Chess and boxing have much in common - both are mano-a-mano sports where each opponent tries to inflict damage on the other. Both sports have their version of "cornermen". boxing has trainers, while chess has seconds. There's a physical and psychological battle that happens before, during, and after the match.
Boxing uses a "Tale of the Tape" to compare fighters before a bout. You can do something similar for chess, but only if both players are active. In this Clutch Chess 960 match between Garry Kasparov and Viswanathan Anand, only one player has been active - albeit semi-active. So, there will be no Tale of the Tape this time.
Who's going to win this battle of the minds? In 1995, the answer was easy: Garry Kasparov. Anand struggled to beat Karpov back then, and that gave Garry all the confidence he needed. After a short feeling-out period, Kasparov won their match decisively.
Kasparov retired from chess in 2005 and hasn't been very active since. In the past two years, he's played just nine games. Anand, on the other hand, is still semi-retired but remains far more active, playing over 41 games in the same period, including two encounters with Magnus Carlsen (though he lost both). Anand remains in the top 20 in all three FIDE rating lists - classical, blitz, and rapid - hovering around positions 12-13.
Anand also serves as mentor to India's top players through the Vishy Anand Chess Foundation, in partnership with the All India Chess Federation (AICF). Since 2022, he has personally guided top talents like Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, Gukesh Dommaraju, Nihal Sarin, and others - helping them prepare for Candidates, Olympiads, and World Cups. His focus is on opening preparation, psychological readiness, and understanding the culture of elite tournaments.
"I'm not giving them lines to memorize - I'm sharing how to think like a top player." - Anand (2023)
Based on Anand's recent activity and form, he must be favored in a 12-game match against Garry Kasparov. As General Douglas MacArthur famously said:
"Old soldiers never die, they just fade away."
This is true for chess players too - if they don't stay active, they fade. With Clutch Chess rules awarding higher prizes for later wins, Garry might try to pull a rabbit out of his hat. But Anand is still competing against the very best and is less than 100 points behind Carlsen in rating.
Prediction: Anand wins this match 8-4. Anand will put the final "Super K" behind him. Old chess players never die - they just fade away.