1985: Kasparov
Chess had no outstanding hero after Bobby Fischer until the charismatic Garry Kasparov appeared on the scene. He became the youngest ever World Champion at age 22 after defeating Anatoly Karpov, and remained the undisputed #1 for nearly 22 years! His peak rating of 2851 stood as the highest in history until it was surpassed by another chess great in 2013 (more on this later!). Kasparov enjoyed widespread fame as the face of chess for decades, facing computer opponents, starting chess businesses, creating chess organizations, and promoting the game wherever he went. He finally retired from chess in 2005 to focus on Russian politics and charity projects.
