This comparison caused a stir…

Added: 2026-05-26

[00:00:00]When for you was the moment that you thought I have to turn my passion and fury towards politics as opposed to chess?

[00:00:08]I grew up in the Soviet Union and in uh my country, chess was a very important ideological tool for communist regimes.

[00:00:17]So, that's why fighting for the world title uh especially against Anatoly Karpov, who was a darling of the system, I mean, it made me political. I recognized that what I did while playing chess and and and being the world champion uh always had political implications because my status as the uh world champion gave me an opportunity to uh speak openly about problems that I believe were uh harming the future of uh my country.

[00:00:46]So, jumping to current day, you've said some pretty powerful things. You compare President Putin to Hitler. You say he's a worse threat than ISIS.

[00:00:58]And people say that that demonization of the president is reckless and dangerous.

[00:01:04]Uh I understand why people react so um aggressively and uh they're so much irritated when they hear Hitler, but they don't they don't remember the fact that Hitler is not just in a monster, absolute monster from history books.

[00:01:19]Unfortunately, before Hitler turned into this monster, he was a well-respected politician, and you don't have to hear, you know, it's from me. Read Toronto Star in 1935 or in 1936. Read Global Mail. Read Washington Post.

[00:01:32]Hitler was on the cover of the Time magazine, and we heard the same arguments as today about Putin. Evil doesn't become evil in in one day. Do you think Do you think the West is blind to the danger? I mean >> Absolutely. Putin has his fingertip on a nuclear button, and everything he cares is today is only staying in power. And you know, staying in power for him today means that he must uh demonstrate himself as the only savior of Russia against enemies. Wake up. Wake up, you know, this the recognize the true nature of Putin's regime.