Vishy Anand revisits his ten iconic wins over Garry Kasparov
If the chess world had an Oscars, Viswanathan Anand and Garry Kasparov would take home the award for best on-board duo! The sheer drama and brilliance they create on board is the stuff of legend! Every game between them is a spectacle, which is what we witnessed recently at the Clutch Chess Legends 2025. Before the event, Anand walked us through ten of his most iconic victories against Kasparov. He shared insights, the moments we never knew about, the times he doubted himself, and what was really going through his mind while facing Kasparov. Come take a look at this unforgettable journey through chess history. Photo: Lennart Ootes
Anand-Kasparov: The timeless pairing!
Few rivalries in chess history have carried as much weight or produced as much brilliance as those between Viswanathan Anand and Garry Kasparov. For many years, their encounters were the benchmark of top-level chess. Their styles pushed each other to new creative heights. The pairing was back for the Clutch Chess Legends 2025 event at the Saint Louis Chess Club. Before the event, the five-time world champion, Viswanathan Anand, relived ten of his most remarkable victories over Kasparov.
“Once he is in the room with me, a lot of old memories come back. We are not just playing here, we are also playing the past,” Anand said.
So let’s turn back the clock to relive the magic of Anand vs Kasparov!
Viswanathan Anand’s 10 iconic wins over Kasparov
The first game takes us back to the elite Interpolis tournament in Tilburg, Netherlands, in 1991. It was a defining moment in Anand’s early career. He was 21 years old, finding his feet among the world’s best. Yet, he went on to do the unthinkable. Anand defeated both “formidable Ks”, Kasparov and Karpov, in the same event. It was nothing short of sensational!
“I played 6. f4, pressed the clock, and Garry did his famous facial gesture. I thought, what the hell have I done? Did I blunder something?” Anand described the early moments of the game.
Viswanathan Anand vs Garry Kasparov
Garry played 8… Qb6, a tempting move to pin the knight. But black should have completed the development of pieces first.
“I realized I have to go Be3 because I cannot block in any other way. And if I play Be3, he takes on b2. So what am I going to do? I was feeling embarrassed. I mean, you get a chance to play Garry and you waste it like this. What am I doing?” Anand said.
But that embarrassment was short-lived. For Black, there was no way of going back. To protect the queen, Black may try to retreat it to c7, but it just loses the tempo. This tactical mistake from Black initiated chances for White. Anand came up with the best move of this game, 10. Ndb5.
Kasparov has calculated 10… axb5 11. Nxb5 Rb5 to be better for Black, but in reality, it was quite the opposite.
“I had not analyzed it in that kind of depth but once you have given the b2 pawn, it's not poison. What's the point? So I found a way with 11. Nxb5 and I just followed the path: 11… Ra5 12. Rb1 Rxb5 13. Rxb2 Rxb2.
Kasparov still believed this position offered him chances. But as the game unfolded, Anand’s precise moves began to tell. “My pieces were giving Garry more problems than it looked. I had a feeling that I was navigating more stretches, I was surviving and suddenly, in a few moves, the whole thing collapsed.” Anand recalled.
In 1991, Anand was told by a group of Russian grandmasters that he could, at best, become a coffee-house player because he hadn’t trained in the Soviet school of chess. This happened during the Reggio Emilia Chess Tournament, and the next game is from the same tournament.
Garry Kasparov vs Viswanathan Anand
After Kasparov played 18. Bxf6, Anand played 18…Bg6, a great move and the only move that saves Black from the danger.
18… Qa1+ might look tempting, but after 19. Kd2 Qxh1 20. Rxe4 gxf6 21. Qg4+ Kh8 Qh4, Black is completely losing. Anand showed brilliant defensive accuracy by moving the bishop.
Garry Kasparov vs Viswanathan Anand
White tried some counterplay with 23. Rah3, creating a direct mating threat on the kingside. What is the move for Black to stop the checkmate?
Anand also reflected on how he felt about the game:
“There are days when you make moves you didn’t even know you considered, or you didn’t know you could make such moves. But they just flow naturally. This was one of those days.”
Anand went on to win the Reggio Emilia tournament and showed that the next champion might come from outside the Soviet circle!
You should have a look at this historic game, which was not played between Anand-Kasparov, but Paul Keres-Efim Bogoljubov. The game was played in 1943, much before Anand and Kasparov were born!
The highlight of that classic encounter was the bold move 6. g4 played by Keres for the first time.
Paul Keres vs Efim Bogoljubov
Black faltered in response and went down in just 32 moves! This daring opening later came to be known as the Keres Attack, and decades later, Anand decided to revive a similar position against Kasparov at the Immopar Rapid tournament in Paris, 1992.
Viswanathan Anand vs Garry Kasparov
Anand’s position improved steadily as the game progressed. The game was memorable, no doubt, but what happened off the board made it even more special. After the game, Anand and Kasparov got so engrossed in analyzing their moves that they completely forgot they were supposed to address the audience! The two were quite oblivious to the laughter in the audience as everyone watched them analyze. It must have been a fun moment to watch two of the greatest minds in chess united as curious students!
The PCA Intel Rapid in Moscow (1995) saw a clean, confident display from Anand. There were no fireworks this time, just great precision and control from Anand’s side. It showed that sometimes, the win doesn’t need drama on the board! The game ended in just 28 moves.
It was the calm before the storm. It was the build-up to their World Championship showdown later that same year!
Just like in any sport, the World Championship is the ultimate stage in chess. Fans are super excited for the decisive results, but their excitement turns into sighs if the games end in draws. When the Anand-Kasparov World Championship match took place in 1995, the first eight games ended in a draw! It was a test of patience for both players and fans. Then came game 9. Anand finally broke through and scored the first win of the tournament. What a moment that must have been!
Viswanathan Anand vs Garry Kasparov
At this point, White’s position looked promising. Anand played 27. Rd5, a great move, which increased the pressure on the board. You would not expect Kasparov to respond with 27...Nxd5. When he did, it caught Anand off guard for a moment. Yet his instincts proved correct. From that position, Kasparov’s position began to crumble.
“It turned out to be a nice one. Unfortunately, my only win in that match.” Anand recalled with a smile.
Anand’s next memorable win against Kasparov came in Geneva in 1996. Anand was coming off a frustrating first game and decided to do something bold.
“I was just furious with myself. I thought, why do I keep giving him free points? So I told myself, whatever, I will just play the King’s Indian. At least it will be fun, and a nice joke to play against him!” Anand said.
The King’s Indian was Kasparov’s pet opening. So Anand using it against him was quite brave. He expected Kasparov to take a calm route and settle for a draw. But the world champion seemed caught between two ideas: playing for safety, and for initiative. That indecision cost him.
Garry Kasparov vs Viswanathan Anand
The position was slightly better for Kasparov until he played 34.h5 gxh5 35. Nd7+, which was a terrible mistake. The better option was simply to capture the h-pawn. What followed was an exciting rook endgame!
In another game from the same tournament, Anand was completely losing.
Viswanathan Anand vs Garry Kasparov
33. Re1 was Anand’s last hope to survive… and it worked! Black’s completely dominant position began to collapse with his move 33… Qxe3. Anand came with a beautiful move 34. Qxg4. Kasparov realised his mistake. His famous expressions said it all!
Next came a gem from the Chess Classic Giants, Frankfurt in 1998. This game is remembered for one elegant move: 18. Nd1. It might remind you of Anand’s famous knight maneuver against Kamsky. This one was also very beautiful!
Viswanathan Anand vs Garry Kasparov
“Somehow, the position just played itself. Nowadays, many people play b3, Bb2, castle, and then rotate the knight around. But back then, this maneuver was quite strong.” Anand said.
Fast forward to Zagreb, decades later, Anand and Kasparov faced each other again, this time in the Croatia Grand Chess Tour. By now, the rivalry had turned into something gentler.
Over the years, Kasparov’s expressions have become as iconic as his chess itself. Anand laughed when asked if that ever affected him. “I think it will happen again for sure,” he said. “Maybe the most difficult part is that you forget it ever happened! When you talk to Garry, it feels normal. For sure, some of the positions will be so wild that we will both look at each other and not know what’s happening.” Anand laughed.
And Anand was absolutely right…
You can check out the full interview here:
