Garry Kasparov, the former world chess champion recently targeted by a Russian arrest warrant, is widely regarded as the greatest player in the history of the game. Over a career spanning more than two decades at the top, Kasparov set records for dominance, longevity, and competitive distance that remain unmatched in modern chess.
Kasparov held the world No. 1 ranking for a total of 255 months, or more than 21 years, the longest reign since the Elo rating system was introduced in 1971. The second-longest run belongs to Magnus Carlsen, who has spent 186 months at the top. Carlsen would need to remain world No. 1 for roughly six more years to surpass Kasparov’s record.
Beyond longevity, Kasparov’s dominance over his peers was exceptional. In 1990, he led Anatoly Karpov, the world’s second-ranked player at the time, by 82 Elo points. The gap between Karpov and the rest of the field was already a sizable 38 points. Karpov himself is often ranked among the top 10 players of all time, and many observers believe he would have been world No. 1 for more than two decades if not for Kasparov’s presence.
Kasparov also set records in tournament success. From 1981 to 1990, he won 15 major tournaments in a row, a streak unparalleled at elite level. Over his career, he captured more than 120 international titles, including nine victories at Linares, long regarded as the “Wimbledon of chess.” He remains the most decorated winner of the Chess Oscar, claiming the award 11 times as the world’s best player of the year.
In terms of rating strength, Kasparov reached a peak Elo of 2851 in 1999, a record at the time. That mark was later surpassed by Carlsen in 2013, and Carlsen now holds the highest rating ever recorded at 2882. Despite breaking Kasparov’s numerical records, Carlsen has repeatedly named him as the greatest player in history. Speaking to Chess24 in 2021, Carlsen said Kasparov was “the best of all time,” praising both his work ethic and his rare natural talent. Carlsen has also said Kasparov was the only chess genius he would rate a perfect 10.
Born on April 13, 1963, in Baku, then part of the Soviet Union, Kasparov showed prodigious talent at an early age. At just 10, he was admitted to the chess school of former world champion Mikhail Botvinnik, who also trained Anatoly Karpov and later Vladimir Kramnik. In 1974, Botvinnik famously wrote that “the future of chess lies in the hands of this boy.”
That prediction proved accurate. In 1985, Kasparov defeated Karpov to become world champion at the age of 22, making him the youngest champion in history at the time. He held the title until 2000, when he lost to Kramnik, yet he remained world No. 1 by Elo rating until his retirement in 2005.
After stepping away from professional chess, Kasparov became active in politics and emerged as one of the most prominent critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has lived abroad for many years, including periods in the United States and Croatia.
On December 23, a Moscow court issued an arrest warrant in absentia for Kasparov, accusing him of publicly justifying and promoting terrorism through statements related to President Putin. Under Russian law, the charge carries a potential prison sentence of five to seven years if he were to be detained on Russian territory or extradited.
While the legal case has drawn renewed attention to Kasparov’s political stance, his standing in chess history remains firmly established. By records, titles, and the judgment of his greatest successors, Garry Kasparov’s dominance continues to define what greatness looks like in the game of chess.
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