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Viswanathan Anand

1980s – PresentWorld Champion 2000 – 2002; 2007 – 2013Peak rating 2817227 games

Five-time World Champion celebrated for speed of calculation, broad opening knowledge and an adaptable style across classical, rapid and match play.

Viswanathan Anand
Photo: Wolfgang Jekel, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How Anand plays

Anand's speed of calculation is legendary — he was a blitz prodigy long before he was World Champion — and he combined it with a universal style: comfortable in open tactical fights and in quiet positional play alike. His opening preparation was broad and practical, and he was a formidable match player.

What to learn from Anand

Anand's games show how to use time well: he spends it where the position is critical and plays the rest quickly. Look at how he handles the initiative with the white pieces in the open games, and how calmly he defends when things go wrong.

A game to play through

Anand, Viswanathan vs Hergott, Deen - Thessaloniki ol (Men) 1984 1-0 — the final position. One of Anand's wins with White on FoxyChess, played through move by move.

Viswanathan Anand: the final position
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e5 5.Nb5 Nf6 6.N1c3 d6 7.Bg5 a6 8.Na3 b5 9.Nd5 Qa5+ 10.Bd2 Qd8 11.Nxf6+ Qxf6 12.c4 Qg6 13.f3 Be7 14.cxb5 Nd4 15.Be3 O-O 16.Bxd4 exd4 17.Qd2 d5 18.Bd3 Bg5 19.Qe2 dxe4 20.Bxe4 Bf5 21.O-O Be3+ 22.Kh1 Bxe4 23.fxe4 Qxe4 24.Rad1 axb5 25.Nxb5 Rxa2 26.Nxd4 Qe5 27.Nf5 Bf4 28.Qg4 g5 29.Rde1 h5 30.Nh6+ Kg7 31.Qxh5 Qxb2 32.Nf5+ Kg8 33.Qg4 Qd2 34.Rd1 Qb4 35.Rd4 Qb8 36.h3 Kh7 37.Rdxf4 gxf4 38.Qg7#
Play through 227 Viswanathan Anand games

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Viswanathan Anand games on FoxyChess

Watch each game move by move, or play the winner's moves yourself and see how close you get.

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