BBC News, UK
Jan 11 2005
Kasparov aims for Putin checkmate
By Finlo Rohrer
BBC News
Chess legend Garry Kasparov talks to the BBC News website about
Putin, politics and the game of kings.
After 20 years of dominating the chess world, establishing
recognition as perhaps the greatest in the centuries-long history of
the game, Kasparov has a very different opponent in his sights.
Kasparov is widely regarded as history’s greatest chess player
To Kasparov, Russian President Vladimir Putin is a “fascist”,
dismantling Russian democracy with the support of a supine West,
which is interested only in stability in the East.
In London for work on a new book and promotional events, the world
number one said allowing Moscow to host the G8 summit in 2006 would
be the equivalent of Nazi Germany being allowed to host the Olympics
in 1936.
“[It is vital] to make sure there is no G7 meeting in Moscow in 2006.
It will be like the Berlin Olympics in 1936, it will be the
equivalent of Munich 1938, integrating Putin’s Russia.
“The democracies are conceding to a brutal dictator. He has abolished
the nature of democratic institutions. He will go further.”
The West must stop its overt and tacit support for Mr Putin, Kasparov
said.
“What is required from the West is a simple message: ‘Leave us
alone.’
“Don’t support Putin. It is not about giving support to us, but
Putin’s main support comes from Western leaders.
Putin is rapidly destroying democracy, according to Kasparov
“President Bush is not shy about calling this KGB colonel his
friend.”
Kasparov was born in the Azerbaijan capital Baku in 1963 to a Jewish
father and an Armenian mother.
Ever since his victory over Anatoly Karpov in 1985 to become world
champion Kasparov has been portrayed as an outsider who took on the
Soviet establishment.
Kasparov helped set up Committee 2008, a group dedicated to bringing
down Mr Putin and stopping the constitution being changed so that he
can run for a third term, in January last year.
He takes heart from what has happened in Ukraine, and believes Mr
Putin will have to leave office, perhaps even before his second term
comes to an end in 2008.
“There could be popular unrest. The stability [of Russia] exists only
in the mind of Bush and Blair.
“It lives through high oil prices and censorship.”
Liberal opponents in Russia say Mr Putin’s control of the media and
incidents like the recent forced sale of oil firm Yukos’ assets make
democracy impossible.
Putin popularity
Kasparov said the Yukos sale was “the greatest robbery of the 21st
Century”.
But supporters of Mr Putin point to the 71% share of the vote he took
in last year’s presidential election, and his high approval ratings.
The president himself has said he is upholding democracy and fighting
corruption, and that Russia has standards that compare with anywhere
in the West.
But monitors from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in
Europe criticised the presidential election and earlier elections to
the Duma.
Away from the political arena, Kasparov is facing a frustrating time
in chess.
Instead of being in London, getting mobbed at a book signing at the
Chess and Bridge shop on Euston Road, and working on a new book, Mr
Kasparov should have been preparing for a World Championship match
with Uzbek star Rustam Kasimdzhanov.
Kasparov is in London writing and promoting his series My Great
Predecessors
But their match in Dubai, a prelude to a match with world champion
Vladimir Kramnik, was cancelled by the governing body of chess, Fide,
after financial guarantees by the promoters failed to be offered.
Kasparov is not pleased.
“Frustrating is a very soft word. It hurts me not only
psychologically and chess-wise, but it is causing substantial
material damage.
“It shows Fide has no respect for players and the professional
elements of the game.
“It is too hypothetical to discuss anything unless I see the colour
of the money.”
While admitting his match performance must be good, Kasparov seems a
little sceptical about his opponent’s credentials.
“He is 25 in the world by rating and I think he belongs there.”
And he is scathing about former protege Vladimir Kramnik’s reign as
world champion.
“I’m the number one player in the world, Kramnik is number four.
“He has failed to play the number one or the number two. He
contributes to the mess as much as Fide does.”
He admits: “I don’t care. I no longer have the same passion for
playing the world championship.”
Enigmatic genius
For the moment, he prefers to concentrate on his writing, including
his popular history of the world champions.
It is testament to his status in the game that he has been able to
entitle the books My Great Predecessors without risking sounding
arrogant.
The fourth in the series, on the enigmatic American genius Bobby
Fischer, currently facing extradition to the US from Japan on
sanctions-busting charges, is already selling well.
But Kasparov will not offer an opinion on who is the greatest.
“Writing the books I had to walk in the shoes of these great
personalities and look at the events through their eyes.
“I am setting out the information for readers to decide.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress