A Dangerous Game

Now, after two years in the political arena, I am often asked how it feels to go from top dog to underdog so quickly. Others ask about my personal safety. On April 14, en route to one of our peaceful marches, I was arrested along with many others. Unlike many of my companions, however, I was not brutally assaulted by the security forces. Having inspired such an overreaction can be seen as a victory for us, albeit a painful one. To paraphrase a quote from Gandhi, they might fight us, but they can no longer ignore us.

I was fully aware from the start that our chances for success were terribly slim, and that I was one of the few Russians who could run away from the dangers. It has never been my style, on the chessboard or in life, to back down from challenges when the odds are against me or when there is a safer option. When there is a moral imperative at stake, you don't calculate the odds. It may sound strange coming from a chess player, but some decisions we don't make with our heads. We make them with our hearts.

Kasparov is the chairman of the United Civic Front in Russia and the author of "How Life Imitates Chess."

© 2007