Garry Kasparov
Garry Kasparov is a Russian chess grandmaster, author, and political activist, best known as World Chess Champion from 1985 to 2000.
Garry Kasparov is a Russian chess grandmaster, author, and political activist, best known as World Chess Champion from 1985 to 2000. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest chess players in history and became the youngest undisputed world champion at age 22. After retiring from professional chess, he became a prominent critic of the Russian government and an advocate for democracy and human rights.
Early life and chess development
Kasparov was born in Baku in 1963 and rose quickly through junior chess ranks in the Soviet Union. He became international grandmaster after winning the 1980 World Junior Championship.
World championship career
Kasparov defeated Anatoly Karpov in 1985 to become world champion and went on to defend his title in later matches. In 1993, a dispute with FIDE led to a split in the world championship, but Kasparov remained widely recognised as champion until 2000.
Deep Blue matches
Kasparov's matches against IBM's Deep Blue in 1996 and 1997 attracted global attention. He won the first match and lost the rematch the following year.
Political activism and later career
After leaving professional chess, Kasparov became active in politics, democracy advocacy, and human-rights work. He has also written books and spoken publicly as a critic of Vladimir Putin's government.
Key facts
- Won the World Chess Championship in 1985 at age 22, becoming the youngest undisputed world champion at the time.
- Held the world championship title until 2000, including the period after FIDE stripped him of recognition in 1993.
- Reached a peak FIDE rating of 2851 in 1999, which was a record until surpassed by Magnus Carlsen in 2013.
- Played highly publicised matches against IBM's Deep Blue in 1996 and 1997.
- Retired from professional chess in 2005 and later focused on political activism, writing, and human-rights advocacy.
Kasparov has been a frequent international speaker and public figure whose books, commentary, and political advocacy have been of interest to Canadian chess readers and audiences concerned with democracy and human rights.
Frequently asked questions
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References
- Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garry_KasparovSupports: Birth name, birth date, world championship years, peak rating, and general career overview.
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — https://www.britannica.com/biography/Garry-KasparovSupports: World championship in 1985, youngest world champion claim, Deep Blue matches, and political criticism of Vladimir Putin.
- Kasparov.com — https://www.kasparov.com/biography/Supports: Birth in Baku, Soviet Union, early junior chess achievements, and later human-rights and pro-democracy work.
- Chess.com — https://www.chess.com/players/garry-kasparovSupports: Birth details, retirement year, federation, peak rating, and career context.
- Britannica — https://www.britannica.com/summary/Garry-KasparovSupports: Chronology of championship matches, FIDE split in 1993, Deep Blue results, and 2000 loss to Vladimir Kramnik.