He is arguably the greatest chess player of all time. [cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/10/05/art.kasparov.afp.gi.jpg
caption="Kasparov is as passionate about politics as he is about chess."]

Currently engaged in a series of matches against longtime rival Anatoly Karpov, Garry Kasparov's achievements as a chess player are unrivaled.

The youngest-ever world champion, he was the top rated player for almost 20 years consecutively.

Away from the game the Russian grandmaster is a writer and political activist who often finds himself at odds with the ruling party.

He stood, briefly and unsucessfully, as a candidate in the Russian presidential race in 2008.

One of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's most outspoken critics, his passion for politics is almost as all-consuming as his love of chess.