Viswanathan Anand is the first Asian to win the World Chess Championship title.  He won the title on 24th December 2000, defeating Spain's Alexei Shirovyoungest at Teheran. 

Born in Chennai in December 1969,  he started playing chess at the age of 6. He learnt chess from his mother Susheela. His parents encouraged him and used to take him to the Tal Chess club. Young Anand had an exceptional memory power and an ability to grasp things fast which made him excel in Chess. Anand got his B.Com degree from Loyola College.

He has won many titles even from a young age. He was the youngest Asian to win the International Master's Title at the age of fifteen. At sixteen he became the National Champion; At eighteen India's First Grandmaster. In 1987, he became the first Asian to win the World Junior Chess Championship. In 1992, he won the formidable Reggio Emilia Tournament. He was the runner up to Kasparov in World Championship final in 1995. He beat Kasparov in the rapid chess tournament in September 96 and Karpov in June 97 in Hamburg Rapid Chess. Anand outplayed the most popular chess software programme, Fritz in July, 99. 

Anand has also received many awards; Arjuna Award for Outstanding Indian Sportsman in 1985, Padmashree, National Citizens Award and Soviet Land Nehru Award in 1987, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, Chess Oscar and so on. 

Anand's wife Aruna supports him in his preparations for the tournaments. This genius, although he has achieved so much still remains simple in character. He wrote a book 'My Best Games of Chess' for which he got the British Chess Federation 'Book of the Year' Award in 1998.