Precisely 30 years after Garry Kasparov defeated Viswanathan Anand in the 1995 PCA World Chess Championship Match at the World Trade Centre in New York, the Russian legend prevailed over the former world champion from India again — this time in St Louis in an exhibition event called ‘Clutch Chess: The Legends’. Kasparov and Anand squared off in 12 rapid and blitz battles over three days in the freestyle (chess960) format, where Kasparov defeated his one-time arch-rival Anand by a 13-11 scoreline on the exact same date — October 10 — that he had become world champion in 1995.
The Kasparov vs Anand battle from 1995 had given the world the iconic imagery of the duo playing chess on the 107th floor of the World Trade Centre with the city of New York playing a backdrop to the game. This time around, they played in the freestyle format (where the pieces on the back ranks are shuffled which allows for the possibility of 960 different starting positions rather than the traditional one).
There was also a unique system in place for the event: a rising points system where a victory on day 1 counted for one point, day 2 counted for two points and day 3 counted for three points. Kasparov had taken a five-point lead into day 3, and sealed his victory in two games of day 3. Anand then won the final two games of the event.
Garry Kasparov and Viswanathan Anand analyse a game at the Clutch Chess: The Legends exhibition clash. (PHOTO: Lennart Ootes via St Louis Chess Club)
“To my old friend and rival Vishy, the buildings where we battled in 1995 are long gone and even the rules of the game were different, but we are still here!” Kasparov posted on X while making a reference to the ill-fated WTC towers that were brought down by terrorists in the September 11 attacks. He added: “Thanks to organizers and all the fans for their support in St Louis and here online, it made this rare return to the chessboard much more enjoyable. I don’t think I’ve still ‘got it’ as some said, but I still have a little more than I thought!”
The tournament was structured in a way that both players would play two rapid and two blitz games each day over the three-day event. Overall, Kasparov won two rapid and two blitz games while Anand won two blitz games at the end after Kasparov was already assured victory.
Anand admitted that this was his first chess960 (freestyle) event in 20 years. Asked to describe the experience of playing at the event after the first day, Anand had called it “jumping in the deep end”.
While Kasparov called time on his career in 2005, Anand calls himself semi-retired. They last played each other in five-minute games in Zagreb in 2021 in a rare showdown. Before that, they had played against each other frequently till 2005, when Kasparov had retired from the sport.
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Kasparov said that Anand was in some “psychological discomfort” during the three days.
“He had some psychological discomfort. It didn’t go well for him from day one and I think it’s just that his score against me historically is bad and somehow, probably just the ghosts of the past visited him during the game,” Kasparov said in an interview with St Louis Chess Club’s YouTube channel afterwards.
Kasparov is one of the most ferocious contenders the sport has ever seen, a man notorious for staring down his opponents across the chess board and his pronounced body language tics like shaking his head during games. His style has been described as a “knockout kind of chess” by Magnus Carlsen, who regards Kasparov to be the greatest chess player in history.
Compassionate side
But the exhibition games against Anand brought out his compassionate side. He apologised to Anand after winning the first game of day 2 (Thursday) when the Indian lost track of his clock and lost after his time ran out while he was in a winning position. He repeatedly lamented that he did not win this way.
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“(Overall) it was a very difficult fight and I think that I was extremely lucky in many games. There were few moments where the tables could have turned. I actually played a few good games. It’s probably those I have not won. I would have preferred to lose game one (of day 2 when Anand lost on time dispute being in a winning position) or just to force a draw which I could do easily. I would rather win game two on day 2. So it’s probably a fair balance. Of course I just totally relaxed today after game two (winning the event),” Kasparov told grandmaster Maurice Ashley in the interview for the St Louis Chess Club YouTube page.
Anand’s loss on time was a rare instance that the Indian GM, nicknamed the Lightning Kid in his younger days for his proclivity to play fast, had lost after his time had bled out. What was even more shocking was that Anand had a winning position.
“I saw at one point I had 1 minute, 26 seconds and then I don’t know I should have looked at the clock again. I just completely forgot and I was so absorbed in this. Then when the arbiter came (to inform him he had lost), it was the biggest shock,” Anand said after losing on time.
Thanks to the win, Kasparov pocketed a prize money of $78,000 (approximately Rs 70 lakh), including a bonus. Anand, meanwhile, brings back $66,000 (approximately Rs 58 lakh).
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Kasparov went on to add: “I’m not a professional player. I had very little expectations before the match. I was quite surprised to find myself in this situation.”
