Former world chess champion and political activist to enter a Roman ampitheatre in Pula for his latest chess challenge.
It is an arena which has witnessed gladiator fights and the feeding of Christians to lions, and in recent years top artists such as Joe Cocker and Leonard Cohen, but on August 19, 2015, the sixth largest Roman ampitheatre in the world will be the stage for former world champion, political activist and recent Croatian citizen Garry Kasparov to take on all challengers in the Pula Arena.
Kasparov, born in Azerbaijan, achieved world fame in 1985 when he became the youngest world chess champion at the age of just 22. A political activist in later life, he was granted Croatian citizenship last year, after finding life as a pro-democracy campaigner in Russia a little frustrating. A long-time fan of Croaita, Kasparov has a house in Makarska and is a member of the Vukovar Chess Club. Kasparov has been praised in the past by former Croatian President Ivo Josipovic for providing ‘great moral support for Croatia’ in the war fro independence, and the two played chess together last year.
According to the Pula Tourist Board, Kasparov will be taking on 15 opponents simultaneously in the Pula Arena, starting at 19:00. Entrance is free and the event will also be online by live streaming here.
