored with the title of International Master of chess.

● He became the National Chess Champion at the age of 16 and a year later he became the first Indian to win World Junior Chess Championship.

● In 1988, he turned 18 when he was awarded with the title of India’s first grandmaster and Padma Shri Award.

● Till date, we all know him for winning many national and international awards.

Akin to various legends, Viswanathan Anand also faced many challenges in his career. However, a valuable support from his family made him to become world’s popular chess champion.

With their  encouragement and their decision of sending him for professional training, we all are having an Indian chess grandmaster in the form of Viswanathan Anand.

A lesson from his success:

Viswanathan Anand is well known as ‘Tiger of Madras’ because of his incredible achievements in the world of chess. He started giving spark to his career since childhood with the help of his mother.

So, it’s an inspiration for all of us that teaching a skill to a kid, no matter, it is music, game or dance; can help him/her to become world champion like Viswanathan Anand. He acquired numerous of awards which no Indian had never acquired before. Similar can happen to you and your kid, if a right training and resources are given at the right age.

Viswanathan Anand – Who Never Stopped

Although, Viswanathan successfully attained numerous of incredible achievements, he didn’t stopped looking forward for bagging some more. Being 46 years old, Chess Master, Anand says, “I don’t see any reason why I should think about retirement now”, “My plan is to first look at tournaments and participate in grand chess tour that will take me to Brussels, St. Louis, London and other big cities.”, “I would definitely like to qualify for the next Candidates Chess which is roughly scheduled in March 2018. However, I will start only next year when the rating clock starts”.

India really wants never stopping champions like him who can bring more laurels to the country and assist children to be like him.