 "Garry Kasparov points towards the clock during Game 5 against Viswanathan Anand in Clutch Chess: The Legends. Image credit: Screengrab/chess24")
The highly-anticipated showdown between chess icons Garry Kasparov and Viswanathan Anand in USA’s St Louis has had its fair share of drama in the first two days of the three-day event titled ‘Clutch Chess: The Legends’. Among them is something one would normally not associate with a legend of the game – Anand forgetting about his clock and losing a game against the Russian legend due to time running out.
The unusual incident took place on Day 2 of the clash between the two former world No 1s at the Saint Louis Chess Club during Game 5 – the first game on Thursday that was played in the rapid format. Five-time world champion Anand, playing as black, had the advantage over his opponent at one point, and was looking to start the day on a winning note.
Kasparov, however, noticed his opponent running out of time and was seen pointing towards the clock, which helped him collect two points.
One win would then lead to another, with Kasparov triumphing over his 55-year-old opponent in Game 7, this time in the blitz format.
With two wins and as many draws on Day 2, Kasparov surged to a five-point lead over Anand in the exhibition series that is taking place three decades since their face-off on top of New York City’s World Trade Centre in the 1995 Classical World Chess Championship.
Can Vishy Anand fight back and pip Kasparov in St Louis?
The Russian legend, who officially represents Croatia after gaining the country’s citizenship in 2014, currently leads the contest 8.5-3.5.
Despite the five-point deficit, Anand can still fight back on the final day and finish ahead of his former rival, with 3 points being awarded for each victory on Day 3. Each day features a total of four days – two each in rapid and blitz time controls in the Chess960 a.k.a. FischerRandom format, where the back pieces are randomly arranged before the start of each game.
Games on Day 1 had 1 point for each win and half-a-point for a draw. The corresponding numbers for Day 2 were 2 points for a win and 1 point for a draw.
The event carries a prize money of $144,000 – with the winner collecting $70,000 and the loser $50,000. The remaining $24,000 are distributed in the form of bonus cash, the value of which increases with each passing day.