Chess Extra
March 11, 2005
Garry Kasparov Retires
| ASSOCIATED PRESS -
Friday, 11 March , 2005, 15:02 MOSCOW -- Garry Kasparov, the world's youngest-ever chess champion and undisputed king of the game for the last two decades, made a stunning move Friday: He retired from professional play. The announcement by the Russian grandmaster -- the world's top-ranked chess player since 1984 and considered by some the best in the history of the game -- came shortly after he won the 14-match Linares tournament in Spain on Thursday, despite losing the final game. He said Friday he wanted to concentrate more on politics in Russia. He has emerged as an outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin and is playing a leading role in the Committee 2008: Free Choice, a group formed by prominent liberal opposition leaders. "I will do everything in my power to resist Putin's dictatorship. It is very difficult to play for a country whose authorities are antidemocratic," he said. Kasparov, 41, became the youngest world champion ever at age 22. He said part of the reason he was retiring was that he saw no goals left to accomplish in professional chess. Said Alexander Roshal, chief editor of 64, a leading chess magazine in Russia: "He's not going to be greater than he was or is." Kasparov's 1997 match against IBM supercomputer Deep Blue was seen by some as a watershed moment in technological advancement. He lost. See video clip of Garry Kasparov speaking on retirement. Sound Clip: Chess Great Kasparov May Move into Politics |