Former world chess champion Garry Kasparov, recognized as a pro-democracy leader and global human rights activist, will speak Friday, Nov. 14, at 4 p.m. in the University of Wyoming College of Business Scarlett Auditorium.

He will discuss “Made in America: Restoring the Principles of Innovation and Leadership.” The talk, open to the public, will be followed by a reception.

The UW talk follows his presentation in Cheyenne during the Wyoming Forumsponsored by the Wyoming Business Alliance. The College of Business and UW International Programs arranged the UW visit.

A resident of Moscow, Kasparov came to international fame as the youngest world chess champion in history in 1985 at the age of 22. Eager for new challenges, he retired from professional chess in 2005 after a record 20 years as the world’s top-ranked player.

He soon became an important voice in the Russian pro-democracy movement against the repressive regime of Vladimir Putin. He formed the United Civil Front, of which he is still the chairman, and co-led The Other Russia coalition that focused on uniting the Russian opposition to Putin under the banner of free and fair elections.

Kasparov also turned his energy to writing and public speaking.

I have spent my life thinking about thinking,” he says. I find many others are as interested in the field of improving human performance as I am.

Kasparov’s keynote lectures and seminars on strategic thinking, achieving peak performance, and tech innovation have been acclaimed in dozens of countries. His 2007 book on decision-making, “How Life Imitates Chess,” was translated into more than 20 languages.

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