The Fischerandom Ordering

Viswanathan Anand – Garry Kimovich Kasparov

Clutch Chess: The Legends; match game 3; time control: 5 minutes plus 3 seconds per move; Saint Louis, October 8, 2025

rnkqbrnb/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNKQBRNB w FAfa - 0 1

Position #635

1. e4 e6 2. g3 d5 3. f4 dxe4 4. Bxe4 g6 5. Nc3 Bc6 6. Bf3 Ne7 7. Bf2 Nf5 8. Qe2 Nd4 9. Bxd4 Qxd4 10. 0-0-0 0-0. Classically speaking, an anomalous position with heterogeneous castling has arisen in some particular way (how did the White dark-squared Bishop come out?), but of course that’s another story entirely!
11. Bxc6 Nxc6 12. Nf3 Qb6 13. Ne5 Rad8 14. Qe4? It doesn’t serve White’s cause.
14. ... f5 15. Qe2 Nxe5 16. fxe5 Rd4 17. Rf4 Rfd8 18. Rxd4 Qxd4 19. Re1 c6 20. Qe3 Bg7 21. Qxd4 Rxd4 22. d3 g5 23. a3 Kf7? An inaccuracy which allows White to reorganise and consolidate his army. 23. ... Rd7! 24. b4 Kf7 would have maintained Black’s advantage.
24. Ne2 Rd7 25. d4 c5 26. c3 cxd4 27. cxd4 h5 28. Kc2 Bh6 29. Kd3 g4 30. a4 Bg5 31. a5 h4 32. b4 a6 33. Rb1 Bd8 34. Nc3 Kg6 35. Na4 Be7 36. Nc5 Bxc5 37. bxc5

37. ... f4! 38. gxf4 Kf5 39. Ke3 Rg7 40. Rg1 Rg8 41. Rb1 Rg7 42. d5! exd5 43. Rb6. Threatening mate at f6.
43. ... g3 44. Kf3 Rg6!

45. Rxg6?? A catastrophic blunder in real no time. White could hope for salvation only by not exchanging Rooks: 45. hxg3! (or 45. Kg2! d4 46. hxg3 Rxg3+ with similar lines) 45. ... Rxg3+ (both 45. ... h3?? 46. g4+! Rxg4 47. Rf6# and 45. ... Rxb6?? 46. axb6 h3 47. c6 would be ruinous to Black) 46. Kf2 Kxf4 47. e6 (or 47. Rxb7 Kxe5) 47. ... Rg7 48. c6 bxc6 49. Rxc6 h3 50. Rc3 Rh7 51. e7! Rxe7 52. Rxh3 with a tablebase draw.
45. ... Kxg6 46. hxg3. 46. Kg2 gxh2 47. Kxh2 d4 is the same ending as in the game.
46. ...h3 47. g4 d4 48. f5+ Kg7 49. e6 h2 50. Kg2 d3 0–1.

“I expected him to be much quicker in the time trouble, and I think when we reached the critical moment of the game, there was basically a minute left, I did a better job”, Kasparov eventually said. Photo: Lennart Ootes/Saint Louis Chess Club.