Milestones

   
1963 April 13, Garry Kimovich Kasparov was born in Baku, Azerbaijan, then part of the USSR.
1968 Age 5, taught by his father, Kasparov begins playing chess.
1976 Age 12, in January, Kasparov wins Soviet Junior Championship and repeats one year later.
1980 Age 17, Kasparov wins World Junior Championship and earns Grandmaster status.
1984 Challenged Karpov for the world title, resulting in the longest and most famous match in chess history. After five months, the President of the International Chess Federation called the match off citing player fatigue.
1985 Age 22, Kasparov beats Karpov and becomes youngest World Champion in history – Moscow Nov 9th, 1985.
1985 Kasparov becomes World’s #1 rated player for the first time and from January 1986 retains the #1 rating until retirement in 2005.
1990 Kasparov tops 2800 rating, then the chess equivalent of breaking the 4-minute mile. With this leap he also surpassed the legendary Bobby Fischer’s record rating.
1995 Seventh world title match against Vishy Anand on 108th Floor of the World Trade Center where then-Mayor Rudi Guliani makes first move in the match.
1996-97 Kasparov and IBM’s Deep Blue each win one match. Kasparov in Philadelphia in 1996 and IBM in New York in 1997 – IBM refuses a rematch and dismantles the machine in 1998.
1999 Age 36, attains 2851 ELO rating, a record that stood until December 2012, seven years past his retirement.
2000 Loses the world championship title in London to protege and fellow Russian Vladimir Kramnik.
2002 The Kasparov Chess Foundation is launched in New York City with the goal of introducing chess into the education system. As of 2012 over 5000 schools in all 50 states use the KCF curriculum.
2002 Wins Linares to make it 10 super series tournament victories in a row.
2003 Kasparov plays two major computers matches, both drawn. One of the matches was unusual because Kasparov wore 3-D glasses and spoke his moves without ever touching the board.
2004 Garry Kasparov elected Co-chairman of the ALL-RUSSIA CIVIL CONGRESS.
2005 Wins the “Wimbledon of Chess” in Linares for the 9th time in 16 years on March 10th. At a closing press conference he announced his retirement from professional competitive chess.
2006 In May he founded the UNITED CIVIL FRONT OF RUSSIA, a pro-democracy organization opposed to the crackdown on rights by Vladimir Putin. He is still the UCF chairman and a prominent opposition leader.
2007 Speaks to audience of thousands at the World Business Forum at famous at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. After his lecture on decision-making and creativity Kasparov receives a standing ovation.
2007 Kasparov’s book on decision-making, "How Life Imitates Chess," is published. It is quickly published in over 20 languages.
2007 Kasparov is arrested and jailed for five days after co-leading an opposition march in Moscow.
2008-2012
 Kasparov expands speaking engagement themes to technology, innovation, and the combination of man+machine. Invited by Google, IBM, Fujitsu, GE, Palantir, Pegasystems, and other tech firms.
2009 Begins collaboration with Silicon Valley luminaries Peter Thiel and Max Levchin focusing on the crisis of technological stagnation and the anti-risk culture.
2012 Kasparov Chess Foundation Europe and KCF Africa are launched in Belgium and South Africa.
2012 Kasparov is arrested and beaten by police outside the Moscow courthouse where the Russian punk band Pussy Riot was being sentenced to prison. Kasparov was later aquitted.
2012 Elected to the leadership council of the Russian opposition movement.