The Chess Hall of Fame: Birthday tributes - Garry Kasparov: The Meteor That Never Fell

In the grand cosmos of chess, where constellations of legends shimmer with immortal brilliance, one name burns like a supernova—Garry Kimovich Kasparov. Born on April 13, 1963, in Baku, Azerbaijan, he was not merely a prodigy; he was a prophecy. The chessboard, that infinite battlefield of intellect and will, found in him a conqueror whose rise would shake the very foundations of the game.

For me, the name of Garry Kasparov is associated with one of my best lifelong friends-the one who at just 12 years old, became addicted to the young prodigy playing his first international tournament in our country, in Yugoslavia. It was 1979, and the chess world was beginning to take notice of a rising star at the Banja Luka tournament. My friend spoke of him constantly, marvelling at his brilliance, his audacity, his inevitable greatness. So deep was his admiration that from that time on, he carried the nickname "Kasparov" with pride - a tribute not just to a player, but to a force that would reshape chess history. Below find the first game I have chosen from his remarkable first international tournament in Banja Luka 1979. The opponent was one of the best players in Yugoslavia at that time GM Marjanovic.

Kasparov’s story begins like a great epic, a tale of raw genius nurtured by unrelenting ambition. Trained in the fabled halls of the Soviet chess school, he was a disciple of the great Mikhail Botvinnik, inheriting the fire of a champion. By the time he was a teenager, it was clear that chess had found its next emperor. The world first glimpsed his ferocity, as I have already mentioned, at the 1979 Banja Luka tournament, where, as a 16-year-old outsider, he tore through seasoned grandmasters with the audacity of a lion cub destined to rule the savannah.

Then came his ascent through the ranks of the Candidates Matches, a march of conquest culminating in a clash that would define chess history—his 1984 World Championship match against Anatoly Karpov. It was a duel of fire and ice: Karpov, the great champion, the embodiment of positional perfection; Kasparov, the young hurricane, unyielding and explosive. After a grueling 48 games, the match was controversially halted, but Kasparov returned the following year like a vengeful storm, dethroning Karpov in 1985 and becoming the youngest World Champion at 22. 

Thus began an era of dominance unseen in the annals of chess. Kasparov did not just defend his title—he redefined what it meant to be champion. His opening preparation was an arsenal of novelties, his middlegame play a symphony of dynamic complexity, his endgames a demonstration of inexhaustible energy. His battles with Karpov became legendary sagas, their rivalry similar to that of Ali and Frazier, pushing the boundaries of human endurance and strategic ingenuity. I didn't choose any of his games with Karpov thinking they are all known and instead I decided to include a game against GM Gata Kamsky another russian prodigy.

Kasparov was more than a World Champion; he was a visionary. He embraced technology before others dared, pioneering the use of databases and engines in preparation. His encounters with IBM’s Deep Blue in the 1990s marked the dawn of a new era, where man and machine would forever be intertwined in the realm of chess. Though he lost their rematch in 1997, it was not a defeat—it was the beginning of a new chapter for the game itself.

Beyond competition, Kasparov became chess’s greatest ambassador, an evangelist of its power to educate and inspire. His books, from My Great Predecessors to How Life Imitates Chess, are treasure troves of wisdom. He tirelessly promoted chess in schools, advocating for its role in developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills in children worldwide. Final game that I will show you in this article is with GM Grischuk-Kasparov himself was considering this game as one of his best. 

Even after his retirement from professional play in 2005, Kasparov's influence never waned. His ideas, his games, his spirit—these are etched in the very DNA of modern chess. Every opening innovation, every deep calculation, every fearless king marching into battle—everywhere there is a whisper of Kasparov’s genius.

Today, as we celebrate the birthday of this colossus of the 64 squares, we do not merely honor a champion; we honor an era, a force of nature, a name that will echo through eternity. Garry Kasparov was not just a king—he was the very fire that lit the chessboard’s heavens.