Becoming World Junior Champion

Chess prodigy Vishy Anand
1985
At the start of 1984 Anand had taken part in the Indian National Championship, finished fourth, and was nominated to play for the Indian national team at the 26th Chess Olympiad in Thessaloniki, Greece. It was Anand’s first Olympiad and an impressive debut: with 7.5/11 he was the best Indian player and secured his second IM-norm.

In 1985 Anand continued his string of successes. After a second place in the Indian Championship, he won the C.A. Sheppard Tournament at Calicut, Kerala, and finished sixth at the F.A. Ahmed IM Tournament in Delhi. Shortly afterwards he secured his third and final IM-norm by winning the Asian Juniors in Hong Kong for the second time in succession. This made Anand India’s youngest IM ever at that time.

However, despite all his successes the fifteen-old year old Anand still had to beat a Grandmaster. He finally managed to so in England, at the annual Lloyds Bank tournament.
Enter the Dragon
Like in 1984 Anand breezed through the junior event but things were more difficult in the Open. After some huffing and puffing Anand finally finished fifteenth. However, he did manage to claim the first grandmaster scalp of his career – in impressive fashion and with lightning speed.
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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 0-0 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.g4 Be6 10.0-0-0 Ne5 10...Nxd4 11.Bxd4 Qa5 12.a3 Rab8 13.h4 Rfc8 14.h5 11.h4 Bc4 12.Bh3?! 12.Bg2 Ba6 13.b3 Qa5 14.Kb1 Rfc8 14...Qa3 15.Ncb5± 15.Nce2 12...Ba6 13.b3 Qa5 14.Kb1 Qa3? 14...Rfc8! 15.Na4 15.Nce2 Qxd2 16.Rxd2 Nxf3 17.Nxf3 Nxe4 15...Qxd2 16.Bxd2 16.Rxd2 b5 17.Nb2 Nxf3 18.Nxf3 Nxe4 16...Nxf3 17.Nxf3 Be2 18.e5 dxe5 19.Nxe5 Bxd1 20.Rxd1 Ne4 21.Nd3 b5 22.Nab2 Nc3+ 23.Bxc3 Rxc3∞ 15.g5 Nh5 16.f4 16.Bg4 e6 17.Bxh5 gxh5 18.f4 Ng4 19.f5 Rfc8 20.f6 Bf8 21.Nce2 Rc7 22.Rc1 Rac8 23.Rhd1 Rc5 24.Bg1 d5 25.exd5 Rxd5 26.c4 Rd7 27.Qc3 Qb4 28.Nc2 Qxc3 29.Nxc3 Rcd8 30.Bxa7 h6 31.gxh6 Rxd1 32.Rxd1 Rxd1+ 33.Nxd1 Nxf6 34.a4 Bxh6 35.Nde3 Ng4 36.Kb2 f5 37.Kc3 f4 38.Nd1 e5 39.b4 b6 40.Bxb6 e4 41.b5 Bc8 42.a5 e3 43.a6 Bg7+ 44.Bd4 e2 45.Nb2 Ne3 46.Bxg7 Nxc2 47.Nd3 f3 48.Bd4 Nxd4 49.Kd2 Nc2 50.a7 Bb7 51.c5 e1Q+ 52.Nxe1 f2 53.Nxc2 f1Q 54.c6 Qf2+ 55.Kc3 Qc5+ 56.Kd2 Qxb5 57.cxb7 Qxb7 16...Nc6 17.Bg4 Nb4 17...Nxd4 18.Bxd4 Bxd4 19.Qxd4 Nxf4 20.Nd5 Nxd5 21.exd5 18.Bxh5 gxh5 18...Rfc8 19.Bg4 e6 20.Rh3 b6 21.Qc1 Qa5 22.a3 Nxc2 23.Nxc2 Rxc3 24.Bd2 Rxh3 25.Bxh3 Qb5 26.Bb4 Bb7 27.Bg2 a5 28.a4 Qe8 29.Bxd6 b5 30.axb5 Rc8 31.Qe3 Qxb5 32.Nd4 Qb6 33.Nf5 Qxe3 34.Nxe3 Rc3 35.Be7 Rxb3+ 36.Ka2 Rxe3 37.Rd8+ Bf8 38.Bxf8 Re2+ 39.Kb1 Re1+ 40.Kb2 Re2+ 41.Ka3 19.Nf5 Rfe8 19...Bxc3 20.Nxe7+ Kh8 21.Qxc3+ f6 20.Nxg7 Kxg7 21.Qd4+ e5 21...Kg8 22.Bc1 Qa5 23.Bb2 22.Qxd6 Rac8 23.Qf6+ Kg8 24.Rd7 Rf8 25.g6 1–0
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Anand,V | 2385 | Mestel,A | 2535 | 1–0 | 1985 | B76 | Lloyds Bank op 09th | |
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At the World Juniors in Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates, Anand scored 8.5/10 and became fifth, tying, amongst others, with Vassily Ivanchuk. Upon returning home, Anand wrapped up the year with a victory in the R. Guruswami Naidu Memorial Open at Palani.
For his outstanding success as a junior chess player, Anand was bestowed with the Arjuna Award – the highest sporting honor for a junior sportsperson - by the Indian government.

Anand receiving his trophy for winning at Palani
1986

Tied for first at Arab-Asian Championship at Qatar
Another year began and with it came another National Junior Championship which Anand won with ease. At that time the junior players in India simply were no match for the young International Master. A bit later Anand tied for first at the Arab-Asian Championship at Doha, Qatar, and soon after that followed the Asian Team championship at Dubai, a memorable event for India: the team won silver while Anand won gold for the best result on board four, significantly contributing to the success of his team. While he made a killing on the lower board his team-mates stoutly defended.
His team-mate IM D.V. Prasad later said in an interview, “Even from a young age, I knew he was talented. The most astonishing thing about him is his memory, which I haven't seen in anybody. If Anand takes some sheets of paper with games, he just scans these games before putting them back and later, he would remember everything including the name of the player, the place the game was played, everything. I have never seen such an astounding memory in anybody.''

Not surprisingly, Anand was a natural brand ambassador for memory pills products

Susheela Vishwanathan and K. Vishwanathan with their son
There’s many a slip ‘twixt the cup and the lip
But Anand still had to overcome a number of obstacles to get the coveted grandmaster title. In those days India had no grandmasters and events, in which you had a chance to make a GM norm were rare. Progress in Indian chess was slow. That was to change soon but at that time Anand had to learn to be patient.

Anand analyzing at the Calcutta tournament with GM Soltis of USA (left) and Indian IM Vaidya
In the TATA Steel GM tournament 1986 in Calcutta, Vishy missed his first GM norm by half a point, and in the Lloyds Banks Masters later that year he missed it again, this time by a full point.

Lloyds Bank, 1986
Despite his many achievements, things did not always go smoothly for Anand. Sometimes he spoiled games because he was not patient enough. One example was his game against Soviet GM Makarychev at the Bhilwara International chess tournament in Delhi which attracted many spectators who wanted to see India’s young National Champion. Against Makarychev Anand at first seemed to live up to his reputation. By switching the calendar back to the halcyon days of the attacking masters, the young lad had already won a legion of fans, and on that day he had the Soviet GM on the ropes.

GM Makarychev playing against IM Vishy Anand at Bhilwara
In an exciting Sicilian, Makarychev, playing white, had launched a blistering attack with his pawns on the kingside while the International Master – sixteen years of age - counterattacked on the queenside, with the clock as his ally. After a delectable series of thrusts and counter-thrusts, the Soviet GM desperately sacrificed a pawn, only to land in a worse position – a pawn is a pawn after all. Moving with his trademark speed, the young boy was in the driver’s seat – until he blundered and lost.
The Bhilwara GM tournament was tailor-made for the youngster to score a norm but he finished a disappointing sixth – his only consolation being a win over the eventual winner GM Tukmakov.
However, Anand soon recovered and became third in the World Open 1986. Thus, many considered him to be favorite to win the 1986 World Junior Championship in Gausdal, Norway.
Anand indeed seemed to be coasting towards the title – till he came up against his Indian counterpart Dibyendu Barua. Barua was marked out as a prodigy in Indian chess circles when he qualified for India’s National Championships at age twelve. In terms of talent, the cognoscenti viewed them to be alike. But if it was his day, Barua could rip you apart at will – and it was Barua’s day.
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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 Qc7 7.a4 Nf6 8.0-0 Bb4 8...Be7 9.Be3 d6 10.f4 0-0 11.Kh1 9.Bg5 Qe5 9...Be7 10.Be3 10.Nf3 Qa5 11.Bxf6 gxf6 12.Nd2?! 12.Qd3 Ne5 13.Nxe5 Qxe5 14.Nd1 12...Qc7 13.Nc4 Ne5 14.Nxe5 14.Ne3!? 14...Qxe5 15.Qd3 h5 16.f4 Qc7 17.Kh1 Be7 18.a5 18.Qg3 h4 19.Qg7 Rf8 20.Bh5 18...h4 19.Qd4 Rb8 20.b4? b5 21.Rad1 Bb7 22.Bf3? Bc6?? 22...Qxf4 23.Qxd7+ Kf8 23.Nd5 Bxd5 24.exd5 Qc8 25.d6 Bf8 26.f5 e5 27.Qd3 Bh6 28.Bd5 Kf8 29.c3 Kg7 30.Qf3 Bg5 31.Rd3 Rh7 32.Re1 Kh8 33.Qe4 Bf4 34.Rf1 Bg5 35.Rb1 Bf4 36.c4 bxc4 37.Qxc4 Qxc4 38.Bxc4 Rh5 39.Bxa6 Rxf5 40.Rd5 Be3 41.Bd3 Rf4 42.b5 Ra4 43.b6 Kg7 44.Bf5 Rb7 45.Rdb5 e4 46.g3 h3 47.Bxh3 Bd2 48.Bxd7 e3 49.Bc8 Rb8 50.d7 Rd4 51.Kg2 e2 52.Kf2 1–0
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Barua,D | 2400 | Anand,V | 2420 | 1–0 | 1986 | B47 | Wch U20 | 12 |
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This was Anand’s only defeat in the tournament – but it was enough to deny him the title. Vishy Anand had to wait another year for his next crack at the World Junior title – and in the process, learn his first lessons in the virtues of patience – not easy for someone known for his lightning speed.
The quickest survive, the slow die
The 1986 edition of the Indian Championship took place at the RCF Complex in Bombay. Evenings in March in Bombay are often pleasant and cool. But at the RCF Complex the atmosphere was heated. The reason for this was the new time control: the players had to make forty moves in two hours – half an hour less than they were used to.
As a result a lot of the older players were plagued by time trouble. For example, Pravin Thipsay, who had won the 1985 edition at Tenali with three rounds to spare, was relegated to play the National-B the next year. For Anand, the changed time-controls did not really matter. He rarely took more than 30 minutes anyway to win some of his games, and thus the 16-year old International Master adapted best to the change. To put it in Darwinian terms: the quickest survived and the slow died.

The young National Champion
Thus, Vishy Anand became the youngest champion in Indian chess history. At the chess Olympiad 1986 in Dubai he was promoted to top board and scored 7.5/11, but missed the elusive GM-norm once again.

Dubai Olympiad, 1986
King of his castle

For Anand 1987 began with a triumph at the Indian Championship, which he won for the second time. He also played tournaments in the USSR and in America where, however, he had mixed results.
Then came the World Junior Championship, arguably Anand’s most important tournament in 1987. It took place in Baguio City, on the Philippines, where Anand had started his chess career, and Karpov and Kortschnoi in 1978 had played a bitter duel full of animosity and political tension for the World Championship.
A number of strong players started at the World Junior Championship including players such as Simen Agdestein from Norway, already a Grandmaster, and talented boys such as Andrei Sokolov and Ferdinand Hellers. And yes, in the list of participants another name appeared that was to resonate through the chess world in subsequent years: Vassily Ivanchuk.
When Anand arrived in Baguio he was in shaky form. He had just played the Philadelphia Open which in many ways was a disaster. Anand had played uncharacteristically badly in a number of games and had even missed a mate in one against an unrated opponent. He also had a lackluster start at the World Juniors, scoring only 2.5/4 in the first four rounds, well below par for a potential champion.
However, Anand has always had the knack to raise his game. There have been tournaments in his career in which he played well below his best – for example the recent GRENKE Chess Classic – but again and again he has recovered. Anand often also started tournaments badly, and then upped his game, seemingly at will. This ability is a trait of Anand’s game and its seeds were sown during his teenage years.

And after four rounds, Anand needed to move up a gear or two in the World Juniors 1987. He moved up six gears. Two fine wins in rounds five and six took him to 4.5/6, and then he faced pre-tournament favorite Agdestein. It was going to be the key game of the tournament.
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1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 e5 2...d6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 b5 5.Bb3 Na5 6.0-0 d6 7.d4 Nxb3 8.axb3 f6 9.Nc3 Bb7 10.Nh4 Ne7 11.dxe5 dxe5 12.Qf3 Qd7 13.Rd1 Qe6 14.Nd5 14.Be3 g5? 14...h5 15.h3 g5 15.Nxb5 axb5 16.Qh5+ Qf7 17.Rxa8+ Bxa8 18.Rd8+ Kxd8 19.Qxf7 gxh4 20.Qxf6 Rg8 21.f3 h3 22.g3 Ke8 23.Qxe5 Rg6 24.Qxb5+ Bc6 25.Qb8+ Kf7 26.Qxc7 Rf6 27.Bg5 Re6 28.b4 Kg8 29.Qb8 Ng6 30.Kf2 Ne5 31.b5 Be8 32.Be3 Bd6 33.Qc8 Kf7 34.b6 Rf6 35.Bf4 Bd7 36.b7 Be6 37.Bxe5 Bxe5 38.b8Q Bxc8 39.Qxe5 14...Nxd5 14...0-0-0 15.c4 15.exd5 Qf7 16.c4 16.Nf5 g6 17.Nh6 Bxh6 18.Bxh6 g5! 18...0-0-0 19.c4 Rd7 19.h4 19.Qh3 Rg8 19...gxh4 16...Be7 16...g6 17.Qe2 Bg7 18.f4 0-0-0 19.fxe5 fxe5 20.Nf3 h6 21.Be3 17.Nf5 Rd8 17...0-0 18.Bh6 18.Be3 g6 18...Bc8 19.c5 Bxf5 20.Qxf5 Rxd5 20...0-0!? 21.Qc8++- 19.Nh6! 19.Nxe7 Qxe7 19...Qg7 20.Qg3?! 20.cxb5 f5 21.bxa6 Ba8 22.Qh3 f4 23.Bd2 Bg5 24.Ng4 h5 25.Nxe5+- 20...Bc8 21.h4 Bd6 22.Qf3 Be7 22...Rf8 23.c5 Be7 24.d6+- 23.Rac1 23.d6! cxd6 23...Bxd6 24.c5 Be7 25.Qc6+ Bd7 26.Qxc7+- 24.cxb5 axb5 25.Bb6! Qxh6 26.Bxd8 Bxd8 27.Ra8+- 23...bxc4 24.bxc4 Rf8 25.c5 f5 26.Bg5 Bxg5 27.hxg5 Qe7 28.Qg3 f4 29.Qh4 e4 30.d6 Qe5 31.dxc7 Rxd1+ 31...Qxc7 32.Ng4 Bxg4 33.Qxg4 Rf5 34.b4 e3 35.fxe3 Qe5 36.exf4 Qe3+ 37.Kh2 Qxf4+ 38.Qxf4 Rxf4 39.Re1+ Kf7 40.Ra1 Re8 41.Rec1 Rxb4 42.Rxa6 Rg4 43.c6 Rc8 44.Ra7+ Ke6 45.Rxh7 Rxg5 32.Rxd1 e3? 32...Qxc7 33.Ng4 Bxg4 34.Qxg4 Rf5 35.b4± 33.Rd8+ Ke7 34.Ng8+ Rxg8 35.Rxg8 Be6 36.c8Q exf2+ 37.Qxf2 Bxc8 38.Rxc8 1–0
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Anand,V | 2505 | Agdestein,S | 2565 | 1–0 | 1987 | C70 | Wch U20 | |
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Following this success, Anand won three more games. Then, in round nine it came to a clash between Anand and a player many saw as a potential World Champion: Vassily Ivanchuk. Anand had the white pieces and was not afraid to play a Ruy Lopez against Ivanchuk who, even as a junior, was renowned for his exhaustive knowledge of chess theory. Anand scored his fifth win in a row.
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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.0-0 Bd7 7.c3 g6 8.Nbd2 Bg7 9.d4 0-0 10.h3 Nh5 11.dxe5 dxe5 12.Re1 Qc8 13.Nf1 Rd8 14.Qe2 h6 15.N1h2 b5 16.Bc2 Be6 17.Bb3 Nf4 18.Bxf4 exf4 19.Rad1 Rxd1 20.Qxd1 Na5 21.Nd4 Bxb3 22.Nxb3 Nc4 23.Qc2 Ne5 24.Nd4 c5 25.Ndf3 Nc6 26.Qd2 Qc7 27.e5 Re8 28.Ng4 g5? 28...h5 29.Nf6+ Bxf6 30.exf6 Rxe1+ 31.Qxe1 31.Nxe1 Qe5 32.Nd3 Qf5!= 31...Qd8 29.Qd5! Rd8 30.Qe4 Re8 31.Rd1 Re6 32.h4 h5 33.Ngh2 g4 34.Ng5 Rh6 35.e6 fxe6 36.Nxe6 Qe7 37.Re1 Be5 38.Ng5 Kg7 39.Nf1 Bd6 40.Ne6+ Kf7 41.Qf5+ Kg8 42.Qd5 Ne5 43.Nxf4+ Qf7 44.Rxe5 Qxd5 45.Rxd5 Bxf4 46.Rxc5 Re6 47.c4 b4 48.g3 Be5 49.b3 Kf7 50.Rd5 Kf6 51.Kg2 1–0
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Anand,V | 2505 | Ivanchuk,V | 2480 | 1–0 | 1987 | C79 | Wch U20 | |
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With 7.5/9 Anand was on a roll and in round 10 he went on to defeat Blatny in a complicated battle in the Modern Defense.
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1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 c6 4.f4 d5 5.e5 h5 6.Nf3 Nh6 7.Be3 Bg4 8.Bd3 Nf5 9.Bf2 e6 10.h3 Bxf3 11.Qxf3 Nh4 12.Qg3 Nf5 13.Qf3 Nh4 14.Bxh4 Qxh4+ 15.g3 Qe7 16.g4? 16.0-0-0 Nd7 17.g4 0-0-0 18.Kb1 Kb8 19.Ne2 c5 20.c3 cxd4 21.cxd4 16...Nd7? 16...hxg4 17.Qxg4 17.hxg4 Rxh1+ 18.Qxh1 Qb4 19.Qh7 Kf8! 17...Qh4+ 18.Kd2 Nd7 19.Raf1 0-0-0 20.Kc1 Kb8= 17.0-0-0 0-0-0 18.Ne2 Kb8 19.f5 gxf5 20.gxf5 f6 21.fxe6 fxe5 22.exd7 e4 23.Qg3+ Ka8 24.Kb1 Rxd7 25.Nf4 exd3 26.Qxd3 Qe4 27.Qxe4 dxe4 28.Rhe1 Re8? 28...Rxd4 29.Rxd4 Bxd4 30.Rxe4 Bc5 31.c3 31.Re5 Bd6 32.Rxh5 Rf8 31...Bd6 32.Ne6 Kb8= 29.Nxh5 e3 30.c3 Rf7 31.Nxg7 Rxg7 32.Re2 Rg3 33.Rh1 Rf8 34.Kc2 Rff3 35.Reh2 35.Kd3 Rxh3 36.Rxh3 Rxh3 37.Rxe3 Rh8 35...Rf2+ 36.Kd3 Kb8 37.h4 e2+ 38.Kd2 Rg1 39.Rxg1 Rxh2 40.Rg8+ Kc7 41.Rh8 e1Q+ 42.Kxe1 Rxb2 43.h5 43.a4 Rc2 44.h5 Rxc3 45.Kf2 Rh3 46.Kg2 Rh4 47.Kg3 Rxd4= 43...Rxa2 44.h6 Rh2 45.h7 Kb6 45...a5 46.c4 a4 47.d5 cxd5 48.cxd5 a3 49.d6+ Kd7 46.c4 Rh4? 46...Rh6 47.d5 Kc5 48.d6 Re6+ 49.Kf2 Rf6+ 50.Kg3 Rf7 51.Kg4 a5 52.Kg5 Rd7= 47.d5 cxd5 48.cxd5 Re4+ 49.Kd2 Re7 50.d6? 50.Kd3 a5 50...Kb5 51.d6 Rd7 52.Ke4+- 51.d6 Rd7 52.Kc4! Rg7 52...a4 53.Kb4+- 53.Kd5 a4 54.Ke6+- 50...Rg7? 50...Rd7 51.Kc3 51.Ke3 a5 52.Kf4 a4 53.Ke5 a3 54.Ke6 a2= 51...Kb5 51.Kc3 a5 52.Kc4 a4 53.Kb4 a3 54.Kxa3 Kb5 55.Kb3 Rf7 56.Kc2 Rd7 57.Kc3 b6 58.Kb3 Rg7 59.Kc2 Rf7 60.Kd3 Rd7 61.Ke4 1–0
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Anand,V | 2505 | Blatny,P | 2435 | 1–0 | 1987 | B15 | Wch U20 | |
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Facing Gad Rechlis from Israel
With 8.5/10 Anand only needed a draw in the 11th and final round to become World Junior Champion. His opponent was Gad Rechlis from Israel. But In the early stages of the game it seemed as if the tremendous mental effort involved in winning six straight games against the best juniors of the world had exhausted Anand - his opening play was strangely passive and he seemed to be sleepwalking.

Champion!

The Indian team manager, Anupama Abhayankar, Vishy and T.P. Naraynan (Coach)
But after he got himself in a difficult position Anand woke up, showed brilliant defensive chess, and saved the draw he needed to become World Junior Champion.
On that day, and in this fashion, the world of chess crowned a new Junior champion, and Anand registered his first GM-norm.
(to be continued…)

Special thanks to IA V. Kameshwaran for sharing the valuable pictures and newspaper cuttings. Mr. Kameshwaran is the first International Arbiter from India and has acted as the official coach for young Indian players in their tours abroad. He is also a renowned chess journalist and had a career with the Income Tax (India).

Special thanks also to Naranayan Srinath for annotating the games. Narayanan Srinath is an International Master with three GM norms from India. He has been playing chess since the age of five and has numerous achievements to his credit, the most prominent being the world under-12 champion in 2005. He is a regular contributor at various blogs.