May 22nd, 2014
Milton Friedman Prize for Advancing Liberty 2014
Cato Institute Event – New York City – The Waldorf Astoria – May 21, 2014
In his keynote, Garry Kasparov said he’s working on a book about “the shift away from traditional American values of liberty, risk-taking and sacrifice.”
The title of the project — which he noted, he never has time to finish — is “Un-American.”
“In my opinion, there’s much about America in 2014 that fits this description all too well,” the Russian former chess world champion and human rights activist said at the lectern.
Kasparov criticized Americans’ favoring comfort over sacrifice.
American Dream
“We have forgotten that the American dream is not simply to get rich. Immigrants came to American to give their children a better life. If they got rich, that was OK.”
He took aim at hyper-partisanship and an over-focus on limiting the size of government rather than the powers of government. He praised Ronald Reagan for having “principles and credibility that only principles can provide.”
As for the way forward, he called for America to “rediscover the values of big challenges, of doing things because they are hard. It is undemocratic to expect government or an employer to take care of you beyond security and a level playing field.”
The event also included the presentation of the Milton Friedman Prize for Advancing Liberty, named for the Nobel laureate economist and University of Chicago professor who championed free markets and individual responsibility. The biennial prize of $250,000 went to Leszek Balcerowicz, former deputy prime minister and finance minister of Poland whose “shock therapy” helped build a free-market-based economy after Communism fell in Europe.
“Thanks to him, Poland has become a success story that gives Putin nightmares,” Kasparov said.
via Bloomberg.com
May 12th, 2014
KASPAROV IN MALAYSIA
- Thoughtful: Garry Kasparov (right) and TalentCorp Malaysia CEO Johan Mahmood Merican contemplate their game, as Johan’s son Kieran (left) looks on. Also pondering their next move are (from third left, seated) Royal Selangor executive director Chen Tien Yue and Pelaburan Mara chairman Datuk Sohaimi Shahadan. – MOHD SAHAR MISNI/The Star
Kasparov was in Malaysia last month to help promote chess in education and campaign for his bid to become the next president of the World Chess Federation (usually known by its French acronym, FIDE, for Fédération internationale deséchecs).
His trip here was organised by the Malaysian Chess Federation and the Umno Youth Economic Bureau.
One of the events he attended was a charity chess drive dinner held at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre.
GARRY KASPAROV SLAMS FIDE OVER WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
May 7th, 2014
Written by Phillip Corry
Former world chess champion and grand master Garry Kasparov has slammed world chess governing body FIDE for failing to get sponsorship for the World chess championship match between Magnus Carlsen of Norway and Viswanathan Anand of India which will be held on November 6 at a venue yet to be announced.
The chess legend who was in Uganda last week campaigning for the next FIDE elections slammed the world chess body in a tweet directed to the leader Kirsan Ilymuzhinov.
Not surprisingly, former World champion Garry Kasparov, never a fan of FIDE or its current president Kirsan Ilymuzhinov, has criticised sharply the world governing body’s inability to find a sponsor for the Carlsen-Anand match.
“It says everything when Ilyumzhinov’s FIDE cannot find sponsorship for a World championship match with charismatic young World champion,” he tweeted.
KAMPALA, UGANDA
May 3rd, 2014
By JACINTA ODONGO
- A chess enthusiast takes on Kasparov during an exhibition game in Kampala on Thursday. Photo BYGEOFFREY SSERUYANGE
So far, only one candidate has registered to unseat Kirsan Ilyumzhinov as president of the World Chess governing body, FIDE Garry Kasparov. And, in connection to his campaign he returned to Uganda this week to try and garner support to unseat Ilyumzhinov, who has led Fide for 18 years. FULL STORY
- Grandmaster Garry Kasparov was an inspiration to Ugandan chess phenom Phiona Mutesi.
UGANDA HAS GREAT CHESS POTENTIAL – GRAND MASTER GARRY KASPAROV
May 2, 2014
Written by David Isabirye
Former World chess number one player, Grand Master (GM) Garry Kasparov has lauded the diligent effort of the Uganda Chess Federation (UCF) towards promoting the game especially among the youth.
“Surely Uganda is on the right track. The Uganda Chess Federation is commended for their effort to teach the game to youngsters and maintaining the crop of great identified players”, Kasparov said during a special press conference held at Copper Chimney restaurant in Lugogo on Friday.
Kasparov is in Uganda for a two day visit. His visit to the ‘pearl of Africa’ is envisaged by many as a platform to solicit for solidarity among the East African nations ahead of the forthcoming world FIDE elections set to take place in Tromso, Norway in August 2014.
Grandmaster Kasparov still has everything to play for
April 22, 2014
Never one to play politics poker-faced, he also took aim at the present FIDE president and fellow countryman Kirsan Ilyumzhinov.
Mr Kasparov said the incumbent’s strange behaviour was giving chess a bad name.
Mr Ilyumzhinov has publicly announced he had been abducted from his apartment by aliens and was frequently photographed with Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi before his death.
Mr Kasparov said the Australian government should recognise chess as a sport and that the game must try to attract more sponsors globally. There seemed to be no corporate backers of the game apart from a few clandestine deals involving Russian oligarchs, he said.
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