Garri Kasparov turns 60: a look back at the life of the chess master
Garri Kasparov, the Russian chess grandmaster, politician and writer, turns 60 today and remains an influential and respected figure in the world of chess and politics. Kasparov was world chess champion from 1985 to 1993, and PCA version world champion from 1993 to 2000. He is considered one of the greatest players of all time.
He changed his name in honor of his mother
He was born on April 13, 1963 in Baku, SSR of Azerbaijan, Soviet Union, today Azerbaijan. His original name was Garry Kimovich Weinstein, but he changed it to Kasparov in honor of his mother, Klara Kasparov. He learned to play chess at the age of five and soon demonstrated an extraordinary talent for the game.
World champion until 1993
He was a student of the legendary Mikhail Botvinnik and became the youngest world champion in history in 1985, defeating fellow Soviet Anatoli Karpov. Kasparov held the official world title of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) until 1993, when a dispute with the Federation led him to create a rival organization, the Professional Chess Association. He continued to hold the World Classical Chess Championship, until his defeat by Vladimir Krynik in 2000.
He has won the Chess Oscar eleven times.
Kasparov has topped the FIDE world rankings almost continuously from 1986 until his retirement in 2005, reaching in July 1999 a rating of 2851, the highest obtained until GM Magnus Carlsen’s achievement in April 2014, when the latter reached 2882 Elo points. He has also won the Chess Oscar eleven times.
He announced his retirement from professional chess in 2005.
He is also known for his clashes with computers and chess programs, especially after his 1997 loss to Deep Blue; this was the first time a computer defeated a World Champion in a game with tournament pace. Kasparov announced his retirement from professional chess on March 10, 2005 to devote his time to politics and writing on chess topics. He formed the United Civic Front movement and joined as a member of The Other Russia, a coalition opposing Vladimir Putin’s administration.
Author of several books
Kasparov has written several books on chess, politics and education. Among them are My Great Predecessors (2003-2006), How Life Imitates Chess (2007), Winter is Near (2012) and Deep Thinking (2017). He is also a regular contributor to media such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times or El País. In 2012 he received the UN Watch Award for his defense of human rights and democracy in Russia.
Activist and teacher
Kasparov has also created the Kasparovchess.com platform, where he offers educational and entertaining chess content for all levels. In addition, he continues to support the causes he considers just and denounces the injustices he sees in the world.
