Former world chess champion Garry Kasparov to speak Oct. 8

Perhaps best known for his famous chess matches against IBM’s Deep Blue supercomputer in the late 1990s, Kasparov became the under-18 chess champion of the Soviet Union at the age of 12 and the world under-21 champion at 16. He gained international fame as the youngest world chess champion in history in 1985 at the age of 22.

After retiring from chess, Kasparov has been a frequent commentator on politics and human rights. He speaks frequently to business audiences around the world on innovation, strategy and peak mental performance. He is a contributing editor with The Wall Street Journal and has written several books, including “How Life Imitates Chess,” a critically acclaimed book on decision-making that is available in over 20 languages.

More from the Distinguished Speakers Board on Kasparov:

Why did the board choose Garry Kasparov to speak at CU? 

In addition to being a world champion chess grandmaster, he is also the undisputed master of his discipline. And to do all this at a young age is remarkable. He also stands as perhaps one of the most well-known and respected pro-democratic figures in Russia. This is an important voice for students to hear, especially with our national election coming right up. 

For these reasons and so many more, DSB decided that Kasparov is a more-than-qualified individual to be our fall speaker, and we are beyond excited to host him on the CU Boulder campus in October.

What do you hope students take from his presentation?

Kasparov brings a unique perspective to the table with his lifetime of accomplishment, defense of liberty and his dedication of preserving democracy for the future generations, in which the entire CU Boulder student body is a part of. It is no secret that democracies worldwide have been in a state of instability and have had their core principles shaken by autocrats, dictators and self-centered political leaders recently. The Distinguished Speakers Board hopes that our conversation with Kasparov will bring this topic center stage in the campus consciousness at CU Boulder and will shed light on the role that every student, every person, every recipient of the rights of democracy, plays in the defense of these precious ideals. 

Additionally, chess is a hugely popular activity and sport on the CU Boulder campus and in the Boulder community. All CU Boulder students will be able to experience this once in a lifetime opportunity to hear from one of the world’s greatest players, and we know that this will prove to be rewarding, enlightening and inspiring.

About the Distinguished Speakers Board

The Distinguished Speakers Board’s mission is to cultivate a diversity of thought in the student body and the surrounding community by bringing speakers who engage and challenge society through their actions and ideas. Ultimately, the Distinguished Speakers Board strives to create a more thoughtful and aware campus and community.