Anant Joshi

Anant Joshi: The Barnes Defense Believer

Every chess player has a gambit they fall in love with, and every chess player has an opening that makes their coach weep quietly into a analysis board. Anant Joshi, known on the board as Anant_joshi123, has both, and he refuses to apologize for either.

Since first appearing on the scene in late 2019 with a bullet rating that began at a humble 2403 (2026-07-11)-adjacent starting point, Anant has climbed from club-level chaos all the way to a blitz peak of 2440. That is not a typo. That is a man who looked at the rating ladder and decided it was more of a suggestion than a rule.