Garry Kasparov
13th World Chess Champion; Chairman, Renew Democracy Initiative
Born in Baku, Azerbaijan, in the Soviet Union in 1963, Garry Kasparov became the youngest world chess champion in history in 1985. In 2005, still ranked #1, he retired from professional chess to form the Russian pro-democracy opposition against the rising dictatorship of Vladimir Putin. In 2012, Kasparov was named chairman of the New York-based Human Rights Foundation. Facing imminent arrest during Putin’s crackdown, Kasparov moved from Moscow to New York City in 2013. In 2017, Kasparov founded the Renew Democracy Initiative, dedicated to promoting the principles of the free world through education and advocacy. Bringing together leaders and representatives from across the political spectrum, RDI has become a leading voice for political reform and standing up for democratic values against authoritarian regimes and influences worldwide. Kasparov is a regular contributor to many major publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, CNN, and The New York Daily News. His Twitter and Facebook boast over a million followers. His books include: How Life Imitates Chess, Winter Is Coming, and Deep Thinking.
