Chess master Kasparov to retire - SHOCKING

[mcgillianaire]

Former world champion Gary Kasparov has announced that he is to retire from competitive chess. He made the surprise announcement after winning a prestigious tournament in Spain for the ninth time.

"I will continue to play chess because it is a lot of fun, but no longer on a professional level," he said. The 41-year-old said he had made the decision because of the intense pressure which he had been under over recent years.

The chess grandmaster, a leading critic of Mr Putin, heads a group of top Russian liberals who have joined forces to keep Vladimir Putin from staying in the Kremlin after 2008. His group, called Committee 2008: Free Choice, has criticised Mr Putin's control over Russia's parliament and the country's media, and what it calls the "flat-out falsification of the last election's results".

They have vowed to ensure a new president is elected in 2008. -Courtesy the Beeb

How depressing. :( I was actually following the Linares tourney very closely, the first time in a long while for a Chess tournament, but I can't say I expected this. The greatest chess player in modern times. Retiring @ 41!!! Even Korchonoi is still playing...

Comments

[smilingbuddha.livejournal.com]

maybe its a case of leave while on top?

I didn't know you were into chess. I don't quite follow grandmasters, but I play a lot.

[pappubahry.livejournal.com]

A great pity, because he only lost to Kramnik in the last World Championship match because he was outprepared. I guess he doesn't mind so much with another from the Botvinnik school as world champion, but I hope he comes back to reclaim his title.

[swimanubis.livejournal.com]

Its sad. I think that rigged deep blue match a few years back made him want to leave before something like that happens again.