Garry Kasparov spoke on democracy and human rights during ASM.
In addition to being a former World Chess Champion and widely considered one of the greatest chess players of all time, Garry Kasparov is a political activist and writer who applies his insight and perspective from his chess career to the topics of leadership, logical and strategic thinking, and Russian politics. Speaking to the Andover community during All-School Meeting (ASM) on Friday, Kasparov delivered a speech that delved into democracy and human rights.
“Democracy is just a word, every dictator on the planet today likes to use this word… It’s not enough to say it’s democracy. It’s about what kind of rights and what kind of freedom is allowed to citizens, and how we can use it and how we can enjoy it,” said Kasporav.
Following his retirement from chess in 2005, Kasparov pivoted more of his focus to politics, creating the United Civil Front, a social movement which aimed to preserve electoral democracy in Russia. Sophia Lazar ’26 highlighted how listening to ASM and Kasparov’s activism exposed her to an entirely new facet of Kasparov after knowing him as a chess champion for her whole life.
“It was really nice to hear a different side of Garry Kasparov’s personality… At ASM, I thought that he would be talking about his experiences with chess, and he did a little bit, but I also never knew he was so dedicated to activism and fighting for human rights, so I was a bit surprised. When I walked in and saw on the big screen that it said ‘Democracy and Human Rights,’ and he started talking about the book he wrote and the history of the Soviet Union, I definitely didn’t expect that,” said Lazar.
Lazar continued by highlighting Kasparov’s commitment to his beliefs despite opposition from many sides. Lazar drew a parallel between Kasparov and the student body in their dedication to the things that matter to them.
“Here at Andover, we have a lot of people who are very dedicated and passionate about their own interests, and when Kasparov is telling his own story he is also very passionate about fighting for human rights. That underlying passion, a lot of Andover students share that so we can relate to it,” said Lazar.
Aarav Dengla ’27, an advanced chess player with a FIDE rating of 2400, shared his interest in how Kasparov was able to relate ideas about chess to the real world. Dengla pointed to how Kasparov used experiences from his career in connection to his advocacy for democracy.
“It gave me an overview of how a master of chess [could] apply the ideas in different non-chess related parts of the world, and how his ideas from chess influenced his beliefs on those [parts]… I thought it was fascinating, his views on democracy, and [the] lack of it in certain places in the world,” said Dengla.
In addition to his books regarding chess, Kasparov has published political books that highlight issues that he sees in Russia and in the world. Brandon Fu ’25 noted the extensive resources that Andover students have and the opportunity to take Kasparov’s ideas, from his speech and his book, and apply them to make a global impact.
“Going into the ASM, I was a very big Garry Kasparov fan, having read some of his books, and participated in a couple of chess events, so I was very familiar with him and relatively familiar with his work in geopolitics… [Andover students] can apply the concepts that Kasparov talked about in the ASM to a broader level because of the potential that we have and the outreach that we have access to as Andover students, and I think that’s an important aspect,” said Fu.
Karen Wang ’24 highlighted the ASM as a foundation for starting dialogue in a time when political discussions are oftentimes divisive. Wang elaborated on how Kasparov’s speech tied in his background with examples from the world to create a unique message.
“Being able to hear his perspective, because his background is so interesting and diverse, to hear what he learns and being able to tell a group of high school students was cool… He wasn’t afraid to bring out real-life examples. He brought real-life examples from countries with more strict political regimes… [His ASM] promotes conversations around different ideas and perspectives. Politics is a bit polarizing and especially in this climate it can be intimidating. The fact that Andover brought him here to speak about his work helped to start these conversations and enhance [them] does a lot,” said Wang.
Closing his speech, Kasparov encouraged the student body to take charge of the world and to stand strong against wrongdoing and corruption in support of what is right.
“The future is in your hands, and it depends on you that it will stay this way… The way we move forward will always be productive and that the forces of evil and obstruction will not get the upper hand. So, good luck,” said Kasparov.
Editor’s Note: Karen Wang was the Executive Digital Editor for The Phillipian, Vol. CXLVI
