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His father was named Kim Moiseyevich Wainshtein, but died when Garry was seven, and the boy later adopted the Russian version of his mother`s Armenian maiden name, Kasparian.
His parents had thought to teach him music, but one day at the age of 5 he suggested to them the solution to a chess problem they had been baffled by the night before. His mother, Klara, gave up her job to travel and work with him when he qualified for the World Championship. Chess expert Gabriel Schoenfeld once called Kasparov the "Mikhail Baryshnikov" of chess.
Noted for his phenomenal memory, Kasparov memorized thousands of chess games and matches.
After holding the official FIDE World Chess Champion title from 1985 to 1993, he left the organization and founded the Professional Chess Association, whose World Champion he was until 2000.
Retired from professional chess on 10 March 2005 due to his political ambitions.
Founded United Civil Front, a social movement trying to prevent Russia from returning to totalitarianism, which makes him President Vladimir Putin`s strongest opponent. Despite his great ambitions he fails to gain any political influence and he is actualy considered as a ridiculous marginal radical.