In 1988, an 18-year-old from Chennai did something no Indian had ever achieved, he became India’s first chess Grandmaster. That teenager was Viswanathan Anand, and his victory at the Sakthi Finance International Chess Tournament didn’t just win him a title; it ignited a revolution in Indian sport.
Anand’s journey to this historic milestone was nothing short of remarkable. In that tournament, he defeated some of the world’s elite, including Russian Grandmaster Efim Gellerm a giant in the sport. At a time when chess was dominated almost entirely by the Soviet Union, this young Indian’s fearless, rapid style earned him the nickname "Lightning Kid". His win wasn’t just a personal triumph, it was a statement that India could compete with, and beat, the best.
Even before this breakthrough, Anand was rewriting records. At just 15, he became the recipient of the Arjuna Award. At 18, the same year he became a Grandmaster, he was awarded the Padma Shri, one of India’s highest civilian honours.
By 21, he was the first-ever recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, India’s most prestigious sporting accolade. Over the years, he would add the Padma Bhushan (2001) and Padma Vibhushan (2008) to his list of honours.
But his dominance didn’t stop there. Anand went on to become a 5-time World Champion, 2-time World Rapid Champion, World Blitz Champion, and a 2-time World Cup winner. He defeated legends like Alexei Shirov, Vladimir Kramnik, Veselin Topalov, and Boris Gelfand to cement his place among the greatest of all time. In 2006, he became only the fourth player in history, after Kramnik, Topalov, and Garry Kasparov, to cross the 2800 Elo rating mark.
When Anand won that Grandmaster title in 1988, India had none. Today, we have over 60 Grandmasters, the Men’s World Champion (Gukesh Dommaraju), and the Women’s Chess World Cup winner (Divya Deshmukh), many of whom openly credit Anand for inspiring their journeys.
Anand’s legacy isn’t just about his titles. It’s about how he unlocked India’s hidden chess potential, turning the country into a global powerhouse in the sport. In a nation where cricket reigned supreme, he carved out a space for chess in the public imagination, and kept it there.
For that, Viswanathan Anand will always be more than just a champion. He will be remembered as the man who lit the fire.
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