Garry Kasparov

Lore & Background

Kasparov was born Garik Kimovich Weinstein in Baku, Azerbaijan SSR, to a Jewish father and Armenian mother. After his father died of leukemia when he was seven, he adopted his mother's surname Kasparov at age twelve. He began serious chess study at seven, trained at Mikhail Botvinnik's chess school, and won the Soviet Junior Championship at age 13. By 1984, he became the youngest-ever world No. 1 player.

Kasparov became the youngest undisputed world champion in 1985 at age 22 by defeating Anatoly Karpov. He defended the title against Karpov three times (1986, 1987, 1990). In 1993, a dispute with FIDE led him to form the Professional Chess Association. He lost the 'Classical' world title to Vladimir Kramnik in 2000. In 1997, he became the first world champion to lose a match to a computer under standard time controls, defeated by IBM's Deep Blue.

After retiring from competitive chess in 2005, Kasparov turned to writing and politics. He formed the United Civil Front, opposed Vladimir Putin's administration, and fled Russia in 2013 fearing persecution. He later lived in New York City, obtained Croatian citizenship in 2014, and was designated a 'foreign agent' by Russia in 2022. He chaired the Human Rights Foundation from 2011 to 2024 and founded the Renew Democracy Initiative in 2017.

Reader's Guide

Garry Kasparov's significance extends beyond his dominance in chess, where he held the world No. 1 ranking for a record 255 months and set a peak rating of 2851. His 1997 loss to Deep Blue marked a pivotal moment in human-computer interaction. Politically, he became a prominent critic of Vladimir Putin, leading opposition movements and eventually going into exile. His legacy includes coaching Magnus Carlsen in 2009–2010, during which Carlsen rose to world No. 1, and authoring the book series My Great Predecessors. Kasparov's career illustrates the intersection of intellectual achievement, technological change, and political activism.

Did You Know?

• Kasparov was named after U.S. President Harry S. Truman, whom his father admired for opposing communism.
• He adopted his mother's surname Kasparov at age twelve after his father died.
• He was the first world champion to lose a match to a computer under standard time controls, defeated by Deep Blue in 1997.
• He coached Magnus Carlsen in 2009–2010, during which time Carlsen rose to world No. 1.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"Garry Kimovich Kasparov (born 13 April 1963) is a chess grandmaster and political activist." — Garry Kasparov "The public must come to see that chess is a violent sport. Chess is mental torture." — Garry Kasparov "As quoted in Martin Amis's review of "Kasparov-Short" by Raymond Keene, Independent on Sunday, November 1995." — Garry Kasparov "In conclusion, if you want to unravel the multitude of secrets of chess then don't begrudge the time." — Garry Kasparov