Thirty years after their iconic 1995 World Championship clash, Garry Kasparov once again got the better of Viswanathan Anand, winning the Clutch Chess Legends match 13–11 with two games to spare.
Kasparov Clinches Contest Before Blitz Games
Kasparov led the match 10–5 heading into the final day, where 12 points were at stake. After a hard-fought draw in the opening game, Anand looked poised to strike back but a miscalculated trade in a queen-and-minor-piece endgame cost him dearly. The Russian legend sealed the series victory even before the last two blitz games, which Anand later won to reduce the margin.
The final scoreline read 13–11, with Kasparov pocketing USD 78,000 and Anand earning USD 66,000 from the USD 1,44,000 prize pool.
Flashback to 1995 Championship Duel
The result echoed the events of October 10, 1995, when Anand conceded the Classical World Championship to Kasparov 7.5–10.5 at the World Trade Center in New York. Just like then, Anand’s late wins came after the match was already decided.
Kasparov Reflects on Victory
“I’m treating it as a show,” said Kasparov, 62. “I’m pleased that people followed it online. I didn’t expect to end this match as a winner.”
He acknowledged that time pressure and experience played key roles. “I think I was more resilient than Anand expected,” Kasparov said, hinting that “the ghosts of the past” might have affected his opponent.
The legendary champion concluded, “It’s my sacred duty to entertain people, even though my chess abilities are a pale shadow of what they were before.”
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