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

Viswanathan Anand recently remebered winning 8 rupees as chess prize money when he was a little boy in Chennai and spending it on dosa, sambar, and juice. Read about Anand’s humble chess beginnings.

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. 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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