After 25 years, two chess legends are set to make their next move.

Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov will reignite one of the games’ greatest rivalries with a re-match of their world championship contest.

The Russian grand masters will begin a 12-game re-match, starting in Valencia, Spain on Tuesday.

Both offered hints on how they plan to play.

[Anatoly Karpov, Chess Grand Master]:
"The art of chess and the art of defense is just to prevent anybody from taking your king."

[Garry Kasparov, Chess Grand Master]:
"I will try to enjoy myself because I have no professional aspirations in the game of chess and for me it will be an opportunity to recover some great memories and well, if I am lucky, to play a good game of chess."

The original match was often described as too tedious, too long and offering a whole new meaning to the phrase board (bored) game.

It ended in controversy when the World Chess Federation called it quits without a clear winner after five months of play and 40 draws.

Then reigning champion Karpov had won five matches while Kasparov had three victories.

Both players said they wanted to play on, but authorities cited health concerns and it has taken a quarter of a century to break the stalemate.

Now, an estimated 10 million chess fans will follow the upcoming event.

For them, it won't matter whose king goes down. It will still be a chess piece of history.