Garry Kasparov stole the limelight on the opening day of the Clutch Chess series, defeating former world champion Viswanathan Anand in the third game to take a narrow 2.5-1.5 lead in the high-stakes contest underway. At 62, Kasparov showed that age has not diminished his chess acumen, reminding fans why he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in history.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The match follows the Chess 960 format, with pieces arranged randomly before each game. The first two games of the day ended in draws, with both legends cautiously navigating unfamiliar positions. Anand appeared to have the upper hand in the first game but faltered due to an unforced error, allowing Kasparov to escape with a draw. The third game proved decisive, as Anand entered a lost king-and-pawn endgame, giving Kasparov his first win of the day. The fourth game ended in a draw, leaving plenty of room for both players to improve their fortunes.The contest carries a total prize pool of USD 144,000, with the winner set to earn USD 70,000, the runner-up USD 50,000, and an additional USD 24,000 awarded for victories, with rolled-over money in case of draws.

With the second day approaching, stakes are set to rise. Each victory will now be worth two points, meaning Anand will need to win at least one game and draw the others to regain the lead. On the third day, victories will carry three points each, promising even greater drama.