Chess legends Viswanathan Anand and Garry Kasparov are set to renew their iconic rivalry in St Louis, starting Wednesday, in an exhibition match titled "Clutch Chess: The Legends." The event will feature the two former world champions competing in a 12-game Chess960 i.e. Fischer Random, match spread over three days. Ahead of the clash, Kasparov joked about their head-to-head record during a broadcast, stating, “It’s entertaining. I think I should give Vishy a chance to improve our score!”
The match introduces a unique scoring system designed to increase pressure as the event progresses. On the first day, a win will be worth one point. This value doubles to two points on the second day and triples to three points on the final day, with draws also earning proportionally more points each day. The format will use a mix of rapid and blitz time controls over four games daily.
Kasparov, who holds a 15-3 lead over Anand in classical games, acknowledged his opponent's current form while downplaying his own preparation. “He’s playing very good chess and he’s very much in chess, I am not. But I’ll enjoy it. Let’s see if I manage against Vishy even if my chess preparation is almost non-existent,” Kasparov said. Despite the lopsided classical record, Anand defeated the Russian legend in their most recent encounter at the 2021 Croatia Rapid and Blitz tournament.
A total prize fund of $144,000, approx. ₹1.27 crore is at stake, with the winner earning $70,000 and the runner-up taking home $50,000. If the match is tied after 12 games, the prize will be split 50-50, where each player will recieve $60,000, approximately Rs 53 lakh. There will be bonus money of $24,000, for 12 games. On Day 1, there will be a $1,000, per game per win scenario, and on day 2 it will be $2,000 per game per win. Day 3 will also include $3,000 per game per win.