Garry Kasparov is a human rights activist, promoter of democracy, and the former World Chess Champion.
Born in the Soviet Union, Kasparov is widely considered the greatest chess player in history, having held the World Chess Champion title from 1985 until 2000. In 2005, Kasparov retired from the sport to devote his time to the advancement of human rights and democracy.
An outspoken critic of Vladimir Putin, Kasparov created the United Civil Front, a social movement with the mission of preventing Russia from returning to totalitarianism. In 2013, facing imminent arrest, he left Russia.
In 2017, Kasparov founded the Renew Democracy Initiative to defend against the rise of political extremism and illiberalism in the free world. Along with Masih Alinejad and Leopoldo López, Kasparov later co-founded the World Liberty Congress, which aims to unite dissidents from around the world to fight against authoritarian regimes. Additionally, he served as chairman of the Human Rights Foundation from 2011 to 2024.
Now living in New York, Kasparov is a frequent contributor to major international news publications and is a critical voice pushing back against the world’s most repressive leaders.
