Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand elected as Vice President of FIDE

Voted in one of of Chennai Today’s biggest hotel. The election had several subplots but the most notable was the identification of candidates contesting for the presidency of FIDE. This election reflects the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

Anand was nominated by the incumbent President Arkady Vladimirovich Dvorkovic as part of his team to contest the election. Dvorkovich, a Muscovite with direct ties to the Kremlin, received 167 votes in his favor, while rival Andrey Barishpolets received 16 votes.

The Bolshariots, who live in the US but are Ukrainian, started a petition calling for Dvorkovic’s removal from FIDE. He was one of three contenders besides Danish player Peter Hein Nielsen.

Nielsen was awarded the title of Grandmaster by FIDE in 1994. He has coached world champions Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen.

Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand (52), the 15th undisputed chess champion and arguably the greatest Indian chess player of all time, was born on 11 December 1969 in Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu.

Anand started playing chess at the age of six after learning the game from his mother. At the age of 15, he was already an international master after winning the 1984 Asian Junior Championship for players under 20.

Anand is known to have played early in his career, competing for the Classical Championship in 1995 and was the FIDE champion from 2000–2002 before claiming the title again in 2007. He held the title for six years until 2013. Anand has a productive post-Championship career at an age when many other top players have retired.

The International Chess Federation or World Chess Federation, commonly referred to by the acronym FIDE, is an international organization based in Switzerland that links various national chess federations and serves as the governing body of international chess competition. It was established on 20 July 1924 in Paris, France.

first article