New Delhi:

Russian chess great Garry Kasparov hoped that his “little joke” on Indian politics does not pass for “advocacy or expertise” after his social media post on Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s love for the game went viral.

Within hours of asking Rahul Gandhi to “first win Rae Bareli before challenging for the top”, the 61-year-old said it was just a joke and should be seen as one.

“I very much hope my little joke does not pass for advocacy or expertise in Indian politics! But as an ‘all-seeing monster with 1000 eyes,’ as I was once described, I cannot fail to see a politician dabbling in my beloved game!” the former world champion, who retired in 2005, wrote in response to a post by actor Ranvir Shorey.

Ranvir Shorey’s comment appeared to be a dig at Rahul Gandhi’s recent assertion that he was the best chess player among all Indian politicians. Mr Kasparov gave the same reply to a few other accounts which commented on his original post.

I very much hope my little joke does not pass for advocacy or expertise in Indian politics! But as an “all-seeing monster with 1000 eyes,” as I was once described, I cannot fail to see a politician dabbling in my beloved game! https://t.co/MlBnR4PeZ6

— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) May 3, 2024

The Congress recently shared a video of Rahul Gandhi playing chess on his mobile phone while on the Lok Sabha election campaign trail. The MP from Wayanad named Mr Kasparov as his favourite chess player and drew parallels between the game and politics.

A user on X made a cheeky comment on his page, which read “feel so relieved that @Kasparov63 and @vishy64theking retired early and didn’t have to face the greatest chess genius of our times.” Mr Kasparov, rather unusually, originally responded to that post.

“Traditional (sic) dictates that you should first win from Raebareli before challenging for the top,” wrote the fierce critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin who is based in Croatia after fleeing his country.

Rahul Gandhi, while naming Mr Kasparov as his favourite chess player, described him as a “non-linear thinker” in the Congress video.

“…once you get slightly better at it, the opponent’s pieces actually operate almost like your own,” he said, drawing comparison between chess and politics.

He filed his nomination from Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh on Friday and is also contesting from Wayanad.

A former world number one for a record 255 weeks, Mr Kasparov became the youngest-ever undisputed world champion at the age of 22 in 1985 and is a political activist now.

The iconic player is a contemporary of Indian great Viswanathan Anand.

Recently, when 17-year-old D Gukesh bettered his record of becoming the youngest challenger to the world title by winning the Candidates Tournament in Toronto, Mr Kasparov had put out a congratulatory post on X.

He described Gukesh as “the Indian earthquake in Toronto”.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Warsaw, Poland:

Russia’s financial watchdog added chess grandmaster and political activist Garry Kasparov to its list of “terrorists and extremists” on Wednesday.

The 60-year-old former world chess champion has been a longtime opponent of President Vladimir Putin and has repeatedly spoken out against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Rosfinmonitoring watchdog is responsible for combatting money laundering and terror financing, and those listed can have their bank accounts seized.

It did not say why it added Soviet-born Kasparov to the list. The Kremlin often terms those who disagree with its offensive “extremist” or “foreign agents”.

Kasparov joked about the label on X, formerly Twitter.

“An honor that says more about Putin’s fascist regime than about me,” he wrote.

An honor that says more about Putin’s fascist regime than about me. As Goldwater said, extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice and moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue! But all opposition, or simple decency, must be called an extremist by the dictatorship. https://t.co/OuN27A9InN

— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) March 6, 2024

Kasparov is widely regarded as one of the world’s greatest chess players and has lived in the United States for over a decade, where he has focused on political activism.

In February last year he urged the West to keep up its support for Kyiv and said Ukraine had to defeat Moscow as a “pre-condition” for a democratic transition in Russia.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

London:

Russia’s financial monitoring agency, Rosfinmonitoring, has added former world chess champion Garry Kasparov, a prominent critic of the Kremlin, to its list of “terrorists and extremists”, the RIA state news agency reported on Wednesday.

The listing puts limits on individuals’ bank transactions and forces them to seek approval every time they want to use their accounts.

Kasparov, 60, fled Russia in 2014 for fear of persecution. His media office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Russian justice ministry added Kasparov and former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky to its list of “foreign agents” in 2022, subjecting them to burdensome bureaucracy including financial reporting.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)