Viswanathan Anand Is 'At The Airport' After His 'Kidnappers' The Botez Sisters Let Him Go

A viral image featuring Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand alongside chess players Alexandra Botez and Andrea Botez recently left the internet in splits. In the picture, Anand was photographed while standing between the two sisters, who were all similes. Anand, on the other hand, stood straight and maintained a poker faced expression. Alexandra, sharing the photo on X, humourously suggested that they appeared as if they had kept Anand as a hostage. Responding to the viral picture hours later, Anand joined the fun on his official handle and shared a selfie from the airport. The Grandmaster jokingly stated that his kidnappers finally let him go.

Adding a twist to the tale, the chess legend shared a follow-up post and revealed that through a tricky chess game, the sisters agreed to grant him his freedom. Sharing the post, Anand wrote, “At the Airport. My Kidnappers, let me go.” In another post, he added, “Alexandra Botez told me I had to solve a chess position to win my freedom. Andrea asked what Black should play in this position. I told her Kd5, and they let me go.”

Viswanathan Anand added further clarification and mentioned that in the race, the black side should play Kd5. This move would slow down the progress of the white king towards the queen side.

In response to the post, a user joked about the honesty of the kidnappers.

Another person admired the generosity of these kidnappers and wished for the same experience for everyone.

Adding to the fun, an individual humourously asked Anand if they could also get kidnapped by the Botez sisters.

Another questioned whether Viswanathan Anand’s scared expression in the post was a result of Alexandra and Andrea making him take the picture at a gunpoint.

One more comment added, “Pun with a poker face. Vishy the real king.”

Since Viswanathan Anand shared the post on X, it has garnered over 1 lakh views. Earlier, the chess great surprised the internet by showing his singing skills at Lollapalooza 2024. During the performance of iconic singer Sting, Anand was spotted lip syncing and proudly singing most of The Police’s songs and Sting’s solo albums.

For those not aware, Alexandra Botez and Andrea Botez are popular chess players and influencers known for their activities on social media platforms like Twitch and YouTube. They often live stream their chess games and collaborate with other content creators or prominent personalities.