Vishwanathan Anand with a fan after a week’s quarantine in Bangalore. (Source: Facebook/Varun Aiyar)

Viswanathan Anand, the former world chess champion, has longed for home for too long but that wait has ended finally.

The 50-year-old had been stuck in Germany for over three months due to the travel restrictions and lockdown imposed to control the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. After competing in the Chess Bundesliga, he managed to reach Bangalore last week where he had been kept under quarantine at the Taj Hotel.

Anand is now headed to Chennai where he will follow home quarantine for two weeks. “Finally good to be coming home,” he tweeted on Saturday.

Sharing the good news with his fans, Anand wrote, “Thanks @tajmgroad. Was a very comfortable stay. Although we were in quarantine it was pleasant.. Even our medical tests and screening were done very efficiently. Hope to be back and enjoy your hospitality!

Thanks @tajmgroad . Was a very comfortable stay. Although we were in quarantine it was pleasant.. Even our medical tests and screening were done very efficiently. Hope to be back and enjoy your hospitality!

— Viswanathan Anand (@vishy64theking) June 6, 2020

I would like to thank the medical staff and doctors who did our screening daily. Their work and patience in dealing with so many of us has to be commended. My deepest gratitude to all of you.

— Viswanathan Anand (@vishy64theking) June 6, 2020

In a photo shared by his fan, who was on the same flight as his, the chess ace can be seen standing at a distance from him after their week’s quarantine in Bangalore in adjacent rooms.

The fan wrote, “Padma Vibhushan Vishy Anand, a genius, an inspiration and above all a down to earth human. For starters, not once did he seek special treatment, always used the general queue with us (in the airport, daily health check etc). Have always been and will always be a die hard fan (on and off the board) of this gentleman!”

Anand was staying near Frankfurt and was doing online commentary for the Candidates tournament which was called off mid-way due to the pandemic and led the Indian team in the Online Nations Cup early this month.

Anand had been in touch with his family in Chennai on a regular basis via video calls and kept himself busy with chess-related work.