Born December 11, 1969 · Viswanathan Anand
Viswanathan Anand was India's first grandmaster and the country's first World Chess Champion, a breakthrough that helped spark the wave of elite Indian players — including Gukesh Dommaraju — that followed him. Nicknamed the 'Lightning Kid' early in his career for his speed of play, he remained a world-championship-level force for well over two decades.
Won the unified World Championship title in a 2007 tournament in Mexico City and successfully defended it three times before losing to Magnus Carlsen in 2013.
Anand is known as one of the most universal players of his generation, equally comfortable in sharp tactical melees and quiet positional squeezes, and historically one of the fastest calculators at the top level — a trait that made him especially dangerous in rapid and blitz.
vs. Vladimir Kramnik — World Chess Championship, Bonn, 2008
Anand defeated Kramnik 6½–4½ to unify and defend the World Championship title decisively.