Russian legend Garry Kasparov was crowned Clutch Chess: The Legends 2025 champion after a dramatic 13-11 victory over his Indian counterpart Vishy Anand in an exciting final hosted by the St. Louis Chess Club in the United States, as part of the opening events for the club's expanded building.
The tournament, which was played using the Chess960 (Fischer Random), featured high-level competition between two of the greatest chess players in history, with the match spanning 12 games divided between Rapid rounds with a time limit of 25 minutes + 10 seconds, and Blitz rounds with a time limit of 5 minutes + 3 seconds.
The final day began with a draw between the two champions, before Kasparov won the second rapid game after Anand made a mistake in a rook exchange at the end of the game. However, Anand came back strongly, winning two Blitz rounds to close the gap and finish the tournament with a respectable performance, before Kasparov clinched the final match from position 294 to confirm his superiority with a 13-11 victory.
Kasparov received a cash prize of $70,000 in addition to side bonuses, while Anand received $50,000 plus $13,000 in bonuses for winning some of the decisive rounds. The total prize money for the tournament was $144,000.
After the coronation, Kasparov expressed his happiness at returning to competition, saying, "I am no longer a professional player, and my expectations were modest, but I am proud that I am still able to perform at a level befitting my history."
Rex Sinclair, founder of the St. Louis Chess Club, praised the high technical level of the tournament, saying, "What happened today enshrines the spirit of the game and embodies the club's vision of transforming St. Louis into the world capital of chess."
With this victory, Kasparov adds another title to his legendary career, confirming that he remains the toughest opponent in the world of chess, while Anand came out with his head held high after a strong performance that brought to mind their historic battles for the world title.