Viswanathan Anand recalls humble chess beginnings, shares story of winning Rs 8 prize money

Before he became famous as a five-time World Chess Champion and one of the greatest minds in the game’s history, Viswanathan Anand was a young boy with a big dream. Anand recently recalled how he once earned Rs 8 as prize money at a chess event and how he spent it right away.

In an interview with The Bombay Journey, Anand took a nostalgic trip through his early days of playing chess, offering a glimpse into the modest beginnings of his legendary career.

From an 8 rupees chess prize to five World Championship titles

Anand remembered the time he won a local tournament at his chess club and the prize that came with it.

“I remember once in my chess club they had a small tournament and first prize was eight rupees. So I thought I can treat myself. I [won and] took this eight rupees. There’s a hotel right behind the chess club, so I went there, had a full dosa and sambar and I had one drink of some juice. I could pay for it with my prize money, so it was a good thing," Anand said.

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“Back in those days — and I don’t think anyone now remembers such figures — you could have a full meal in Bombay for five rupees. So prices were comparable,” he added with a smile on his face.

Anand was the first Indian to achieve the title of Grandmaster in 1988. He dominated the global chess scene for decades, becoming World Champion in multiple formats between 2000 and 2012. He was the undisputed World Champion from 2007 to 2013 and had defeated legends like Vladimir Kramnik, Veselin Topalov, and Boris Gelfand in title matches.

Anand is currently the vice-president of FIDE. He made headlines after withdrawing from the Weissenhaus leg of the Freestyle Chess earlier this year. His decision came amid the tensions between FIDE and Freestyle Chess over the use of the term ‘world champion.’

Anand was also involved in the jeans controversy caused by Magnus Carlsen during the World Rapid and Blitz Championships last December.

Recently, Anand attended the wedding celebrations of Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi, who tied the knot with Nidhi Kataria. Anand was joined by other elites from the chess community, including the current world champion D Gukesh. A video of Anand and Gukesh shaking legs at the wedding went viral on social media.