Garry Kasparov is a Russian chess grandmaster who was born on April 13, 1963 in Baku, Azerbaijan SSR. He was regarded as the world's best chess player for over two decades and is widely considered one of the greatest players in history.
Kasparov became the youngest ever undisputed World Chess Champion in 1985 at age 22. He held the official FIDE world title until 1993, when a dispute with FIDE led him to set up a rival organization, the Professional Chess Association. He held that title until 2000 when he lost to Vladimir Kramnik.
Apart from traditional chess, Kasparov also played and performed well in simultaneous and rapid chess. Known for his fierce competitiveness, he introduced a greater emphasis on opening theory in his games, using a broad range of openings instead of only relying on a few established set-ups.
In 2005, Kasparov retired from professional chess to become more involved in politics and writing. He created the United Civil Front, a social movement based in Russia, which is considered part of the larger opposition movement The Other Russia. He has also entered Russian politics, aiming to oppose the policies of Vladimir Putin and his successive governments, ultimately running for the presidency in the 2008 election.
Kasparov has written extensively on chess and other subjects; his books include "How Life Imitates Chess" and "Winter is Coming" which predicts the collapse of the Putin regime in Russia.
In 2013, Kasparov was granted Croatian citizenship. The following year, he became the chairman of Human Rights Foundation, taking over from Thor Halvorssen. He remains actively involved in politics, human rights activism, and providing commentary on global events.
In 2021, Kasparov criticized the decision of the International Chess Federation to hold the World Chess Championship in Dubai, due to what he perceived as a lack of human rights in the United Arab Emirates.
Throughout his career, Kasparov won a record eleven Chess Oscars, highlighting his dominance and contribution to the game.