Garry Kasparov clears air on his remarks against Rahul Gandhi: ‘I hope my little joke…’

Chess legend Garry Kasparov's recent post about Indian politics created a buzz on social media, with some calling it a jibe against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi. In a fresh post on Saturday, Garry Kasparov cleared the air on his remarks and hoped that his "little joke does not pass for advocacy or expertise in Indian politics."

"I very much hope my little joke does not pass for advocacy or expertise in Indian politics! But as an "all-seeing monster with 1000 eyes," as I was once described, I cannot fail to see a politician dabbling in my beloved game!," Garry Kasparov said in a post on X.

The clarification came after Garry Kasparov triggered a row with his remarks on the Raebareli Lok Sabha constituency a day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi filled his nomination from the seat. Rahul Gandhi's name was finalised after much delay as the grand old party kept mulling over its candidate until the last minute.

Garry Kasparov's remarks came in response to a post which said “Feel so relieved that @Kasparov63 and @vishy64theking retired early and didn’t have to face the greatest chess genius of our times.”

“Traditional dictates that you should first win from Raebareli before challenging for the top!,” the Chess legend said in his response to the post.

The developments were triggered after Rahul Gandhi named Garry Kasparov his favourite Chess player and called him a "non-linear thinker." "...once you get slightly better at it, the opponent's pieces operate almost like your own," NDTV quoted Rahul Gandhi as saying. 

Rahul Gandhi's Raebareli nomination

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are targeting Rahul Gandhi for choosing to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Raebareli instead of Amethi, a traditional bastion of Congress. He lost to BJP's Smriti Irani in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. 

Rahul Gandhi will go against BJP candidate Dinesh Pratap Singh in Raebareli, a strong leader who halved Sonia Gandhi's majority in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Kishori Lal Sharma, a Gandhi loyalist, will take on Smriti Irani in Amethi.