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Kasparov holds Anand to a draw in comeback

Gary Kasparov playing Anand in the second game of the World Chess Championships on 12th September, 1995 in New York. JON LEVY/AFP/Getty Images

Making his return to competitive chess after 12 years, Garry Kasparov played out a draw against world No 10 Viswanathan Anand in the sixth round of the rapid event at the St Louis rapid and blitz tournament.

Facing each other in an official game for the first time since the 54 year-old's final tournament appearance in Linares in 2005, the old-time rivals signed peace after 31 moves.

The $150,000 tournament runs from August 14 to 19 and features ten of the world's best players, including four wildcard picks.

For Kasparov, it's been a fairly impressive comeback - five draws and a loss so far. The lone defeat he suffered was against world no. 15 Ian Nepomniachtchi, who's in the clear lead at the end of Round 6. Caught grimacing in almost every frame, shaking his head or staring hard at his opponent, Kasparov's signature expressions - seemingly heightened with age - were hard to miss.

Of the 78 games they've played against each other before this, Kasparov has 27 wins against Anand's eight, with the remaining 43 ending in draws. "My record with him was not very good when he stopped," Anand told ESPN prior to the tournament, "It didn't improve after he stopped either."

They will play each other in two blitz games next.

"In the end," Anand noted after the much-awaited faceoff, "we chatted like some World War I veterans."