By Matthew Schofield, Kansas City Star editorial columnist

The match of the year in the wide world of chess pits ... Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov. Uhm, haven't we seen this before?

In fact, didn't we see this 25 years ago? Well, yes, exactly 25 years ago, apparently, in 1984. And while there's nothign wrong with a bit of nostalgia, doesn't it say something about our rather nostalgic generation that instead of paying attention to the latest chess phenoms ( I mean, the current world number one is named Topalov, and no, I've never heard of him before either), we focus on a something we remember?

I mean, the fact that ESPN Classic exists to show us games that were played years ago is kind of a giveaway, isn't it?

It's not just sport, of course. How many trully horrible television shows from boomer land have been revived, turned into Hollywood movies.

We're comfortable in our pasts, I guess.

Of course, it's chess, so the sight of two grand masters slugging it out isn't nearly as disturbing the 1990s to present trend of sticking aging boxers in the ring.

It's probably not so different from the idea of the senior PGA in golf. I mean, while Kasparov famously lost 20 pounds in 1984 and the match was declared a draw over concerns for the health of both, what, chessers? chessits? chessifiers? you don't normally equate chess to grievous injury.

It's just that it seems like of Sisyphus-y. a sporting fate of constant repeats, never really meaning much?

Kasparov conceded that neither is still an active champion to the Spanish newspaper El País: "In this case, nostalgia will be a positive thing, and the duel will serve to put a spotlight on chess again, just like 25 years ago. In any case, we're both capable of playing high-quality chess."

Though, not necessarily all the time. Karpov, he noted, "stayed active as a player, even if the results aren't that great now, whereas I have not played a serious game for five years, which makes me doubt that I will be capable of recapturing my instinct."

Anyway, as this is the 40th anniversary of the Chiefs last Super Bowl win, I assume we can expect an oldtimers rematch?