Gary Kasparoff

[nairakev]

Gary Kasparoff is a metisse (armenian mother, jewish father). His father died when he was 7 years old. He grew up with his mother's family in Baku (Azerbaijan). He was one of the last armenians to leave Azerbaijan, after azeri population organised massive pogroms on armenians in 1990-1991

[Harut]

if i'm not mistaken he grew up mostly with his Armenian relatives, right?

 

does he now consider himself an Armenian?

[Boghos]

Dear Harut,

 

I think Kasparov has not made it clear. Once he was a bit irritated with this whole story of people asking him if he was Armenian, felt Armenian, etc. He is very close to his mother, Clara, but this has much more to do with Oedipus than nationality, it seems.

[Harut]

apparantly i'm not as well educated as you are.
what does Oedipus mean?

[Vigil]

1963 -

 

13th World Champion, 1985 - 1993

PCA Champion, 1993 - present

 

Garry Kimovich Kasparov was born Gary Weinstein in Baku, Azerbaijan, USSR in 1963. Kasparov learned to play chess from his father who later died in a road accident when he was 7 years old. He subsequently changed his name to Kasparov, a Russified version of his mother's maiden name, Kasparyan. Kasparov's chess talent was apparent at an early age. In 1973 he attended the Botvinnik Chess School and Kasparov continued to make rapid progress. In 1975 at the age of 12 he became the youngest ever player to win the USSR Junior Championship. At 16 he won the World Junior Championship. He achieved the title of Grandmaster on his 17th birthday

 

In 1984 he challenged the current reigning World Champion, Anatoly Karpov for the title. This match was a hard fought battle and lasted 6 months, the longest in the history of chess. It was finally stopped by Florencio Campomanes, president of FIDE and a rematch ordered. In November 1985 Kasparov won the rematch against Karpov and became the youngest World Champion at the age of 22 years.

 

After long term friction with the international chess organisation, FIDE, Kasparov set up the rival organisation, the Professional Chess Association (PCA) and arranged a World Championship match in 1993 in which he beat British Grandmaster, Nigel Short. At the same time FIDE held their official Championship match between former World Champion, Anatoly Karpov and Jan Timman which Karpov won. Both Kasparov and Karpov claim the title of World Champion.

 

In 1996 Kasparov competed in a six game match against an IBM computer called Deep Blue. Kasparov won with a score of 4 games to 2 games. The following year, he competed against an improved version called Deeper Blue and was defeated 3.5 games to 2.5 games. It was the first time a Grandmaster had lost a series of games to a computer. He is currently the highest rated player there has ever been in the history of chess.

Edited May 31, 2004 by Vigil

[gamavor]

what does Oedipus mean?

 

Read Froyd! No, never ever read Froyd!

[Anonymouse]

Read Sophicles.

[gurgen]

Come, come, don't bully poor Harut.

 

Oedipus is a figure from Greek mythology who by accident killed his father and married his mother.

[mx5]

In 1986 I was playing with the Lebanese chess team at dubai ,(Althoug i've ended up being hiered by the FIDE for pairing the players on the computer)participating with the USSR team was also Kasparov.

one day i watched him in the playing hall chating with the members of his team including Karpov,ex-world chess champion,after hesitating for some time,i pulled myself up and aproached to him extended my hand and said: mr Kasparov my name is H.B i come from lebanon and im carrying with me a poster of our chess club which is named after you,and i asked him if he could autograph it for me.

all of the sudden all the bunch started laughing and shoutin muttering words in Russian, he looked back at me and said:we were watching you and we made a bet among each other that you most probably were a KGB informant and watching our conduct!!!

I replied that sure i was none of those but I was an Armenian for any metter of fact, again they shouted all together Kasparov extended his arm at me and shook my hand in enthusiasm,(luckily i have that moment on a photograph as the press happened to be there, they gave me a copy of it,which is one of my dearest memories ever)after he shook my hand he wanted to sign the poster but it wasnt with me at the moment I left it back in the hotel ,so he told me that he can authograph it whenever I got it.

at that moment I asked him the inevitable question ,in proxy of many Armenian chess players back at home( lebanon).

Mr. Kasparov are you an Armenian?

the answer came back spontaniously ,he said:Im half Armenian half jew!!

this phrase was so stuck in my mind that I dont remember anything of the eventual short chat that we had ,except when he said that he will sign my poster when I have it ready with me.

for the coming 13 days i just couldnt get hold of him it was just impossible.

it was the last day of the tournament ,from a distant I watched him playing in his designated box,I knew I had no chance for the authograph,but my consolation was the photograph I had with him.

just at that same moment, I saw him make his move on the board get up from his chair turn his head to my direction and starts walking towards me!!.

he exits out of his box and asks me to hand him the poster!!

all the attendants were realy surprised and puzzled,for what on earth was going on.

stupid of me, again I didnt have it with me , but this time it was in my office at the end of the hall,so I let him wait until an Indian coleague would fetch it for me!!

yes at last I had his signiture and sure have the whole action on photograph,together with many people sorrounding us.

 

This was my encounter of the third kind with Kasparov!!!

[mx5]

a chess tournament is taking place in the near future to comemorate world chess champion Dikran Bedrosian.

 

it is taking place in yerevan the match is between the best players of world against

the Armenian national chess team!!

 

Guess who is playing with the Armenian team?Kasparov!!

 

also the Hungarian Grandmaster Peter leko the worlds no:3 who got married Chess grandmaster Arshak bedrosian's daughter of Armenia.

 

also the Israeli Grand master Boris Gelfend (ex-Belorussian and Dikran's student)!!!

 

by the way Boghos,can you elaborate a little bid more on your post ,do you mean an insult or flattery...

[Armat]

Action speaks louder then idle talk. Gary on numerous occasions did not hesitate supporting Artsagk Armenians including Baku refugees as well. He made strong condemning statements against Turkey on AG etc.I respect him as a fellow Armenian.Anyway he is my kids hero

[Harut]

I was a high school student then. i'm graduating from university this year. ah, so much have changed... i even learned what/who Oedipus is during these years...