Which Indian chess legend won the World Rapid Chess Championship 2017 held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia?

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: Viswanathan Anand

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
World Rapid Chess Championships bring together elite players to compete in faster time control formats, demanding both deep understanding and quick calculation. In 2017, the event held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, produced a memorable result for Indian chess. This question asks you to identify the Indian chess legend who won the World Rapid Chess Championship that year, reinforcing your awareness of modern Indian sports achievements beyond cricket.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • The tournament is the World Rapid Chess Championship held in 2017.
  • The venue is Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
  • We are looking for the Indian chess legend who won the title.
  • The options include Krishnan Anand, Viswanathan Anand, Vladimir Fedoseev, and Veselin Topalov.


Concept / Approach:
Viswanathan Anand, a five time World Chess Champion, has also achieved distinction in rapid formats. In 2017, despite being one of the older competitors, he delivered a stunning performance in Riyadh, winning the World Rapid Championship. Vladimir Fedoseev reached the playoff stage but finished as runner up. Veselin Topalov is another famous grandmaster but did not win this event. The option “Krishnan Anand” is likely a distractor that slightly alters the spelling of Viswanathan Anand's name. Therefore, the only correct answer is Viswanathan Anand.


Step-by-Step Solution:

1. Focus on the clue “Indian chess legend” and the year 2017. 2. Recall that Viswanathan Anand won the World Rapid Chess Championship in Riyadh in 2017. 3. Vladimir Fedoseev was the opponent Anand defeated in the playoff, so he was the runner up, not the champion. 4. Veselin Topalov, though a strong grandmaster, was not the winner of this event. 5. Krishnan Anand seems to be a misleading variation and is not the standard name of the champion. 6. Therefore, we select Viswanathan Anand as the correct answer.


Verification / Alternative check:
You may recall news headlines such as “Anand wins World Rapid Championship in Riyadh” that appeared at the end of 2017. Reports highlighted that he defeated Vladimir Fedoseev in a playoff to secure the title, proving that he remained a dominant player in rapid chess even later in his career. No coverage described someone named Krishnan Anand as the champion, confirming that this is just a distractor name.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Krishnan Anand: Not the correct spelling or name of the World Rapid champion; likely included to confuse candidates. Vladimir Fedoseev: The runner up in the playoff, not the champion. Veselin Topalov: A former classical world champion, but not the winner of the 2017 World Rapid in Riyadh.


Common Pitfalls:
One pitfall is to misread the slightly altered name and assume it refers to the same person. Another is to confuse the runner up with the champion when both names are in the options. Carefully noting that the question asks for the winner and remembering the exact spelling of Viswanathan Anand helps avoid such errors.


Final Answer:
The Indian chess legend who won the World Rapid Chess Championship 2017 in Riyadh is Viswanathan Anand.

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