Chess champion Viswanathan Anand pays heartfelt tribute to late father

Chennai”Five-time world chess champion, Viswanathan Anand, on Sunday paid a heartfelt tribute to his father, K. Viswanathan, who passed away on April 15 owing to age-related problems. He was 92.

Anand, who is one of the few players to have surpassed an Elo rating of 2800, said that though his mother played a bigger role in shaping his chess career, his father was always a fervent supporter.

Taking to Twitter, Anand, who turned 51 in December last year, said, “My father K. Viswanathan passed away on April 15 after a brief illness. Being in Chennai for many months gave me the chance to visit him often. I owe so much to him. My mother played a bigger role in my chess career, but my father was an enthusiastic and fervent supporter.

“I remember fondly how he accompanied me to a world sub-junior, my three national titles and later even to a world championship. He guided me well, both with his advice and by his example and was by my side through all the highs and lows,” said Anand.

The first recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, the highest sporting award in the country, Anand said, “I am grateful to all of you for your messages. The Railways was his passion and it brought me a lot of joy that so many of his railway acquaintances and colleagues wrote to us. You have shared wonderful memories with us and I was taken back to those happy times.

“I am incredibly proud of what he achieved starting from Golden Rock and ICF until he retired as general manager Southern Railway. He once told me that he was the first GM in the family. Thank you for everything Appa, we will miss you terribly,” tweeted Anand.