Former world champion Anand, who was playing his first over-the-board game in almost 17 months, started off with a win in round one of the Croatia Grand Chess Tour tournament.
The event is organized to encourage more and more people to come forward and donate towards serving individuals and families who are at risk of hunger amidst Covid-19.
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.