Kasparov, << kuh SPAHR awf, >> Garry (1963-…), a Russian chess player, became the youngest world champion in chess history at the age of 22. He defeated defending champion Anatoly Karpov, also Russian, in 1985. He defended his title three more times against Karpov. Kasparov was known for his bold, imaginative style of play and was considered one of the best chess players in the history of the game.
Kasparov had long been critical of the Federation Internationale des Echecs (FIDE), the organization that governs chess internationally. In 1993, Kasparov and British challenger Nigel Short broke with FIDE in a dispute over arrangements for the next championship match. They formed a rival organization called the Professional Chess Association (PCA). FIDE then dropped both players from its rating list. Kasparov defeated Short in a title match sponsored by the PCA. He retained his PCA championship by defeating Viswanathan Anand of India in 1995. In 1996, Kasparov defeated an IBM computer in a special six-game tournament. In 1997, he lost to a more powerful IBM computer, called Deep Blue, in a six-game match.
The PCA dissolved in 1998. In 2000, Kasparov lost to Vladimir Kramnik of Russia in a world championship match sponsored by the Brain Games Network, a British Internet company. In 2005, Kasparov announced his retirement from professional chess and became involved in Russian politics. He founded The Other Russia, a coalition of differing parties and groups united in their desire for a more open and democratic Russia.
Garry Kimovich Kasparov was born in Baku, Azerbaijan, on April 13, 1963, when it was part of the Soviet Union. His family name was Weinstein. He took his mother’s maiden name after his father’s death. Kasparov has written a number of books about chess and public affairs.
