

Day One
by Brian Jerauld
After 10 long years of retirement, the 13th World Champion of Chess Garry Kasparov returned to his old black-and-white stomping grounds Saturday afternoon -- reappearing with a style so familiar, one could question if he had left the game only yesterday. At the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, Kasparov took sides for only the fourth time since 2005, re-emerging for the Battle of the Legends match against his famous foe-turned-friend counterpart, famed English Grandmaster Nigel Short.

"Can I take notes?" "No, Nigel, you may not..."
Dueling through one Rapid game of chess followed by four Blitz contests, Kasparov fell right back into his animated groove of play -- tossing cursory glances into the air, then feverishly pressing his face through his hands -- and to the fans’ delight, returning to his memorable aggression on the board. Kasparov took a 3.5-1.5 lead over Short in the two-day, ten-game Battle of the Legends match, first settling with a wonderfully fought draw in the Rapid control, then smashing through with victories in three of the four Blitz.
“It’s easy for me to play the sharp game, where I see the straight lines,” Kasparov said. “But when you’re out of practice, it is extremely difficult to play a slow maneuvering game. Nigel was right dragging me into positions where the lack of practice helps -- and you could see that in game three.”

Garry with an initiative in game one of the blitz
That third game, the second Blitz contest of the afternoon, perhaps revealed the only sign of rust given from Kasparov’s retirement: Neglecting his old, ticking friend. Intensely focused on seeing through a balanced position, Kasparov simply ignored his dwindling clock -- later revealing he felt “disconnected” from it -- and let his final seconds run out to provide Short his only win of the day. Kasparov rebounded with two victories to close the afternoon, however, including the day’s only win with the white pieces in Game 5.
“To be honest, I’ve never played with a delay in my life -- never, in any sort of important game,” Short said of the 5-minute, 3-second delay Blitz time control. “I haven’t quite got the hang of that. Also, I tried a little bit to exploit Garry’s lack of practice, put a little bit of clock pressure on him. It was a conscious idea, but I missed a lot of things. I was disappointed.”
For his part, Short defended wonderfully in the match’s opening Rapid round. In a Bogo-Indian, Short’s early 4...c5 slowed Kasparov for a moment of recall, finally deciding on 5. a3 to earn the bishop pair but a delay in development. He worked his way through, however, with the nifty 10. Nb5.
And by 19. Qg3 and 20. f4, the legendary Kasparov was once again on the attack. Short tried to add complications, centralizing with 20...Nd4 and attacking the white rook with 21...Bc4, but Kasparov ignored the attack, accepting the exchange while continuing to peck away at Black’s castle. Short’s clock fell below 7 minutes before finding 23...Kh8 and, worse, his opponent had found a familiar stance: Intently and aggressively leaning across the board.
England’s former child prodigy held his own down the stretch, however, finding all the right moves in a sharp position that required them. He removed white’s menacing white knight by returning the exchange with 24...Rxd5, then confidently played 26...fxe5 to challenge Kasparov’s dangerously forcing back-rank threat. White fully destroyed black’s castle protection, forcing the black king to cower in the corner, but the bishop pair could not help the queen break through black’s last line of defense. With 41. Qd8+, Kasparov entered into threefold repetition.
Replay and check the LiveBook here |
Please, wait...
1.d4 e6 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 Bb4+ 4.Nbd2 c5 5.a3 Bxd2+ 6.Qxd2 cxd4 7.Nxd4 0-0 8.e3 8.g3 d5 9.cxd5 Qxd5 8...d5 9.cxd5 Qxd5 10.Nb5 Qc6 10...Qxd2+ 11.Bxd2 Nc6 12.f3 11.f3 a6 12.Nc3 12.Nd4 Qc7 12...e5 13.e4 Nbd7 13...Be6 14.Qf2 Nc5 15.Be3 Nb3 16.Rd1 Be6 17.Be2 Rfd8 18.0-0 Ne8?! 19.Qg3!? f6 20.f4! Nd4 21.Bh5! 21.fxe5?! Nxe2+ 21...Qxc3 22.Bxd4 22.bxc3?? Nxe2+ 23.Kf2 Nxg3-+ 22...Qxg3 23.hxg3 22.Nxe2 Rxd1 23.Rxd1 Qxe4 21...Bc4 22.fxe5! Bxf1 23.Rxf1 Kh8 24.Nd5 24.Qh4! 24...Rxd5 25.exd5 Qxd5 26.Qf2?! 26.Qh3! Qxe5 27.Bg6 h6 28.Bxh6 26...fxe5 27.Qf8+ Qg8 28.Qe7 Nf6 29.Rxf6! gxf6 30.Bh6 Nf5 31.Qxf6+ Ng7 32.Qxe5 Rc8 33.Bf3 Qf7 34.h3 b5 35.Be4?! 35.Bd2! 35...Re8 36.Qd4 Qe7 37.b4 Qe5 38.Qd7 Qa1+ 38...Re7! 39.Qc8+ Ne8 39.Kh2 Rxe4 40.Bxg7+ Qxg7 41.Qd8+ Qg8 42.Qf6+ Qg7 43.Qd8+ Qg8 ½–½
- Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
- Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
- Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
- Create an account to access the games cloud.
Kasparov,G | 2812 | Short,N | 2664 | ½–½ | 2015 | E11 | Legends Rapid Match 2015 | 1 |
Please, wait...
Despite applause from the surrounding fans, Kasparov leapt from the board and looked exasperated to not have found the way to win.
“People always ask me if I still play,” he said. “I ask them ‘What do you mean by play?’ For me, playing chess is being fully engaged. You find yourself at a chess set, watched by a lot of people not just here in Saint Louis, but worldwide - there is some pressure.”

Garry sacrificed a pawn in the style that made him famous
He looked comfortably fine when he returned to his seat for Saturday’s first Blitz game, delivering a fine attacking victory with the Black pieces out of a symmetrical English. After castling, Short found himself up a pawn but in an extremely unhappy position - worse after giving up his best piece, the white squared bishop with 17. Bxc6. Kasparov revealed his not-subtle intentions with 20...f5 and by 30...Be5, white was ready to collapse under the pressure.

The end of a great battle
Replay and check the LiveBook here |
Please, wait...
30...Be5 31.h5? 31.Nd5! Qxd3 31...Rxd3 32.Qe2 32.Nxe3 dxe3 33.Re1 31...Bxf4 32.hxg6+? 32.Rxf4∞ 32...Qxg6! 33.gxf4 Qh5 34.Rxe3 dxe3 35.Qh2 35.Re1 Rg8 36.Qxg8+ Kxg8 37.Rxe3 Qg4+ 35...Rg8+ 36.Kh1 e2 0–1
- Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
- Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
- Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
- Create an account to access the games cloud.
Short,N | 2664 | Kasparov,G | 2812 | 0–1 | 2015 | A36 | Legends Blitz Match 2015 | 1 |
Please, wait...

Deep in thought at all times
The final Blitz game of Saturday left the afternoon with a thrilling cap, seeing Short make a last-second error in a queening race and an otherwise book draw. Kasparov as white found himself with a precarious looking position out of the opening, offering a queen trade with 13. Qxf4 that left him with the bishop pair but also a horribly ugly pawn structure.
A pawn exchange on d4 let the lethal bishop pair loose, and Kasparov’s emphasized 24. Rd6 ushered in a nifty exchange on c6 to hurtle toward the endgame. Short soon found himself up a pawn, but was only allowed play that made him feel like he was down a full piece -- realized with 44...Nxe7, sacrificing the knight to eliminate white’s impending queening threat.
At this point, Kasparov was below 15 seconds on his clock, while Short enjoyed a full minute -- though it was the Englishman who folded in time pressure.
Replay and check the LiveBook here |
Please, wait...
44.Bf6 Nxe7 44...Rxe7+!? 45.Rxe7 45.Bxe7 Ng7+ 46.Kf7 Kxd7 47.Bxc5 45...Nxe7 46.Bxe7 45.Bxe7 Ra8 46.Rd6+?! 46.Rd8! Ra7 47.Bd6! 47.Rc8+ Kb7 48.Rxc5 a3 49.Bf6 a2 50.Ba1 47...a3 48.Rc8+ Kb5 49.Kd5! a2 50.Rb8+! Ka5 51.Be5 46...Kb5 47.Rd5 Rc8 48.Rd3 Ra8 49.Rc3 49.Rd5! 49...c4 50.Kf7 Ra7! 51.h5 Rd7 51...Rxe7+! 52.Kxe7 Kb4 53.Rc1 c3 54.h6 Kb3 55.Kf7 Kb2 56.Rg1 c2 57.Kg7 a3 58.Kxh7 a2 59.Kg7 c1Q 60.Rxc1 Kxc1= 52.h6 Rd3 53.Rc1! a3 53...Rd7! 54.Kf8!+- 54.Kg8 a2 55.Bf6 c3 56.Kxh7 Kc4 57.Kg8?! Rg3+ 58.Bg7?? 58.Kf7! Rh3 59.Kg6 Rg3+ 60.Bg5 Rxg5+ 61.Kxg5 Kb3 62.h7 Kb2 63.Rxc3! a1Q 64.h8Q 58...Kb3 59.h7 Kb2 60.Rh1 Rxg7+! 61.Kxg7 c2?? 61...a1Q 62.Rxa1 Kxa1 63.h8Q c2 62.h8Q c1Q 63.Kf7+ Qc3 64.Rh2+ Kb3 65.Qxc3+ 1–0
- Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
- Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
- Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
- Create an account to access the games cloud.
Kasparov,G | 2812 | Short,N | 2664 | 1–0 | 2015 | D02 | Legends Blitz Match 2015 | 4 |
Please, wait...

Nigel certainly disappointed with the last round of the day
Sunday afternoon will bring the exciting conclusion to the Battle of the Legends: Kasparov vs. Short, with one more Rapid game and four additional Blitz games to begin at 2:00 p.m. CDT. The games can be viewed live on www.uschesschamps.com, with commentary from Grandmasters Maurice Ashley and Alejandro Ramirez set to begin 10 minutes before the first move.
Photos by Austin Fuller
Replay All Games

Replay and check the LiveBook here |
Please, wait...
- Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
- Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
- Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
- Create an account to access the games cloud.
Select from the dropdown menu to replay the games
Format: two rapid and eight blitz games. Time Control: Rapid - 25 minutes, plus a 10-second delay per move; Blitz - 5 minutes, with a 3-second delay. For example, if the delay is five seconds, the clock waits for five seconds before counting down. Schedule:
Date |
Time |
Event |
April 24 |
2:45 PM |
Opening Ceremony & Chess Tour 2015 Press Conference |
|
4:00 PM |
Simultaneous Exhibition by Garry & Nigel |
April 25 |
2:00 PM |
Rapid Round 1, Blitz Rounds 1-4 |
April 26 |
2:00 PM |
Rapid Round 2, Blitz Rounds 5-8 |
|
5:00 PM |
Autograph Session with Garry & Nigel |
All times are local to Saint Louis, MO, USA (CDT). The rapid games start at 2:00 p.m. = 21:00h CEST – here is the time in your location. Both match days for Battle of the Legends will be streamed live on U.S. Chess Champs, featuring world-class commentary from International Grandmasters Maurice Ashley and Alejandro Ramirez, as well as post-game interviews and analysis with Kasparov and Short.