Kasparov, Garry vs Kramnik, Vladimir, Linares 15th

Round 13 of the 1998 Linares 15th tournament was a draw between Kasparov and Kramnik. Linares had by 1998 established itself as the strongest annual chess tournament in the world. The 1998 edition featured Kasparov, Kramnik, Anand, Shirov, Topalov, Ivanchuk, and others.

The draw was a Closed Spanish (Ruy Lopez), a classical opening both players knew thoroughly. The 1998 Linares became famous for the theoretical sophistication of its games — players had spent months preparing for each other, and the resulting positions reached move 25 already past the boundary of existing published theory.

The 1998 Linares was won by Anand and Shirov co-first with 7/11. Kasparov finished third; Kramnik finished co-fourth. The result was Anand’s first major super-tournament victory at Linares — a milestone in his career. He would win Linares again in 2007 and 2008.

The Closed Spanish — the system in which this draw was played — was the most-analyzed opening at elite level during the 1995-2005 period. Kasparov’s contributions to its theory were extensive; his games against Kramnik and Anand at Linares produced novelties that appeared in subsequent World Championship preparation. The 1998 draw was part of that broader theoretical conversation.