Garry Kasparov was one of the greatest chess players in history, before becoming a fierce opponent of Putin. In 2013, fearing prosecution, he left Russia and now lives in the United States.

He is famous for his long duel in the 1980s against another Soviet chess legend, Anatoly Karpov. In 2022, he was designated a "foreign agent " in Russia, a label used against massive opponents, generally journalists and activists, who are subjected to tedious administrative procedures in Russia.