Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
It is often said of Garry Kasparov that his intellectual abilities are so strong that they have enabled him to conquer two worlds—as a world chess champion and a champion of democracy.
Kasparov became the youngest World Chess Champion at age 22 in November 1985, when he defeated his longtime rival Anatoly Karpov.
He later lost a famous match to a computer called Deep Blue, an event that had important implications for the future of technology and artificial intelligence.
Kasparov dominated the game until March 2005, when he retired from professional chess to become a politician and proponent of democracy, emerging as a leading opponent of autocratic systems, especially Vladimir Putin’s regime in Russia.
He has spoken and written extensively about the cause of democracy.
Kasparov has written several books, including:
How Life Imitates Chess
Winter Is Coming
My Great Predecessors
Deep Thinking
This is an important moment to talk about the conflict between democracy and authoritarianism, as wars rage in Ukraine and Iran and political battles unfold around the world.
We will discuss many issues, including the wars in Ukraine and Iran, the fear of a broader war in the Middle East, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, and the ongoing struggle between democracy and authoritarianism.
Kasparov was born in Baku, Azerbaijan, which was formerly part of the Soviet Union. He now lives in New York City and travels around the world making the case for democracy.
It is often said of Garry Kasparov that his intellectual abilities are so strong that they have enabled him to conquer two worlds—as a world chess champion and a champion of democracy.
Kasparov became the youngest World Chess Champion at age 22 in November 1985, when he defeated his longtime rival Anatoly Karpov.
He later lost a famous match to a computer called Deep Blue, an event that had important implications for the future of technology and artificial intelligence.
Kasparov dominated the game until March 2005, when he retired from professional chess to become a politician and proponent of democracy, emerging as a leading opponent of autocratic systems, especially Vladimir Putin’s regime in Russia.
He has spoken and written extensively about the cause of democracy.
Kasparov has written several books, including:
How Life Imitates Chess
Winter Is Coming
My Great Predecessors
Deep Thinking
This is an important moment to talk about the conflict between democracy and authoritarianism, as wars rage in Ukraine and Iran and political battles unfold around the world.
We will discuss many issues, including the wars in Ukraine and Iran, the fear of a broader war in the Middle East, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, and the ongoing struggle between democracy and authoritarianism.
Kasparov was born in Baku, Azerbaijan, which was formerly part of the Soviet Union. He now lives in New York City and travels around the world making the case for democracy.
