An Evening with Garry Kasparov

Join the Distinguished Speakers Board (DSB) for our Fall speaker event: An Evening with Garry Kasparov! The event will feature a 60-minute moderated Q&A.

Tuesday, October 8th, 2024 | Macky Auditorium

Time: Doors open at 6:15pm, and show starts at 7:00pm

Tickets: Student tickets are $2, Staff/Faculty tickets are $10, Community tickets are $15

More about Garry Kasparov

Garry Kasparov became the under-18 chess champion of the USSR at the age of 12 and the world under-21 champion at 16. He came to international fame as the youngest world chess champion in history in 1985 at the age of 22. Kasparov’s outspoken nature did not endear him to the Soviet authorities, giving him an early taste of opposition politics. From 1989-91 he was outspoken in opposition to the Soviet system. It was still a shock when Kasparov, then in his 20th year as the world’s top-ranked player, abruptly retired from competitive chess in 2005 to join the vanguard of the Russian pro-democracy movement. He founded the United Civil Front and organized the Marches of Dissent to protest the repressive policies of Vladimir Putin. In 2012, Kasparov was elected to the Coordinating Council of the united opposition movement. In the same year, he was named chairman of the New York-based Human Rights Foundation, succeeding Vaclav Havel. Kasparov has been a contributing editor to The Wall Street Journal since 1991 and is a frequent commentator on politics and human rights.

Event Details

No re-entry will be allowed once attendees enter the venue and leave.

Attendees can expect airport-like security. No bags larger than 4.5” x 6.5” will be allowed; all bags within this size range will be subject to search. Additional event policies include no skateboards, no weapons (including concealed carry), no professional photography or videography, no alcohol or illegal drugs, and no glass or metal water bottles. Empty plastic water bottles are allowed, as are factory-sealed, unopened plastic single-use, non-alcoholic beverages. Water bottle refill stations will be available at the event.

Event Venue

Macky Auditorium Concert Hall, 1595 Pleasant Street, Boulder, United States