Chess Win ‘Relegates Fischer to History Books,’ Kasparov Crows
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AMSTERDAM — World chess champion Gary Kasparov equaled a world record rating Saturday set by legendary U.S. champion Bobby Fischer at the height of his career 17 years ago.
The 26-year-old Soviet champion equaled Fischer’s 1972 rating of 2,785 ELO points by beating Johann Hjartarsson of Iceland in an international tournament in the southern Dutch town of Tilburg.
“This is great for chess. . . . It relegates Fischer to the history books,” Kasparov said on Dutch television.
Chess commentators expect Kasparov to break Fischer’s ELO record Monday with a win over Norwegian grand master Simen Agdestein in the final round of the Tilburg tournament.
ELO ratings are calculated using a complex mathematical formula that takes into account the number of wins and defeats and the strength of opponents.
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