Garry Kasparov

Garry Kasparov, born on April 13, 1963, is a renowned Russian chess grandmaster, political activist, and prolific writer. He made history by becoming the youngest undisputed world champion in 1985 at the age of twenty-two, defeating the then-champion Anatoly Karpov. Over his illustrious career, Kasparov held the World Chess Championship title from nineteen eighty-five until two thousand, and he was ranked the world's number one player for an unprecedented two hundred fifty-five months.

Kasparov's peak FIDE chess rating of two thousand eight hundred fifty-one, achieved in nineteen ninety-nine, remained the highest recorded until it was surpassed by Magnus Carlsen in two thousand thirteen. He is also celebrated for his remarkable achievements, including the most consecutive professional tournament victories, totaling fifteen, and winning the prestigious Chess Oscars eleven times.

In nineteen ninety-seven, Kasparov faced a historic match against the IBM supercomputer Deep Blue, becoming the first world champion to lose to a computer under standard time controls. Despite this setback, he continued to dominate the chess world until his retirement from regular competitive play in two thousand five, maintaining his status as the highest-rated player at that time.

After stepping away from chess, Kasparov shifted his focus to writing and political activism. He authored the acclaimed book series My Great Predecessors, which chronicles the history and games of previous world champions. He also founded the United Civil Front movement and was a prominent member of The Other Russia, a coalition opposing Vladimir Putin's administration. Following his departure from Russia in 2013 due to fears of persecution, he settled in New York City and later obtained Croatian citizenship.

Kasparov has remained active in promoting democracy and human rights, serving as chairman of the Human Rights Foundation from 2011 to 2024 and founding the Renew Democracy Initiative in 2017, which advocates for liberal democracy both in the United States and internationally.