CHESS CHAMPION GARRY KASPAROV HONORED AT LOTUS CLUB STATE DINNER
For Immediate Release
NEW YORK, NY – June 10, 2025 – The historic Lotus Club of New York presented the Medal of Merit to former World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov at its 153rd Annual State Dinner held at the club's ballroom on June 10, 2025. AIAC Chairman L. M. Levie joined with Trustees, Officers, Members, and guests in honoring the chess legend and human rights advocate.
Born in Baku, Azerbaijan, in 1963, Garry Kasparov became the under-18 chess champion of the USSR at the age of 12 and the world under-20 champion at 17. He came to international fame as the youngest world chess champion in history in 1985 at the age of 22. He defended his title five times, including a legendary series of matches against arch-rival Anatoly Karpov. Kasparov broke Bobby Fischer’s rating record in 1990 and his own peak rating record remained unbroken until 2013. His famous matches against the IBM super-computer Deep Blue in 1996-97 were key to bringing artificial intelligence, and chess, into the mainstream.
Kasparov has been a contributing editor to The Wall Street Journal since 1991 and is a frequent commentator on politics and human rights. He speaks frequently to business audiences around the world on innovation, strategy, and peak mental performance. Kasparov’s book “How Life Imitates Chess” on decision-making is available in over 20 languages. He is the author of two acclaimed series of chess books, “My Great Predecessors” and “Modern Chess”.
After a champagne reception in the Tennyson Room, guests were directed to the club’s ballroom. The Lotus Club State Dinner Medal of Merit ceremony featured testimonials from two prominent figures, Bruce Pandolfini and Bret Stephens. Bruce Paldolfini is an internationally renowned chess coach, journalist, and commentator who served as consultant on "Searching for Bobby Fischer" and "The Queen's Gambit" and has authored 35 books on chess. Bret Stephens is a Pulitzer Prize-winning opinion columnist for The New York Times and former foreign affairs columnist for The Wall Street Journal.
In an address which followed the formal award presentation, Kasparov offered his insights on national and international affairs, the state of democracy worldwide, the war in the Ukraine, artificial intelligence and his hopes for humanity's future.
The Lotus Club ballroom was adorned with images of chess pieces which were projected on the walls and a running chess game projected on the ceiling. At the conclusion of the dinner, members and guests gathered in the club lounge, they congratulated Kasparov and his family members.
AIAC Chairman L. M. Levie, a Member of the Lotus Foundation Society and Donor to the Kasparov Chess Foundation, shared his admiration for the legendary chess grandmaster: "In Garry Kasparov, we witness something truly extraordinary—a brilliant mind that has conquered the sixty-four squares of the chessboard while championing the boundless spirit of human freedom. His courage to stand for liberty, even when it demands great personal sacrifice, serves as a beacon of hope and shows us what it is to live with purpose, passion, and perseverance.”
During a conversation following the dinner, Mr. Levie and the chess master explored the parallels between strategic games and the grand theater of politics. Mr. Levie recalled, "Garry spoke beautifully about why chess resonates so deeply with him—every piece stands in clear view, honest and revealed, unlike poker where intentions hide behind concealed cards. What struck me most was his observation that world leaders, lay bare their strategies through their own words, spoken openly across years of public life. His point was that if we listen carefully, we can see the pieces moving across the world's great chessboard, and glimpse the next moves before they unfold.”
About Garry Kasparov
Garry Kimovich Kasparov, born on April 13, 1963, in Baku, Azerbaijan, stands as arguably the greatest chess player in history and one of the most influential figures the game has ever known. Growing up in a multicultural household in the diverse Soviet republic of Azerbaijan, Kasparov displayed extraordinary chess talent from an early age, solving chess problems at six and enrolling in Mikhail Botvinnik's prestigious chess school by age ten.
His meteoric rise through the chess world was unprecedented. Kasparov became a Soviet National Master at 15, earned his International Master title at 16, and achieved Grandmaster status at just 17. His aggressive, dynamic playing style combined tactical brilliance with deep positional understanding, setting him apart from the more technical approaches favored by many of his contemporaries.
The defining moment of Kasparov's career came through his epic rivalry with Anatoly Karpov, the reigning World Champion. After a controversial first match in 1984-85 that was terminated without conclusion, Kasparov defeated Karpov in their 1985 rematch to become the youngest World Chess Champion in history at age 22. He would hold this title for a remarkable 15 years, successfully defending it against Karpov twice more and later against Nigel Short and Viswanathan Anand, before finally losing to Vladimir Kramnik in 2000.
Kasparov revolutionized chess preparation by embracing computer technology for analysis, working extensively with databases and engines long before most elite players. This systematic approach raised standards across professional chess and influenced an entire generation. His contributions to opening theory were substantial, breathing new life into classical openings like the Sicilian Najdorf and Queen's Gambit Declined.
Perhaps no matches captured global attention more than Kasparov's encounters with IBM's Deep Blue computer. He won their first meeting in 1996, but the 1997 rematch saw Deep Blue become the first computer to defeat a reigning World Champion under tournament conditions, marking a historic milestone in artificial intelligence. These matches brought unprecedented media coverage to chess and established Kasparov as one of the first chess players to achieve genuine celebrity status.
Beyond tournament play, Kasparov proved equally influential as an author and chess educator. His monumental series "My Great Predecessors," analyzing all previous World Champions, is considered among the finest chess literature ever produced. He also wrote "How Life Imitates Chess," drawing parallels between chess strategy and business decision-making, demonstrating his ability to extract broader life lessons from the game.
Following his retirement from competitive chess in 2005, Kasparov became a prominent political activist and vocal critic of Vladimir Putin's government in Russia. He founded opposition movements and advocated for democratic reforms, facing arrest and harassment before eventually going into self-imposed exile. His political courage mirrored the fearless approach he brought to chess.
Kasparov's peak rating of 2851, achieved in 1999, remained the highest in chess history for over a decade. However, his statistical achievements tell only part of his story. He transformed chess from a niche intellectual pursuit into a global spectacle, demonstrating that the game could be both deeply analytical and emotionally compelling. His passionate approach, combined with his willingness to embrace new technologies and challenge established traditions, helped modernize chess for the contemporary era.
In retirement, Kasparov remained active through coaching top players including Magnus Carlsen, writing, commentary, and speaking on topics ranging from artificial intelligence to leadership strategy. His insights on human-computer interaction, gained through his pioneering experiences with chess computers, proved valuable in broader discussions about the future of AI.
Garry Kasparov's legacy extends far beyond the game where he achieved immortality. He was a revolutionary who changed not just how chess is played, but how it is studied, presented, and understood by the world. His story represents exceptional talent combined with relentless ambition and the courage to challenge both opponents and conventions, making him not merely a great chess player, but a transformative figure whose influence resonates throughout the game's rich history and continues to inspire new generations of players and thinkers alike.
For further information, please see:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garry_Kasparov
About The Lotus Club of New York
The Lotos Club of New York was founded in 1870 by a young group of writers and critics as a gentlemen's club. Mark Twain, an early member, famously called it the "Ace of Clubs." The club has maintained a strong literary and artistic focus throughout its existence, accumulating a notable collection of American paintings and hosting legendary "State Dinners" for scholars, artists, writers, politicians, and diplomats.
The club has moved several times throughout its history, beginning at Two Irving Place near 14th Street, then to 149 Fifth Avenue in 1877, followed by 556-558 Fifth Avenue in 1893 where they purchased their first clubhouse. In 1909, with financial backing from Andrew Carnegie, the club relocated to 110 West 57th Street in a building designed by architect Donn Barber. After paying off their mortgage in 1941, members sought simpler accommodations, and since 1947 the club has been housed in a 1900 building at 5 East 66th Street designed by Richard Howland Hunt. This elegant structure was originally commissioned by Margaret Louisa Vanderbilt Shepard as a gift for her daughter.
Originally an exclusively male institution, the Lotos Club amended its constitution in 1977 to admit women members. The club's distinguished membership has included luminaries from various fields including Mark Twain, Andrew Carnegie, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Orson Welles, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Beverly Sills, Stephen Sondheim, Yo-Yo Ma, and many other prominent figures in literature, arts, politics, and business. The club continues to honor excellence through its Medal of Merit, Foundation Prize, and Award of Distinction, with recipients including General David Petraeus and scientist James D. Watson.
For further information, please see:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotos_Club
The Lotus Club State Dinner Medal of Merit
The Lotus Medal of Merit, presented at its Annual State Dinner, represents the club's highest honor, presented to individuals whose exceptional achievements extend far beyond professional success to encompass significant contributions to society. Established to recognize those rare individuals who combine intellectual excellence with moral courage, the award celebrates recipients who have used their talents and platforms to better the human condition.
The Lotus Club State Dinner Medal of Merit has been bestowed upon a distinguished array of honorees, including US presidents and foreign leaders, governors, jurists, Nobel Prize laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, composers, painters, actors, industrialists, and financiers. Past recipients have included Theodore Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, Gilbert & Sullivan, Ulyses S. Grant, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle, Andrew Carnegie, Mark Twain, William Howard Taft, Prince Albert I of Monaco, Charles M. Schwab, Herbert Hoover, David Lloyd George, Andrew Mellon, George M. Cohan, the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company, Amelia Earhart, Fiorello LaGuardia, Gloria Swanson, Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II, Robert Moses, Robert F. Wagner, Henry Cabot Lodge, Harry S. Truman, Van Cliburn, John D. Rockefeller III, Prince Ranier III and Princess Grace of Monaco, Henry Luce, Nelson Rockefeller, Leonard Bernstein, Robert Frost, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Robert F. Wagner, Richard Nixon, C. Douglas Dillon, David Sarnoff, Arthur Rubinstein, Edmund S. Muskie, Beverly Sills, Laurence Rockefeller, Herbert H. Humphrey, Brooke Astor, James A. Michener, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Henry Fonda, Benny Goodman, Terrence Cardinal Cooke, Samuel J. LeFrak, Aaron Copland, Guy de Rothschild, Richard Buckminster Fuller, Don Regan, Gerald Ford, Edmund Hillary, Jonas Salk, Walter Cronkite, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Elie Wiesel, George Pataki, David Rockefeller, James D. Watson, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Paul Volker, John Glenn, Buzz Aldrin, David H. Petreaus, Tony Bennett, Henry Kissinger, Prince Albert II of Monaco, Anthony Fauci, Carl Bernstein, and Walter Isaacson.
The Lotus Club State Dinner, held annually in the club's historic ballroom, has become one of New York's most prestigious gatherings, drawing together leaders from literature, journalism, politics, and the arts to celebrate individuals whose work embodies the highest aspirations of human achievement and moral leadership.
About American Industrial Acquisition Corporation
American Industrial Acquisition Corporation (AIAC) is a diversified industrial group with manufacturing and distribution sites in 24 countries in North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia-New Zealand. AIAC has acquired and grown non-core subsidiaries and divisions of Boeing, Siemens, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Johnson Controls, Merck, Pfizer, Astellas, Visteon, Carlyle, Ahlstrom, Tolko, Groupe Suez, Groupe Rexel, and many other leading multinational corporations.
AIAC companies serve companies and governmental entities worldwide in all major sectors, including aviation, space, defense, automotive, truck, rail, marine, petrochemical, solar, nuclear, food, confectionary, beverage, civil engineering and infrastructure, commercial construction, mining, dredging, disaster relief, education, medical devices, and pharmaceuticals. In addition, AIAC companies are exclusive, authorized distributors of leading branded industrial and consumer products and serve as critical suppliers for the construction of major airports, schools, hospitals, performing arts and sports centers, offices and hotels throughout Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. AIAC is a leading manufacturer of building, street, and highway signage in Europe, signage and illumination structures in North America, and a distributor of electrical products throughout France.
Of note, AIAC purchased Boeing Canada in 2005 and has produced over 10,000 unique components for every Boeing jet plane ever since, reliably serving Boeing from manufacturing facilities in North America. A leader in ultra-high precision jet engine component manufacturing, AIAC companies produce 2,200 fan blades for each jet engine produced by GE, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls Royce, and Honeywell.
AIAC companies actively support exploration into outer space, manufacturing critical components for launching and propelling spacecraft and satellites. AIAC customers in this sector include NASA, the European Space Agency, SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Boeing. AIAC companies also lead in the design and manufacture of undersea umbilical cables for worldwide oceanographic research.
AIAC companies produce the critical automotive wire and cable for Tesla, GM, Ford, Chrysler-Fiat, Toyota, and Nissan. In connection with its kraft paper manufacturing interests in Canada and the US, AIAC controls and sustainably manages 22 million acres of Manitoba, Canada forestland, an area equivalent in size to the nation of Hungary. AIAC affiliate, Metallwarenfabrik Gemmingen GmbH, located in Germany, designs, manufactures and distributes high performance, emergency portable power generators utilized in global conflict zones and during natural disasters.
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About AIAC Philanthropy
AIAC and the AIAC Foundation support a wide range of nonprofit, nonsectarian, bipartisan organizations which promote international conflict resolution, disaster relief, economic development, environmental sustainability, exploration, and the performing arts. The exploration-focused nonprofit organizations which they actively support include the Explorers Club, the National Geographic Society, the Royal Geographical Society, the American Museum of Natural History and the Hayden Planetarium, the Victoria & Albert Museum, the National Air and Space Museum, the National Space Society, and the United States Space Foundation.
AIAC’s other beneficiaries include the Appeal of the Nobel Peace Laureates Foundation Inc., the Asia Society, the Atlantic Council, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation - Gates Philanthropy Partners, the Bretton Woods Committee, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the Carter Center, the Council on Foreign Relations, the Economic Club of New York, the Foreign Policy Association, the Institut Française des Relations Internationales, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Crisis Group, the International Rescue Committee, the Japan Society, the JFK School of Government of Harvard University, the Peterson Institute for International Economics, the Richardson Center for Global Engagement, the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House), the Sierra Club, the Trilateral Commission, and the Yale Chief Executive Leadership Institute.
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Media Contact:
Isabel Carro-Toro, Vice President
American Industrial Acquisition Corporation
+34 689 295 827 (Spain)
+ 1 787 244 3175 (USA)
icarro-toro@aiac.com