Kasparov became the youngest ever undisputed World Chess Champion in 1985 at the age of 22. He held the official
FIDE world title until 1993, when a dispute with FIDE led him to set up a rival organization, the
Professional Chess Association. He continued to hold the "Classical" World Chess Championship until his defeat by
Vladimir Kramnik in 2000. He is also widely known for being the first world chess champion to lose a match to a computer, when he lost to
Deep Blue in 1997.
From 1984 to 1990, Kasparov was a member of the Central Committee of
Komsomoland a
CPSU member.
Kasparov announced his retirement from professional chess on 10 March 2005, to devote his time to politics and writing. He formed the
United Civil Front movement, and joined as a member of
The Other Russia, a coalition opposing the administration of
Vladimir Putin. He was a candidate for the
2008 Russian presidential race, but later withdrew. Widely regarded in the West as a symbol of opposition to Putin, Kasparov's support in Russia is low.
He coached the current world's number-one ranked chess player,
Magnus Carlsen, from March 2009 through March 2010.