Kasparov

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One of only two chessplayers (the other one being Bobby Fischer) to attain some degree of notoriety outside of chess playing circles.

What about Karpov? He's just as famous as Kasparov in Russia, though perhaps not here.. - MoonShadow

PeterTaylor thought of Karpov and Short on reading OP.

: Jumlian thought Kasparov and Karpov. Karpov held the championship prior to Kasparov, didn't he? (But in the west was certainly lower profile) --Jumlian

AlexChurchill remembers "Kasparov and Karpov" from his youth; but I probably don't /quite/ count as "outside chess-playing circles", having played in a school team (a looong time ago) and watched the Chess World Championships once or twice.

: OK, edit this to "a reasonable degree of notoriety". I don't think that "Russia", as a whole, counts as "outside of chess playing circles" given the huge level of public interest (and, formerly, the massive state support for the game) in Russia. StuartFraser is definitely not outside of chess playing circles, though, so his perception is somewhat skewed (and he can, without seriously thinking, rattle off a list of forty or fifty grandmasters. But anyway).

FIDE World Chess champion 1985-1993; PCA World Chess champion 1993-2001. The first reigning world champion to lose to a computer program; although largely due to playing like a duck hit on the head throughout most of his match against DeeperBlue?. In addition, there are several conspiracy theories surrounding this match, due to DeeperBlue?'s playing style changing markedly throughout the course of it.

Had the highest ever Elo rating of any chessplayer; is regarded as one of the two best players ever. (The KasparovVersusFischer? debate continues apace)

He will be at the London Chess Centre on the 21st October 2003 for a [book signing session], in case anyone is interested.

CategoryGames; see also Chess?