Viswanathan Anand vs Garry Kasparov from October 7 to 11 in St Louis
Clutch Chess: Champions Showdown from October 27 to 29 at same venue
Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana also in fray
Indian legend Viswanathan Anand and Russian icon Garry Kasparov will renew their storied rivalry in Clutch Chess exhibition matches this October in St Louis, USA. The St Louis Chess Club noted, "This once-in-a-generation clash celebrates the legacy of two chess greats," marking a historic moment ahead of a series of high-profile events.
Kasparov and Anand's last encounter, at the 2021 Croatia Rapid and Blitz tournament in Zagreb, saw Anand emerge victorious. Over the course of their illustrious careers, they have faced each other 82 times, with Kasparov leading and 30 games ending in draws.
"Two former world champions, Garry Kasparov and Viswanathan Anand, go head-to-head in a special Clutch Chess (Legends) exhibition match from (October 7 to 11). The exhibition match will be the first event held in the Club's enhanced facility, reaffirming the city's role as the chess capital of the United States and a global leader in the game," the St Louis Chess Club stated in a press release.
The event will feature a USD 144,000 prize fund to be awarded across a 12-game Chess960 (Fischer Random) match between the two icons.
Champions Showdown To Feature Top-Ranked Players
Following the legends’ exhibition, the Clutch Chess: Champions Showdown is scheduled from October 27 to 29 at the same St Louis venue. This event will feature world no.1 Magnus Carlsen, the second-ranked Hikaru Nakamura, third-ranked Fabiano Caruana, and reigning world champion D Gukesh.
"With USD 412,000 in prize money, including daily win bonuses and a Champion's Jackpot, the stakes have never been higher," the club stated. The event uses an 18-game rapid double round-robin format (10 minutes plus a 5-second increment) with escalating point values: one point on Day 1, two on Day 2, and three on Day 3.
Carlsen currently leads Gukesh 31-12 in their head-to-head matches, with six draws recorded.
(With PTI inputs)
