Viswanathan Anand: Difference between revisions

| birth_place        = [[Chennai, Tamil Nadu]], India

| awards            = [[Padma Vibhushan]], [[Padma Bhushan]] (2001), [[Padma Shri]]

Anand is a five-time world chess champion.<ref>{{Cite web|title=V. Anand|url=https://www.chessgames.com/player/viswanathan_anand.html|website=Chess games}}</ref> He defeated [[Alexei Shirov]] in a six-game match to win the [[FIDE World Chess Championship 2000|2000 FIDE World Chess Championship]], a title he held until 2002. He became the [[World Chess Championship 2007|undisputed world champion]] in 2007, and defended his title against [[Vladimir Kramnik]] in [[World Chess Championship 2008|2008]], [[Veselin Topalov]] in [[World Chess Championship 2010|2010]], and [[Boris Gelfand]] in [[World Chess Championship 2012|2012]].<ref>[http://moscow2012.fide.com As of May, 2012&nbsp;– Official FIDE World Championship 2012 site] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531020848/http://moscow2012.fide.com/ |date=31 May 2012 }}. FIDE. Retrieved on 31 May 2012.</ref> In [[World Chess Championship 2013|2013]], he lost the title to challenger [[Magnus Carlsen]], and he lost a rematch to Carlsen in [[World Chess Championship 2014|2014]] after winning the 2014 [[Candidates Tournament 2014|Candidates Tournament]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.chessvibes.com/candidates%E2%80%99-r13-anand-draws-clinches-rematch-with-carlsen |title=Candidates' R13: Anand Draws, Clinches Rematch with Carlsen |access-date=14 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150111220728/http://www.chessvibes.com/candidates%E2%80%99-r13-anand-draws-clinches-rematch-with-carlsen |archive-date=11 January 2015 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>

In April 2006, Anand became the fourth player in history to pass the 2800 [[Elo rating system|Elo mark]] on the [[FIDE]] rating list, after Kramnik, Topalov, and [[Garry Kasparov]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chess-db.com/public/top100alltime.jsp|title=All time Top 100 Ranklist by Highest ELO Rating|website=chess-db.com|access-date=18 July 2015}}</ref> He occupied the [[List of FIDE chess world number ones|number one position]] for 21 months, the sixth-longest period on record.

Known for his rapid playing speed as a child, Anand earned the sobriquet "Lightning Kid"<ref>https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/viswanathan-anand-the-lightning-kid/story-Yz7RlhmPIec7KwAHo3BICO.html</ref><ref>https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/cover-story/story/20080421-lightning-kid-735953-2008-04-10</ref> during his early career in the 1980s. He has since developed into a universal player, and many consider him the greatest rapid chess player of his generation.<ref name="Anand world's best rapid chess player: Salgaocar">{{cite news| url=https://www.outlookindia.com/newswire/story/anand-worlds-best-rapid-chess-player-salgaocar/408342 |title=Outlook India: Anand world's best rapid chess player |work=Outlook India|date=21 August 2006 |access-date=19 January 2020 |location=Panaji, India}}</ref><ref name="Viswanathan Anand – Keynote Speaker">{{cite news| url=https://londonspeakerbureau.com/us/speaker-profile/viswanathan-anand/ |title=London Speaker Bureau: Viswanathan Anand's biography|work=London Speakers Bureau|date=5 November 2012 |access-date=19 January 2020 |location=London, England}}</ref> He won the FIDE [[World Rapid Chess Championship]] in 2003 and 2017,<ref name="Viswanathan Anand wins World Rapid Chess Championship">{{cite news| url=https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/viswanathan-anand-wins-world-rapid-chess-championship-5003271/ |title=Viswanathan Anand wins World Rapid Chess Championship; watch his crowning moment|work= The Indian Express |date=29 December 2017 |location=Riyadh, Saudi Arabia}}</ref> the [[World Blitz Chess Championship#2000 World Blitz Cup|World Blitz Cup]] in 2000,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chess-mate.com/warsaw.htm |title=Vishy Anand Strikes At Warsaw: Rapid King Also Blitz King|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010424165718/http://www.chess-mate.com/warsaw.htm|archive-date=24 April 2001}}</ref> and numerous other top-level rapid and blitz events.

Anand was the first recipient of the [[Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna]] Award in 1991–92, India's highest sporting honour. In 2007, he was awarded India's second highest civilian award, the [[Padma Vibhushan]], making him the first sportsperson to receive the award.<ref name="Anand ambassador of WWF India ">{{cite news| url=https://en.chessbase.com/post/anand-ambassador-of-wwf-india |title=Anand ambassador of WWF India |work=ChessBase India |date=21 April 2020}}</ref>

Viswanathan Anand was born on 11 December 1969 in [[Chennai]], [[Tamil Nadu]], India,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.chessbase.com/post/vishy-anand-che-is-like-acting- |title=Vishy Anand: 'Chess is like acting' |website=[[ChessBase]] |access-date=1 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/viswanathan-anand-who-is-he/1/198415.html |title=Viswanathan Anand: Who is he? |website=[[India Today]] |access-date=1 December 2014}}</ref> where he grew up.<ref name="Anand Inspires mind champions">{{cite news| url=http://www.hindu.com/2007/12/22/stories/2007122256681900.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071224201400/http://www.hindu.com/2007/12/22/stories/2007122256681900.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date=24 December 2007 |title=Sport : Anand inspires mind champions |date=22 December 2007 |access-date=31 May 2010 | work=[[The Hindu]] |location=Chennai, India}}</ref> His father, Krishnamurthy Viswanathan, a retired general manager of Southern Railways, had studied in [[Jamalpur, Bihar]], and his mother, Sushila, was a housewife, chess aficionado and an influential socialite.<ref>{{cite web|title=Super mom who shaped Anand's career no more|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Super-mom-who-shaped-Anands-career-no-more/articleshow/47450780.cms|work=[[The Times of India]] |first=Susan |last=Ninan |date=28 May 2015 |access-date=7 November 2018}}</ref>

Anand is the youngest of three children. He is 11 years younger than his sister and 13 years younger than his brother. His brother, Shivakumar, is a manager at [[Crompton Greaves]] in India. His sister, Anuradha, is a professor at the [[University of Michigan]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nilacharal.com/enter/celeb/vishy.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030817053646/http://www.nilacharal.com/enter/celeb/vishy.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 August 2003 |title=A Tamil entertainment ezine presenting interesting contents and useful services |website=Nilacharal |date=11 December 1969 |access-date=31 May 2010}}</ref><ref>[http://www.the-south-asian.com/March2002/Chess-Vishwanathan_Anand1.htm ] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070822011817/http://www.the-south-asian.com/March2002/Chess-Vishwanathan_Anand1.htm |date=22 August 2007 }}</ref>

Anand started learning chess from age six from his mother, but learned the intricacies of the game in [[Manila]] where he lived with his parents from 1978 through the '80s while his father was contracted as a consultant by the Philippine National Railways.<ref name="interview">{{cite web|title=Long Story Short with Leslie Wilcox: Viswanathan Anand |url=https://www.pbshawaii.org/long-story-short-with-leslie-wilcox-viswanathan-anand/|website=[[PBS Hawai‘i]]}}</ref>

Anand was educated at [[Don Bosco Matriculation Higher Secondary School]],<ref>{{cite news|last=Muthalaly|first=Susan|title=Don Bosco 'boys' reminisce about their good old days|url=http://www.hindu.com/2007/05/25/stories/2007052502690200.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070527141754/http://www.hindu.com/2007/05/25/stories/2007052502690200.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=27 May 2007|access-date=1 June 2012|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=25 May 2007|location=Chennai, India}}</ref> [[Egmore]], [[Chennai]], and has a [[Bachelor of Commerce]] from [[Loyola College, Chennai]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Vishwanathan Anand: The King of 64 Squares|url=http://news.in.msn.com/National/independenceday09/article.aspx?cp-documentid=3131565&page=2|website=[[MSN]] |access-date=2 June 2012|date=12 August 2009}}</ref>

Anand is a Hindu and has stated that he visits temples to enjoy the tranquility and joy they symbolize.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://en.chessbase.com/post/anand-number-one-in-the-news/584 |title =Anand number one in the news|date=4 April 2021 }}</ref> He has credited his daily prayers with helping him achieve a "heightened state of mind" that helps him focus better when playing chess.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://en.chessbase.com/post/anand-number-one-in-the-news/584 |title =Anand number one in the news|date=4 April 2021 }}</ref>

In August 2010, Anand joined the board of directors of [[Olympic Gold Quest]], a foundation for promoting and supporting India's elite sportspersons and potential young talent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=6592 |title=Chess News&nbsp;– NYT: India swoons over its chess champ |website=ChessBase |access-date=11 November 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/Vishwanathan-Anand-joins-Olympic-Gold-Quest/Article1-583158.aspx |title=Vishwanathan Anand joins Olympic Gold Quest |work=[[Hindustan Times]] |date=6 August 2010 |access-date=11 November 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://sports.rediff.com/report/2010/aug/07/anand-joins-board-of-olympic-gold-quest.htm |title=Anand joins board of Olympic Gold Quest |website=[[Rediff.com]] |date=7 August 2010 |access-date=11 November 2010}}</ref> On 24 December 2010, he was the guest of honour on the grounds of [[Gujarat University]], where 20,486 players created a new world record of simultaneous chess play at a single venue.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.indiavoice.info/2010/12/ahmedabad-in-guinness-for-new-chess.html |title=Anand at Ahmedabad for Chess world record |website=IndiaVoice |date=25 December 2010 |access-date=25 December 2010}}</ref>

Anand has been regarded as an unassuming person with a reputation for refraining from political and psychological ploys and instead focusing on his game.<ref name="niceguy"/> This has made him a well-liked figure throughout the chess world for two decades, evidenced by the fact that Kasparov, Kramnik, and Carlsen, all of whom were rivals for the world championship during Anand's career, each aided him in his preparations for the [[World Chess Championship 2010|2010 World Chess Championship]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=6346 |title=Chess News&nbsp;– Anand in Playchess&nbsp;– the helpers in Sofia |access-date=19 May 2010 |date=19 May 2010 |website=ChessBase}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-05-20/chess/28298541_1_vladimir-kramnik-anand-topalov-rustam-kasimdzhanov|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811065828/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-05-20/chess/28298541_1_vladimir-kramnik-anand-topalov-rustam-kasimdzhanov|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 August 2011|title=Kasparov, Kramnik came to Viswanathan Anand's aid|date=20 May 2010|work=[[The Times of India]]|access-date=21 October 2010}}</ref> Anand is sometimes known as the "Tiger of Madras".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/3282237/Chess-world-title-Viswanathan-Anand-beats-Vladimir-Kramnik.html |title=Chess world title: Viswanathan Anand beats Vladimir Kramnik |last=Moore |first=Matthew |date=30 October 2008 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |access-date=6 July 2010 |location=London}}</ref>

Anand was denied an honorary doctorate from [[University of Hyderabad]] because of confusion over his citizenship status; India's [[Minister of Human Resource Development (India)|Minister of Human Resource Development]] [[Kapil Sibal]] later apologised and said, "There is no issue on the matter as Anand has agreed to accept the degree at a convenient time depending on his availability".<ref>{{cite web|author=<!--Updated 1136 hrs 3 February 2010(+5:30 GMT)--> |url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/citizenship-row-sibal-apologises-to-anand/129498-5-23.html?from=tn |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100825183600/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/citizenship-row-sibal-apologises-to-anand/129498-5-23.html?from=tn |url-status=dead |archive-date=25 August 2010 |title=Citizenship row: Sibal apologises to Anand |website=Ibnlive.in.com |date=3 February 2010 |access-date=11 November 2010}}</ref> According to ''The Hindu'', Anand finally declined to accept the doctorate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article591737.ece?homepage=true|title=Anand refuses to accept honorary doctorate|first=M. Rajeev, V.V.|last=Subrahmanyam}}</ref>

On April 15, 2021, Anand's father died at the age of 92.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/chess/viswanathan-anands-father-dies-7274546/|title=Viswanathan Anand’s father dies}}</ref>  

Anand is sponsored by [[NIIT]]<ref>http://www.tnq.in/anand-niit.html</ref> and [[:ms:InstaForex|Instaforex]].<ref>https://www.instaforex.com/viswanathan_anand</ref>

Anand's rise in the Indian chess world was meteoric. National success came early for him when he won the sub-junior championship with a score of 9/9 points in 1983, at age 14. In 1984 Anand won the [[Asian Junior Chess Championship|Asian Junior Championship]] in [[Coimbatore]], earning an [[International Master]] (IM) [[Norm (chess)|norm]] in the process. Soon afterward, he participated in the [[26th Chess Olympiad]], in [[Thessaloniki]], where he made his debut on the Indian national team. There, Anand scored 7½ points in 11 games, gaining his second IM norm.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://en.chessbase.com/post/vishy-anand-a-passionate-portrait-part-three|title=Vishy Anand: a passionate portrait - part three|last=Priyadarshan Banjan|date=19 February 2015|website=Chess News|publisher=ChessBase|access-date=3 November 2019}}</ref> In 1985 he became the youngest Indian to achieve the title of International Master, at age 15, by winning the Asian Junior Championship for the second year in a row, this time in [[Hong Kong]].<ref>{{cite web|author1=Priyadarshan Banjan|title=Vishy Anand: a passionate portrait (2)|url=http://en.chessbase.com/post/vishy-anand-a-passionate-portrait-2|website=ChessBase|access-date=9 November 2015|date=27 December 2014}}</ref> At age 16, he became the [[Indian Chess Championship|national chess champion]]. He won that title two more times. He played games at [[blitz chess|blitz]] speed. In 1987, he became the first Indian to win the [[World Junior Chess Championship]]. In 1988, at age 18, he became India's first grandmaster by winning the Shakti Finance International chess tournament held in [[Coimbatore]], India. He was awarded [[Padma Shri]] at age 18.

Anand's collection ''My Best Games of Chess'' was published in 1998 and updated in 2001. His tournament successes include the [[Corus chess tournament]] in 2006 (tied with Topalov), [[Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meeting|Dortmund]] in 2004, and [[Linares chess tournament|Linares]] in 2007 and 2008. He has won the annual [[Melody Amber]] tournament [[Blindfold chess|Blindfold]] and [[Fast chess|Rapid Chess]] Championships in years 1994, 1997, 2003, 2005, and 2006. He is the first player to have won five titles of the Corus chess tournament, succeeded by Carlsen. He is also the only player to win the blind and rapid sections of the Amber tournament in the same year (twice, in 1997 and 2005). He is the first player to have won each of the three big chess supertournaments: Corus (1989, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2006), Linares (1998, 2007, 2008), and Dortmund (1996, 2000, 2004). In 2007 he won the Grenkeleasing Rapid championship for the tenth time, defeating [[Levon Aronian]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=4061|title=Mainz 2007&nbsp;– Anand wins Rapid Final|last=Fischer|first=Johannes|date=20 August 2007|website=ChessBase|access-date=13 October 2011}}</ref> Just a few days before, Aronian had defeated Anand in the [[Chess960]] final.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=4056|title=Mainz 2007&nbsp;– Aronian wins Chess960 world championship|date=17 August 2007|website=ChessBase|access-date=13 October 2011}}</ref>

In 1993, the newly formed [[Professional Chess Association]] (PCA) held a 54-player, 11-round [[Swiss system tournament|Swiss-style]] qualifying tournament in [[Groningen]] on 19–30 December, an equivalent of FIDE's [[Interzonal]]. Anand scored 7½/11 to finish tied for first and secure a berth in the [[Classical World Chess Championship 1995|1994 Candidates' Tournament]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.chessfocus.com/tournament-results/1993-groningen-pca-qualifier |title=1993 Groningen PCA Qualifier chess results}}</ref> In the [[single-elimination tournament]], Anand handily dispatched Adams and [[Oleg Romanishin]] in the quarterfinal and semifinal matches, held in [[New York City]] and [[Linares, Jaén|Linares]]. Facing Kamsky in a 12-game final match held at [[Las Palmas]], Anand lost Game 1 on time in a winning position, but recovered with wins in Game 3, 9, and 11 to secure a 6½–4½ victory and a match against reigning champion Kasparov for the world chess championship.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.mark-weeks.com/chess/9496pcix.htm |title=Candidates Matches: 1994-1995 cycle}}</ref> It was the first Candidates' Tournament victory of Anand's career.

The 20-game championship match was held from 10 September to 16 October 1995 on the 107th floor of the [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center]] in [[New York City]]. The match started with a then-record eight consecutive draws before Anand broke open the match in Game 9, pressing and eventually breaking through Kasparov's Sicilian Defense with a powerful exchange sacrifice. But Anand scored just half a point in the next five games, losing twice to Kasparov's [[Sicilian Defense, Dragon Variation|Sicilian Dragon]] defense, and eventually conceded a 10½–7½ loss.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/10/03/nyregion/kasparov-steamrollers-a-lackluster-anand.html |title=The New York Times: Lasparov Steamrolls a Lackluster Anand}}</ref> Afterwards, Kasparov commented on Anand's psychological approach to the match:

{{Quote|Anand lost the match in five games, Games 10 to 14. I lost many games in a row to Karpov in the first match I played with him, but I don't think he was that much better. It was a great experience for me. Anand wasn't paying enough attention with his team to the fact that he was playing the World Championship. He has never played such a strong opponent for such a long event. You can't compare his match with Kamsky in April to the match we have played here... I'm criticizing the strategy. He could have played without a fixed strategy and adjusted during the match. The chess preparation was excellent, but there was some psychological advice not appropriate<ref>{{cite news|url=http://theweekinchess.com/html/twic53.html |title=The Week In Chess 53}}</ref>}}

As a result of Kasparov's withdrawal, Anand entered the tournament in [[Groningen]], Netherlands as the #1 seed. After dispatching future FIDE champion [[Alexander Khalifman]] in the third round, he scored quick victories over [[Zoltan Almasi]], [[Alexei Shirov]], and [[Boris Gelfand]] to advance. In the final against ninth-seeded Michael Adams, held on 30 December, both players drew their first four games. A visibly tired Anand,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://theweekinchess.com/html/twic164.html#2) |title=The Week In Chess 164}}</ref> having played 21 games in 23 days, eventually prevailed in a [[Armageddon (chess)|sudden-death]] blitz game to secure a 3–2 victory.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://theweekinchess.com/html/twic165.html#2)) |title=The Week In Chess 165}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media | date=13 January 2007 | title=V. Anand - M. Adams (FIDE Wch KO) 1997 | medium=Video | location=Groningen | url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3jIi2dNONw | publisher=YouTube}}</ref>

{{Quote|It was almost as if I had been asked to run a 100-metre sprint after completing a cross-country marathon... Karpov waited for the corpse of his challenger to be delivered in a coffin. If anybody else other than Karpov wins, it's a world championship. Otherwise, it's not.<ref name="outlookindia.com">{{cite news|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/castle-in-the-air/204902 |title=[Outlook India] Castle In The Air? Twice against the Super-Ks, Anand has faltered at the summit}}</ref>}}

From 25 November to 27 December 2000, the FIDE World Chess Championship was a 100-player single-elimination tournament in [[New Delhi]], India and [[Tehran]], Iran. After winning the [[Chess World Cup 2000|2000 FIDE World Cup]], Anand entered the event as the #1 overall seed and one of the favourites to win alongside Topalov, Gelfand, and Shirov.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-miscellaneous/tp-others/anand-has-the-edge/article28056581.ece |title=Anand has the edge |newspaper=[[The Hindu]] |date=17 December 2000}}</ref> Anand decided to join the event after skipping the [[FIDE World Chess Championship 1999|1999 edition]], due to ongoing negotiations for a title match with Kasparov that ultimately fell through.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://theweekinchess.com/html/twic254.html#3 |title=The Week In Chess: Anand-Kasparov Match not this year}}</ref> Kasparov and Kramnik, who defeated Kasparov in a match for the [[Classical World Chess Championship 2000|lineal world title]] earlier in the year, did not participate in the event. Anand's second and preparation partner for the tournament was Spanish grandmaster [[Elizbar Ubilava]].

The final match, played from 20 to 26 December 2000 in Tehran, pitted Anand against fourth-seeded Shirov, who was denied a chance to play Kasparov for the world title two years earlier. After a draw in Game 1, Anand entered a sharp line in the [[Ruy Lopez]] in Game 2, ultimately converting a passed pawn into a winning endgame after placing Shirov in [[zugzwang]] on the move 41. Anand then seized control of the match with a 41-move win in Game 3 after neutralizing a rook sacrifice by Shirov on move 19,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hindu.com/2000/12/23/stories/07230202.htm |title=Anand moves closer to title with a win |newspaper=[[The Hindu]] |date=22 December 2000|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040816121944/http://www.hindu.com/2000/12/23/stories/07230202.htm |archive-date=16 August 2004 }}</ref> and sealed victory in the match with another win in Game 4.<ref name="theweekinchess.com">{{cite news|url=http://theweekinchess.com/html/twic320.html#2 |title=The Week In Chess 320: Viswanathan Anand wins FIDE Championship}}</ref>

{{Quote|The tiebreaker against Khalifman was more thrilling, because this was in the knockout stage. There was a stage when I felt that I was on the verge of being eliminated. We played a series of games one after another. It was touch and go. I could not prepare myself before every game in Delhi because I did not know who was going to be my opponent the next day. So I would prepare for a general game. But I knew that in the final I was playing against Shirov. I knew that he had not been playing well. If he had won six games, he had lost eight. So I knew if I could put him under pressure he would make mistakes. And that is what I did.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rediff.com/sports/2000/dec/29anan.htm |title=[The Hindu] This is the real World title: Anand}}</ref>}}

After a Round 1 draw, Anand drew first blood in the tournament, handily defeating Aronian with black in Round 2.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://en.chessbase.com/post/mexico-r02-anand-draws-first-blood-kramnik-beats-morozevich/8 |title=Anand draws first blood, Kramnik beats Morozevich |newspaper=[[ChessBase]] |date=14 September 2007}}</ref> After the fourth round, Anand and Kramnik were tied for the lead with 2½ each.<ref name="The Week In Chess 671: Mexico City"/> But in the next three rounds, Anand separated himself from the pack with wins over [[Peter Svidler]] and [[Alexander Grischuk]], taking the lead.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://theweekinchess.com/html/twic672.html#2 |title=The Week In Chess 672: Mexico City World Chess Championship}}</ref> He then held Kramnik to a draw in Round 10, and extended his lead to 1½ points with a 56-move win over [[Alexander Morozevich]]. In Round 13, Anand played precise defense and salvaged a lost rook endgame against Grischuk with black to retain his lead,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://en.chessbase.com/post/mexico-r13-leko-wins-anand-squeaks-by-to-retain-lead/1 |title=Leko wins, Anand squeaks by to retain lead |newspaper=[[ChessBase]] |date=29 September 2007}}</ref> and sealed the championship in the final round with a 20-move draw against [[Peter Leko]]. Anand's performance in Mexico City saw him pick up four wins and 10 draws, and he finished as the only undefeated player in the tournament with a 2848 performance rating.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://theweekinchess.com/html/twic673.html#2 |title=The Week In Chess 673: Mexico City World Chess Championship}}</ref> This was his second world chess championship, and first since the reunification of the title in 2006. As a result, he gained nine rating points to break the 2800 [[Elo rating]] barrier for the second time in his career in October 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/other/sport/article30193249.ece|title=King Anand |newspaper=[[The Hindu]] |date=19 October 2007}}</ref> In the post-event press conference, Anand commented on his final game and his feelings on winning the tournament:

{{Quote|This time there is no rival claimant, so obviously it is a fantastic feeling. You can imagine how I feel. This is something very special for me. I feel that here I played the best. You have to perform at the right moment-it's important that I peaked here. This tournament went like a dream... Yesterday I had to work really hard but today I just remembered Tal's saying that when your hand plays one way and your heart plays another, it never goes well. So I decided to be very solid and just go for the draw.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.uschess.org/content/view/7916/381 |title=[USCF] Anand World Champion}}</ref>}}

Of Anand's win, Kasparov said, "A great result for Anand and for chess. Vishy deserved the win in every way and I'm very happy for him. It will not be easy for the younger generation to push him aside... Anand out-prepared Kramnik completely. In this way it reminded me of my match with Kramnik in London 2000. Like I was then, Kramnik may have been very well prepared for this match, but we never saw it."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1081031/jsp/sports/story_10040725.jsp |title=Garri: He deserved the win |work=[[The Telegraph (Calcutta)|The Telegraph]] |location=Kolkata, India |date=31 October 2008 |access-date=31 May 2010}}</ref> In 2010 Anand donated his gold medal to the charitable organisation [[Rahul Bose|The Foundation]] to be auctioned off for the benefit of underprivileged children.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/top-sportspersons-to-donate-memorablia/story-YVshFn7m6sH2Gu9ibj4PTN.html |title=Top sportspersons to donate memorablia |work=Hindustan Times |date=3 October 2010 |access-date=31 July 2016}}</ref>

The match consisted of 12 games. In Game 1, Topalov defeated Anand in 30 moves with a very sharp attack that broke through Anand's [[Grunfeld Defence]]. It was revealed afterwards that Topalov had found the line during his opening preparation with the help of a powerful supercomputer loaned to him by Bulgaria's Defense Department.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://worldchess.com/2016/10/14/the-greatest-world-championships-anand-vs-topalov-2010/ |title=The Greatest World Championships: Anand vs. Topalov, 2010 |website=worldchess.com |date=10 November 2016 |access-date=11 November 2016}}</ref> Anand quickly responded with a win in Game 2, employing a novelty out of the [[Catalan Opening]] that was not easily recognized by computers at the time (15. Qa3!?, followed by 16. bxa3!). Anand won with the Catalan again in Game 4, only to drop Game 8 and leave the score level once again.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://worldchess.com/2016/10/24/history-of-the-world-ch-part-xii-anand-reigns-supreme/ |title=History of the World Ch., Part XII: Anand Reigns Supreme |website=worldchess.com |date=10 November 2016 |access-date=11 November 2016}}</ref> After 11 games the score was tied at 5½–5½. Anand won game 12 on the Black side of a [[Queen's Gambit Declined]] to win the game and the match. Topalov chose to accept a pawn sacrifice by Anand, hoping to force a result and avoid a rapid chess tiebreak round. But after Topalov's dubious 31st and 32nd moves, Anand used the sacrifice to obtain a strong attack against Topalov's relatively exposed king. Topalov subsequently [[resign (chess)|resigned]], allowing Anand to retain the world championship.{{cn|date=July 2021}}

Anand won the double round-robin FIDE Candidates tournament at [[Khanty-Mansiysk]] (13–30 March) and earned a rematch with Carlsen. He went through the tournament undefeated, winning his first-round game against Aronian, his third-round game against [[Shakhriyar Mamedyarov]], and his ninth-round game against Topalov.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chessvibes.com/candidates%E2%80%99-r14-karjakin-second-after-beating-aronian-anand-undefeated|title=Candidates' R14: Karjakin Second and After Beating Aronian, Anand Undefeated|website=Chessvibes|date=30 March 2014|access-date=30 March 2014}}</ref> He drew all his other games, including his 12th-round game against [[Dmitry Andreikin]], where Anand agreed to a draw in a complex but winning position.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://en.chessbase.com/post/candidates-rd12-time-is-running-out|title=Candidates Rd12: Time is running out|website=ChessBase|date=27 March 2014|access-date=30 March 2014}}</ref> He faced Carlsen in the world championship match in Sochi, Russia, in November.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fide.com/calendar.html|title=FIDE Calendar 2014|website=FIDE|access-date=30 March 2014}}</ref> Carlsen won the match 6.5 to 4.5 after 11 of 12 scheduled games.

In October 2003, the governing body of chess, [[FIDE]], organised a rapid time control tournament in [[Cap d'Agde]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fide.com/component/content/article/4-tournaments/2696-1187-anand-is-world-rapid-chess-champion |title=Anand is World Rapid Chess Champion |website=FIDE |date=31 October 2003 |access-date=31 May 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=1276 |title=Chess News&nbsp;– World Champion Vishy Anand! |website=ChessBase |date=30 October 2003 |access-date=31 May 2010}}</ref> and billed it as the [[World Rapid Chess Championship]]. Each player had 25 minutes at the start of the game, with an additional ten seconds after each move. Anand won this event ahead of ten of the top 12 players in the world, beating Kramnik in the final. His main recent titles in this category are at Corsica (six years in a row from 1999 through 2005), Chess Classic (nine years in a row from 2000 through 2008), Leon 2005, Eurotel 2002, Fujitsu Giants 2002 and the [[Melody Amber]] (five times, and he won the rapid portion of Melody Amber seven times). In the [[Melody Amber]] 2007, Anand did not lose a single game in the rapid section, and scored 8½/11, two more than the runners-up, for a [[Performance rating (chess)|performance rating]] in the rapid section of 2939.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=3766 |title=Chess News&nbsp;– Blindfold king Kramnik wins 16th Amber Tournament |website=ChessBase |date=30 March 2007 |access-date=1 June 2012}}</ref> In most tournament time control games that Anand plays, he has more time left than his opponent at the end of the game. He lost on time in one game, to Kamsky. Otherwise, he took advantage of the rule allowing players in time trouble to use dashes instead of move notation during the last four minutes only once, against [[Peter Svidler]] at the MTel Masters 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=3121 |title=Chess News&nbsp;– MTel R9: Topalov on top after victory over Kamsky |website=ChessBase |access-date=1 June 2012}}</ref>

Anand won the 2017 [[World Rapid Chess Championship]], defeating [[Vladimir Fedoseev]] 2–0 in the final tiebreak after he, Fedoseev and [[Ian Nepomniachtchi]] tied for first with 10.5/15 points.<ref name="thehindu.com">{{cite web|title=Viswanathan Anand wins World Rapid Chess Championship |url=http://www.thehindu.com/sport/other-sports/viswanathan-anand-wins-world-rapid-championship-title/article22324482.ece|website=The Hindu}}</ref> He won the tournament ahead of Carlsen, his first victory in a world championship since losing the classical championship to Carlsen in 2013.

*''2011 Bilbao Masters&nbsp;— Grand Slam'': From 25 September – 11 October 2011, Anand participated in the 4th Bilbao Masters tournament. The tournament was a 6-player double-round-robin, played using a soccer-like scoring system (3 points for a win, 1 for a draw, 0 for a loss). The other five participants included Carlsen, Nakamura, Aronian, [[Vassily Ivanchuk]], and [[Francisco Vallejo Pons]]. Anand finished tied 3rd to 5th (same number of points as Nakamura and Aronian), winning 2 games and losing 2 games and earning 12 points out of a maximum 30.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://theweekinchess.com/chessnews/events/4th-final-masters-in-sao-paulo-and-bilbao-2011|title=Carlsen beats Ivanchuk in blitz playoff to take Bilbao title (10 and Playoff) |website=The Week in Chess |date=11 October 2011 |access-date=5 March 2016}}</ref>

* ''Alekhine Memorial 2013'': Anand participated in the 2013 [[Alekhine Memorial]] tournament, held from 20 April to 1 May. The tournament was a 10-player, 9-round single round robin played in two venues, [[Tuileries Garden]] in [[Paris]] and the [[Russian Museum]] in [[Saint Petersburg]]. Anand finished third, with +2−1=6.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chessbase.com/Home/TabId/211/PostId/4009694/aronian-and-gelfand-win-alekhine-memorial-2013-020513.aspx |title=Aronian and Gelfand win Alekhine Memorial 2013 |website=ChessBase |date=1 May 2013 |access-date=5 March 2016}}</ref>

*''Norway Chess 2013'': The 1st Norway Chess Super Tournament took place 8 to 18 May 2013. The tournament was a 10-player, 9-round single round robin played in the [[Stavanger]] area, Norway. Participants included Aronian, Topalov, Karjakin, Carlsen, Nakamura, Svidler, [[Teimour Radjabov]], [[Jon Ludvig Hammer]], and [[Wang Hao (chess player)|Wang Hao]]. Anand scored +1 in the tournament (5 points out of 9 (+3-2=4)), defeating tail-enders Hammer, Topalov, and Radjabov but losing to Wang and Nakamura. Overall, he placed 6th out of 10.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://theweekinchess.com/chessnews/events/norway-chess-super-tournament-2013 |title=Karjakin deserved winner of first Norway Chess Tournament (9) |website=The Week in Chess |date=20 May 2013 |access-date=5 March 2016}}</ref>

*''Tal Memorial 2013'': The 8th Tal Memorial tournament took place from 12 to 24 June June 2013. The tournament was a 10-player, 9-round single round robin played in Moscow. Anand took 2nd place in the Blitz tournament that decided the color order for the main classical tournament (behind Nakamura). In the classical tournament, he finished 9th out of 10, scoring a win against [[Alexander Morozevich]] but losing to Caruana, Nakamura, and Carlsen. Gelfand took clear first place with 6/9, half a point clear of Carlsen.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://theweekinchess.com/chessnews/events/8th-tal-memorial-2013 |title=Boris Gelfand wins the 8th Tal Memorial 2013 (9) |website=The Week in Chess |date=26 June 2013 |access-date=5 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chessvibes.com/?q=tal-memorial-nakamura-wins-the-blitz-full-pairings-now-known |title=Tal Memorial: Nakamura wins the blitz, full pairings now known |website=Chessvibes |date=12 June 2013 |access-date=5 March 2016}}</ref>

*''3rd Zurich Chess Challenge'': From 29 January – 4 February 2014, Anand participated in the Zurich Chess Challenge 2014. A Blitz Tournament on the opening day was played to determine the colors distribution for the Classical Tournament.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zurich-cc.com/archive/zcc2014/pages/press.html|website=zurich-cc.com }}</ref> The classical tournament consisted of 5 games played with classical time control. The last day of the tournament consisted of 5 rapid games. The classical games were worth 2 points for a victory, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss, while the Rapid and Blitz games were worth 1 point for a win, 0.5 points for a draw, and 0 points for a loss, thus placing greater importance on each classical result. Anand scored 2.5 points out of 5 in the Blitz tournament. In the Classical phase of the tournament, Anand scored 2 points out of 5, losing his first two games to [[Levon Aronian]] and [[Hikaru Nakamura]] respectively, drawing against [[Fabiano Caruana]] and [[Magnus Carlsen]] in Rounds 3 and 5 respectively, and defeating [[Boris Gelfand]] in Round 4. In the final Rapid tournament, Anand finished last, scoring 1 point out of 5 (+0-3=2). In the entirety of the tournament, Anand in 5th place out of 6.

In 2015, Viswanathan Anand was a participant in the inaugural 2015 [[Grand Chess Tour]], a series of 3 supertournaments featuring the world's elite players. The three tournaments that Anand participated in were [[Norway Chess]], [[Sinquefield Cup]], and [[London Chess Classic]]. Among these tournaments, Anand also participated in the Berlin World Rapid and Blitz Championships, GRENKE Chess, Zurich Chess Challenge, [[Bilbao Chess Masters Final]], and Shamkir Chess.

*''GRENKE Chess Classic (Baden-Baden)'': Viswanathan Anand began the 2015 year by participating in the GRENKE Chess Classic. The tournament, held from 2–9 February 2015 in the city of [[Baden-Baden]], [[Baden-Württemberg]], Germany, was an 8-player round robin consisting of 7 rounds. Anand scored 2.5 points out of 7 (+1-3=7), placing 7th out of 8.

*''4th Zurich Chess Challenge'': From 13 to 19 February, Anand participated in the Zurich Chess Challenge 2015. A Blitz Tournament on the opening day was played to determine the colors distribution for the Classical Tournament. The classical tournament consisted of 5 games played with classical time control. The last day of the tournament consisted of 5 rapid games. The classical games were worth 2 points for a victory, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss, while the Rapid and Blitz games were worth 1 point for a win, 0.5 points for a draw, and 0 points for a loss, thus placing greater importance on each classical result. The rules also stated that players who drew before their 40th move would have to play a rapid game (that would not count in the tournament standings). Anand scored 3.5 points out of 5 possible points in the opening Blitz tournament (+3-1=1). He won the Classical tournament, scoring 2 victories and 3 draws. He defeated [[Levon Aronian]] in Round 2 and [[Hikaru Nakamura]] in Round 4. In the final Rapid Tournament, Anand scored 2 points out of 5 (+1-2=2). However, because Anand and Nakamura were tied for the overall Zurich Chess Challenge in number of total points, they played a blitz Armageddon game, which Nakamura won, defeating Anand with the black pieces. Therefore, Anand came in second in the overall Zurich Chess Challenge.

*''Shamkir Chess (Gashimov Memorial 2015)'': From 16 to 25 April 2015, Anand participated in the 2nd Gashimov Memorial, in honor of the late Vugar Gashimov. It was a 9-round, 10-player single-round robin classical tournament, held in the town of [[Şəmkir]], [[Azerbaijan]]. Anand scored an overall +3 score, defeating [[Wesley So]], [[Michael Adams (chess player)|Michael Adams]], and [[Shakriyar Mamedyarov]]. He finished the tournament undefeated and in second place, behind winner Magnus Carlsen (whom he was better against in their individual encounter in Game 1).

*''Norway Chess 2015'': Anand competed in Norway Chess 2015, the first leg of the Grand Chess Tour. This specific tournament was held in Stavanger, Norway, from 15 to 26 June 2015. The Blitz portion of the tournament was used to determine the colors and pairings of the main classical stage. In the Blitz tournament, Anand scored 5.5 points out of 9 (+4-2=3). In the Classical part of the tournament, the final standings through which the Grand Chess Tour points are awarded, Anand finished 2nd and undefeated (+3-0=6) and earned himself 10 Grand Chess Tour points, behind the winner of the tournament [[Veselin Topalov]]. He also reached an almost career-high rating of 2816 after the tournament and earned victories against [[Magnus Carlsen]], [[Maxime Vachier-Lagrave]], and [[Jon Ludvig Hammer]], the latter of whom was the Wild-card of the tournament.

*''2015 Bilbao Masters&nbsp;— Grand Slam'': From 26 October – 1 November 2015, Anand participated in the 8th Grand Slam Masters Final in Bilbao, Spain. The format of the tournament was a 4-player double round robin featuring 6 round of classical chess, using the soccer-like scoring system (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). Out of the 12 games played in the tournament, only 2 games were decisive. Anand finished the tournament on the bottom half (+0-1=5), losing a single game to [[Anish Giri]].

*''7th London Chess Classic'': Anand competed in the London Chess Classic, the third and final leg of the Grand Chess Tour. This specific tournament was held in the Olympia Conference Centre in [[London]], England from 4–13 December 2015. Similar to Norway Chess and the Sinquefield Cup tournaments, the London Chess Classic featured the 9 overall Grand Chess Tour participants and 1 wild-card in a 9-round single-round robin tournament. The wild card in this tournament was [[Michael Adams (chess player)|Michael Adams]]. Anand scored 3.5 points out of 9 in the Classic, earning 1 victory against [[Veselin Topalov]] but losing to [[Hikaru Nakamura]], [[Alexander Grischuk]], and [[Maxime Vachier-Lagrave]]. He finished the tournament in 9th place and earned 2 Grand Chess Tour points.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.londonchessclassic.com/ |title=Magnus Carlsen wins the London Chess Classic and Grand Chess Tour |website=London Chess Classic |date=16 December 2015 |access-date=5 March 2016}}</ref>

Viswanathan Anand was a participant in the 2nd [[Grand Chess Tour]], a series of four supertournaments featuring the world's elite players: the [[Paris]], France and [[Leuven]], Belgium Rapid and Blitz tournaments (replacements for the [[Norway Chess]] tournament), [[Sinquefield Cup|2016 Sinquefield Cup]], and the [[London Chess Classic|2016 London Chess Classic]]. The three best tournament results for each participant would be used to determine his final tour standings at the end of the year. Anand declined to participate in the Paris Rapid and Blitz tournament, meaning his results in Leuven, the Sinquefield Cup and the London Chess Classic would count toward the overall standings. Additionally Anand qualified for the 2016 World Chess Championship Candidates tournament by virtue of losing the 2014 World Chess Championship match.

* ''5th Zurich Chess Challenge'': From 12 to 15 February 2016, Anand played in the Zurich Chess Challenge 2016, which was broken up into a Rapid section and a blitz section. This rapid section of the tournament was a played with a modified time control of 40 minutes for the game with 10 additional seconds per move. The other 5 players of the tournament included [[Hikaru Nakamura]], [[Levon Aronian]], [[Vladimir Kramnik]], [[Anish Giri]], and [[Alexei Shirov]]. Anand scored victories over Aronian and Giri in the first two games of the Rapid tournament. He eventually tied for first with Nakamura with 10.5 points, after Nakamura won the final blitz game against Aronian; however Nakamura won the tournament on a Sonneborn-Berger tiebreaker.<ref>{{cite web|title=Nakamura wins the 2016 Zurich Chess Challenge!|url=http://www.zurich-chess-challenge.com/108-nakamura-wins-the-2016-zurich-chess-challenge.html|website=Zurich Chess Challenge|access-date=15 February 2016}}</ref>

* '''''2016 World Chess Championship Candidates Tournament''''': As part of the qualification cycle for the [[World Chess Championship 2016]], Viswanathan Anand participated in the Candidates Tournament, held in Moscow, Russia from 10 to 30 March 2016 in the [[Central Telegraph]] (Центральный телеграф) Building. The lineup of the tournament included [[Fabiano Caruana]] and [[Hikaru Nakamura]], both of whom qualified through winning the top two spots in the FIDE Grand Prix 2014–15. [[Sergey Karjakin]] and [[Peter Svidler]] qualified by becoming winner and runner-up (respectively) of the [[Chess World Cup 2015]] Knockout tournament. [[Veselin Topalov]] and [[Anish Giri]] qualified by rating. Anand qualified by virtue of losing the 2014 World Chess Championship match against Magnus Carlsen. Finally [[Levon Aronian]] qualified as the organizers' Wild Card. Anand finished in shared second place with Fabiano Caruana, one point behind the tournament winner [[Sergey Karjakin]]. Anand had the unique distinction of the only player to have beaten the winner Karjakin in the 2016 Candidates Tournament.

*''Leuven Grand Chess Tour'': From 17 to 20 June 2016, Anand participated in the Leuven leg of the 2016 Grand Chess Tour. The Rapid tournament was a Single Round Robin, consisting of 9 rounds of Rapid Games. Time control for the Rapid tournament was 25 minutes + 10 seconds increment starting from Move 1. The Blitz tournament was a Double Round Robin, consisting of 18 rounds of Blitz Games. Time control for the Blitz tournament was 5 minutes + 2 seconds increment starting from Move 1. Each Rapid game counted for 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss, while each Blitz game counted for 1 point for a win, 0.5 points for a draw and 0 points for a loss. Anand amassed 19.5 points out of a maximum 27 points, earning him 4th place in the tournament (behind winner [[Magnus Carlsen]], [[Wesley So]], and [[Levon Aronian]]).<ref>{{cite web|title=Carlsen wins Grand Chess Tour Leuven|url=https://en.chessbase.com/post/carlsen-wins-grand-chess-tour-leuven|website=ChessBase |access-date=17 July 2016}}</ref>

Viswanathan Anand participated in several high-level tournaments in 2017 including the World Rapid and Blitz championship, the Isle of Man Championship, the Norway chess tournament, the Zurich Chess Challenge, the Leon Chess Masters Rapid Tournament and the FIDE World Cup, to which he returned after fifteen years. He also played in the [[Grand Chess Tour]] a series of five events: the Paris, Leuven and St. Louis rapid and blitz tournaments, the [[Sinquefield Cup|2017 Sinquefield Cup]] and the [[London Chess Classic|2017 London Chess Classic]], with Anand declining to participate in the Paris Rapid and Blitz tournament. Anand made more than $450 000 in prize money in 2017.<ref>{{cite web|title=Chess prize money top list|url=https://chessearnings.com/player/vishy-anand-1534618937551x898864562157541500|website=Chessearnings}}</ref>

*''Zurich Chess Challenge 2017'': [[Zurich Chess Challenge|Zurich Chess Challenge 2017]] held from 12 to 17 April 2017, was divided into semi-classical (45 minutes per game+ 30 second per move) and blitz (10 minutes per game + 5 second per move) sections. The winner of a classical game was awarded 2 points for the overall standings, in case of a draw each player gets 1 point and the loser 0 points, while a win in a blitz game is awarded one point and a draw 0.5 points respectively. Anand finished third in the semi-classical section with a score of 4½/7 (+4-2=1) and second in the blitz section with a score of 4½/7 (+2-0=5), giving him a combined score of 13½/21 for a third-place finish.<ref>{{cite web|title=Anand finishes third at Zurich Chess Challenge 2017

|url=https://www.chessbase.in/news/anand-zurich-chess-challenge|website=ChessBase}}</ref>

*''Norway Chess Tournament 2017'': The fifth [[Norway Chess|Norway Chess tournament]] was held from 6–16 June 2017 in [[Stavanger]], Norway. The tournament was a 10 player round robin involving all ten of the world's best players by rating (at the time of announcement) and had an average Elo rating of 2797. Anand finished in eighth place scoring 4/9 (+1-2=6).<ref>{{cite web|title=Levon Aronian wins Norway Chess 2017!|url=https://en.chessbase.com/post/levon-aronian-wins-norway-chess-2017|website=ChessBase}}</ref>

|url=https://en.chessbase.com/post/grand-chess-tour-sinquefield-cup-live|website=ChessBase}}</ref>

*''Isle of Man Championship 2017'': Anand participated in the 2017 Isle of Man Championship, a 9-round Swiss tournament, held from 23 September to 1 November. Anand finished joint-second with [[Hikaru Nakamura]] with a score of 7/9 (+5-0=4), behind the winner Magnus Carlsen.<ref>{{cite web|title=Anand signs off joint second at Isle of Man Chess |url=http://www.thehindu.com/sport/other-sports/anand-signs-off-joint-second-at-isle-of-man-chess/article19784600.ece|website=The Hindu}}</ref>

*''80th Tata Steel Masters'': Anand played in the [[Tata Steel Chess Tournament|2018 Tata Steel Masters]], held from 13 to 28 January 2018. Anand finished fifth with a score of 8/13 (+4-1=8).<ref>{{cite web|url =https://www.tatasteelchess.com/players/masters/master-standings|title =Results of Tata Steel Masters 2018|website=Tata Steel Chess|author =Staff writer(s)}}</ref>

In 2010, Anand announced that he would expand his tournament schedule, beginning in late 2010, in an effort to regain the world number one ranking from [[Magnus Carlsen]].<ref>{{cite news| url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-07-24/chess/28316325_1_viswanathan-anand-elo-points-world-chess-championship | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811100817/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-07-24/chess/28316325_1_viswanathan-anand-elo-points-world-chess-championship | url-status=dead | archive-date=11 August 2011 | work=[[The Times of India]] | title=My target is to regain world number one status: Anand | date=24 July 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=6567 |title=Final Chess Masters 2010 in Shanghai and Bilbao |website=ChessBase |access-date=11 November 2010}}</ref> He achieved that goal on the November 2010 list with a rating of 2804, two points ahead of Magnus Carlsen,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ratings.fide.com/toparc.phtml?cod=177|title=Top 100 Players November 2010 - Archive |publisher=[[FIDE]]|access-date=2021-07-30}}</ref> but was soon overtaken again by Carlsen, temporarily in January 2011<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ratings.fide.com/toparc.phtml?cod=181|title=Top 100 Players January 2011 - Archive |publisher=[[FIDE]]|access-date=2021-07-30}}</ref> and then permanently in July 2011.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ratings.fide.com/toparc.phtml?cod=193|title=Top 100 Players July 2011 - Archive |publisher=[[FIDE]]|access-date=2021-07-30}}</ref>

[[Lubomir Kavalek]] describes Anand as the most versatile world champion ever, pointing out that Anand is the only player to have won the world chess championship in [[Chess tournament|tournament]], [[Match (chess)|match]], and [[Knockout competition|knockout]] format, as well as [[Rapid chess|rapid]] time controls.<ref>{{cite web|title=Chess Champion's Class Act|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/lubomir-kavalek/chess-champions-class-act_b_768397.html|website=Huffington Post|first=Lubomir |last=Kavalek|access-date=8 February 2015}}</ref>

* 1992 Linares match Anand vs [[Vassily Ivanchuk]] won 5–3

* [[Padma Shri]]&nbsp;– Fourth highest civilian award awarded by [[Government of India]] in 1987.<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web | url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf | title=Padma Awards | website=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India | date=2015 | access-date=21 July 2015}}</ref>

* The inaugural [[Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna]] Award, India's highest sporting honour in the years 1991–1992.

* Anand has won the [[Chess Oscar]] in 1997, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2008. The Chess Oscar is awarded to the year's best player according to a worldwide poll of leading chess critics, writers, and journalists conducted by the Russian chess magazine ''[[64 (magazine)|64]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.whychess.org/en/node/1128|title=Carlsen beats Anand to 2010 Chess Oscar|date=29 July 2011|website=WhyChess.org|access-date=13 October 2011}}</ref>

*In 2014 Anand was awarded the Russian [[Order of Friendship]] for the development of economic, scientific and cultural ties with Russia. The Order of Friendship was awarded to Viswanathan Anand and [[Boris Gelfand]], the participants in the FIDE World Chess Championship Match that was held at the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fide.com/component/content/article/1-fide-news/8126-russian-federation-friendship-order-awards-to-gms-anand-and-gelfand.html |title=Russian Federation Friendship Order Awards to GMs Anand and Gelfand |website=FIDE |date=4 July 2014 |access-date=1 December 2014}}</ref>

{{Sister project links|display=Vishwanathan Anand|wikt=no|c=Vishwanathan Anand|commonscat=yes|n=no|q=Vishwanathan Anand|s=no|author=no|b=no|voy=no|v=no|d=Q45747|species=no|species_author=no|m=no|mw=no|position=right}}

* [http://www.365chess.com/players/Viswanathan_Anand Viswanathan Anand] chess games at 365Chess.com

* {{chessgames player|id=12088}}

| before = [[Garry Kasparov]] <br /> [[Vassily Ivanchuk]]

[[Category:Recipients of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna]]