Viswanathan Anand, the 15th undisputed chess champion and surely the greatest Indian chess player of all time, was born on Dec. 11, 1969 in Mayiladuthurai in Tamil Nadu, the southeasternmost state in India. Anand, noted for playing quickly early in his career, competed for the classical championship in 1995 and was FIDE champion from 2000-2002 before claiming the reunited title in 2007. He held that title for six years until 2013 and has also had a productive post-championship career at an age when many other top players have retired. Source: Chess.com