Noted for his phenomenal memory, Kasparov memorized thousands of chess
games and matches.
Is considered by many not only the best chess player in the world, but
the best of all time.
Kasparov is pronounced kahs-PAH-rof. His father was named Kim
Moiseyevich Weinstein, but died when Garry was seven, and the boy
later adopted the Russian version of his mother's Armenian maiden name,
Kasparian.
His parents had thought to teach him music, but one day at the age of 5
he suggested to them the solution to a chess problem they had been
baffled by the night before. His mother, Klara, gave up her job to
travel and work with him when he qualified for the World Championship.
Chess expert Gabriel Schoenfeld once called Kasparov the "Mikhail Baryshnikov" of
chess.
Fluent in both English and German.
Chairman, "Human Rights Foundation International Council".
Kasparov's 15-year reign as world chess champion ended in October 2000, when he was defeated by 25-year-old Vladimir Kramnik.
Born at 11:45pm-BAT
After holding the official FIDE World Chess Champion title from 1985 to
1993, he left the organization and founded the Professional Chess
Association, whose World Champion he was until 2000.
Retired from professional chess on 10 March 2005 due to his political
ambitions.