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Old rivalry, new packaging: Why Vishy Anand and Garry Kasparov are facing off again on chess board

The format for the Anand vs Kasparov clash will be very unique, with wins starting to count for more points as the tournament progresses.

Former world champions Garry Kasparov and Viswanathan Anand during a Grand Chess Tour event in Zagreb in 2021. (PHOTO: Grand Chess Tour via Lennart Ootes)

Viswanathan Anand and Garry Kasparov—two world champions, who once faced off against each other on the 107th floor of the World Trade Centre’s South Tower with the city of New York acting as a backdrop—will be facing off once again in St Louis from tomorrow in an innovative format called Clutch Chess: The Legends.

The format will be very unique, with wins starting to count for more points as the tournament progresses.

Kasparov had even taken a light-hearted dig at Anand a few weeks back when asked about the prospect of playing his old World Championship rival.

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“It’s entertaining. I think I should give Vishy a chance to improve our score!” Kasparov joked during the live broadcast of the fifth round of the Sinquefield Cup tournament. “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.”

We break down everything you need to know about the clash:

What is the format for the Anand vs Kasparov clash?

The Anand vs Kasparov clash—titled Clutch Chess: The Legends—will be a twelve-game Chess960 (Fischer Random) match played with both rapid and blitz time controls.

The match will be 12 games long. Four games will be played each day, regardless if the winner of the match has already been decided.

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Viswanathan Anand takes on Garry Kasparov at the Saint Louis Chess Club. (PHOTO: Grand Chess Tour via lennart Ootes)

Now here is where things get interesting: On the first day, a win shall be worth 1 point, a draw 0.5 point, and a loss 0 points. On the second day, a win shall be worth 2 points, a draw 1 point, and a loss 0 points. On the third day, a win shall be worth 3 points, a draw 1.5 points, and a loss 0 points.

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What will be the time controls for the Anand vs Kasparov clash?

For Rapid Games: twenty-five minutes per game, with a ten-second increment from move one.

For Blitz Games: Five minutes per game, with a three-second increment from move one.

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What is the prize money at stake for the Anand vs Kasparov battle?

The total prize fund shall be $144,000, distributed as follows: The winner gets: $70,000 (approximately Rs 62 lakh) while the runner-up takes home $50,000 (approximately Rs 44 lakh).

If the match is tied after 12 games, the prize will be split 50-50, where each player receives $60,000 (approximately Rs 53 lakh).

There will be bonus money of $24,000 (approximately Rs 21 lakh). for 12 games.

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On Day 1, there will be a $1,000 (approx Rs 88,000) per game per win

On Day 2: $2,000 (approx Rs 1.7 lakh) per game per win.

Day 3: $3,000 (approx Rs 2.6 lakh) per game per win