Viswanathan Anand – TheVish of the Chessboard
Meet Viswanathan Anand, a grandmaster more likely to checkmate you before you’ve finished your coffee. Known in many circles simply as TheVish, Anand has been a titan on the chessboard, wielding the title of Grandmaster from FIDE with pride and a tactical grin.
Rating & Stats – The Numbers Speak
Anand's rapid rating peaked at a staggering 2751 in May 2020, a number that’s as intimidating as spotting a fork against your queen. His blitz performance hasn’t been shabby either, boasting a peak of 2620 in August 2020. When it comes to rapid games, Anand’s record is legendary: 38 wins, just 7 losses, and 21 draws across various battles. Blitz matches? A modest but respectable 1 win, 2 losses — though we suspect those losses were just warm-ups.
Playing Style – The Silent Assassin
Known for his fierce endgame mastery—he dives deep into the trenches, boasting an endgame frequency of 88.41%—Anand’s games aren’t just tough; they're marathon epics with an average of 83 moves per win. Did you blink? You probably missed a quiet disaster for his opponent. TheVish loves his white pieces, with a winning rate of 64.15% there, while black pieces see a respectable 31.25% success.
Impressively, this maestro never resigns early—his early resignation rate is zero. Giving up is for mortals, not grandmasters.
Tactical Wizardry & Mental Strength
Anand is a comeback king, winning nearly 64.1% of games even after trailing behind. Losing a piece? No worries, he still wins almost half the time afterward. He maintains composure with a tilt factor of just 2—that’s chess Zen for you.
Recent Battles — Glory & Humble Pie
In a recent rapid duel (September 2024), Anand faced off against the formidable Hikaru. TheVish clinched a beautiful victory in a French Defense Exchange Variation, proving that even in 2024, he’s still a master of timely tactics and positional play. But don’t get cocky—earlier the same day, he lost on time in a blitz match against Hikaru, reminding us all that even legends sometimes run out of clock and luck.
Fun Fact
Anand’s longest winning streak is a cool 10 games. So if you're aiming to take him down, be prepared for a tough road filled with knockouts, pinches, forks, and the occasional queen sacrifice.
Opponent Highlights
Anand has tangled most frequently with rivals like "infernal_xam" and "hikaru," with a notably fierce rivalry—holding a solid 20% win rate against Infernal_Xam and a modest 20% against Hikaru. He dominates others with a 100% win rate against several opponents, showing that when TheVish decides to be merciless, he really means business.
To sum it up: Viswanathan Anand is not just a chess player; he’s a chess phenomenon—balancing calm, creativity, and a sprinkle of intimidation. This grandmaster’s games are lessons in patience, nerve, and the art of checkmate. Watch him, learn, or better yet—try not to get checkmated.
Performance Snapshot
• Peak blitz rating: 2620 (2024-09-27)
• Activity trends:
• Consistency by weekday: .
What You’re Doing Well
- Dynamic piece play. In your recent French-Exchange win versus Hikaru Nakamura you found the Nxh3+ shot (moves 24–26) at rapid speed, showing sharp tactical vision.
- Flexible openings. You comfortably switch between the French, Sicilian (O’Kelly) and 1…e5 systems, keeping opponents guessing.
- End-game conversion. When ahead you usually finish cleanly (e.g., rook end-game vs Sagar_Raina).
Opportunities for Improvement
- Time management. Five of the last seven losses were flagged. You often spend 35-45 sec on quiet middlegame moves, then rush in critical tactics.
▸ Goal: enter the last 60 seconds with >10 moves left on your increment clock.
▸ Drill: play 3-minute games focusing on moving within 5 seconds unless the position is “critical” (obvious tactics or checks). Track your move-to-time ratio weekly. - Pawn-storm discipline. In both recent Ruy López losses you advanced
b4-b5/h4-h5prematurely, weakening dark squares. Add a quick prophylaxis check before any pawn push: “What squares am I giving up? Can my opponent occupy them?” - Central tension handling. Several games show an early
cxd5 / exd5that released the centre and gave opponents an easy plan (loss vs Hikaru, 2024-09-27 Giuoco Pianissimo). Aim to keep tension until a concrete gain appears (space, tactic, or better minor-piece placement). - Conversion against resilient defenders. Even in won positions you sometimes repeat (e.g., 37.Qc3 ↔ 36.Qe3) looking for the “perfect” entry. Use the “two-improving-moves” rule: if you can improve two pieces without allowing counter-play, just do it and re-evaluate.
Targeted Training Plan
- Clock Awareness Circuit – 15 bullet games/week with a self-imposed 2-second move limit except in forcing lines. Review only time-loss positions.
- Structured Opening Review – For each opening you play:
- Pick one modern model game at GM level.
- Replay it blindfold once/day for a week.
- End-game Fundamentals – 20 classical rook-and-pawn studies. Focus on the Lucena and Philidor positions – they still arise frequently in your games.
Next-Step Challenges
1. Win a blitz game against a 2600+ opponent without dropping below 30 seconds.
2. Hold a pawn-down rook ending vs Hikaru Nakamura or a similar calibre player at least once this month.
3. Add one solid French sideline (e.g., Tarrasch 3.Nd2) to your repertoire so you’re not forced into the Exchange every time.
Mindset Cue
“Before I move, I ask: Is this necessary? If not, improve the worst-placed piece.” – a simple anti-impulse mantra to cut down on hope-chess moves.
Keep the fire, Vishy – and remember that even legends refine fundamentals!
🆚 Opponent Insights
| Most Played Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| Hikaru Nakamura | 1W / 2L / 2D | View Games |
| Pavel Ponkratov | 1W / 2L / 2D | View Games |
| Teimour Radjabov | 1W / 0L / 2D | View Games |
| Jeffery Xiong | 1W / 1L / 0D | View Games |
| Vasyl Ivanchuk | 0W / 0L / 2D | View Games |
Rating
| Year | Bullet | Blitz | Rapid | Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2620 | 2731 | ||
| 2022 | 2567 | |||
| 2021 | 2614 | |||
| 2020 | 2620 | 2618 |
Stats by Year
| Year | White | Black | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1W / 2L / 0D | 1W / 0L / 0D | 87.0 |
| 2022 | 0W / 0L / 2D | 1W / 2L / 0D | 82.6 |
| 2021 | 31W / 1L / 6D | 1W / 1L / 2D | 86.7 |
| 2020 | 2W / 3L / 5D | 2W / 0L / 6D | 86.1 |
Openings: Most Played
| Blitz Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackburne Shilling Gambit | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation, Kharlov-Kramnik Line | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Rapid Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caro-Kann Defense | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 60.0% |
| QGD: 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0.0% |
| London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Classical Variation | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Giuoco Piano: Tarrasch Variation | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.0% |
| English Opening: Symmetrical Variation | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Blackburne Shilling Gambit | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.0% |
| QGD Tarrasch: 4.cxd5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.0% |
| English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.0% |
🔥 Streaks
| Streak | Longest | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Winning | 10 | 0 |
| Losing | 2 | 1 |