Epiphanies: Garry Kasparov

I was asked at the press conference after a tournament I won in 1997 or 1998, ‘What else is left for you in the world of chess?’ And I said that I have a son, who was born in 1996, and I want him to see his father win a big chess tournament. At the ...

I was asked at the press conference after a tournament I won in 1997 or 1998, 'What else is left for you in the world of chess?' And I said that I have a son, who was born in 1996, and I want him to see his father win a big chess tournament. At the end of 2004, I played the Russian national championship. [My son] was already 8, and I won very convincingly. At the closing ceremony, I got my gold medal and put it around his neck. And that was it.

I was asked at the press conference after a tournament I won in 1997 or 1998, ‘What else is left for you in the world of chess?’ And I said that I have a son, who was born in 1996, and I want him to see his father win a big chess tournament. At the end of 2004, I played the Russian national championship. [My son] was already 8, and I won very convincingly. At the closing ceremony, I got my gold medal and put it around his neck. And that was it.

For many Russians, millions and millions of them, 1991 was a disaster. Not that they had any illusions about the Soviet Union, but they wanted change, they wanted democracy, they wanted freedom, they wanted better lives, and instead they got a lot of horsesh*t.

I became gradually, not even angry, but ashamed at the events in my country. I recognized that I had a very tough choice: fight this regime or leave my country. Because seeing this bunch of criminals destroying the future of my country and doing nothing, I couldn’t bear it.

The final moment that shaped this decision was the Beslan [school massacre]. After I saw the tragedy at Beslan, I recognized that it was coldblooded murder, premeditated by Putin and his gang. The fact that the Kremlin, with no hesitation, ordered to burn down the school with kids and women — for me, that was the final call.

You should not be mistaken by the nice suits, the jets, the luxury yachts. [Putin and the oligarchs] are different and they will always hate you. The question is whether they will mix this hate with fear or with contempt. So far, the latter.

[The opposition in Russia] has no long-term strategy. We are struggling to survive day to day.

I remember one of the guards followed me to the roof [of the jail] where I was walking, and he asked me, ‘How is it that a man of great glory like you has ended up in jail?’ And I said, ‘In Russia, people are in jail for two things: for murder or for truth.’

More from Foreign Policy

Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.
Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.

Saudi-Iranian Détente Is a Wake-Up Call for America

The peace plan is a big deal—and it’s no accident that China brokered it.

Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.
Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.

The U.S.-Israel Relationship No Longer Makes Sense

If Israel and its supporters want the country to continue receiving U.S. largesse, they will need to come up with a new narrative.

Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.

Putin Is Trapped in the Sunk-Cost Fallacy of War

Moscow is grasping for meaning in a meaningless invasion.

An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.
An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.

How China’s Saudi-Iran Deal Can Serve U.S. Interests

And why there’s less to Beijing’s diplomatic breakthrough than meets the eye.