Karpov and Kasparov - Soviet Politics questions

That said, it doesn't look that Kasparov was under some special pressure to change his family name, he just thought that this could be a good idea.

That depends on what you mean by pressure, his trainer Alexander Nikitin has tried to take credit for the idea and convincing the whole family about the benefits of changing Garry's name, Botvinnik supported it wholeheartedly as well, and maybe also the Kasparov family in which he lived from his seventh year. It wouldn't be strange if a 12-year-old boy would find it a good idea under these circumstances and maybe even feel some pressure. More on the subject here:

http://www.chesscircle.net/forums/showthread.php?3377-Aryeh-Davidoff-Lev-Khariton-Kasparov-or-Veinstein-What-s

Nice post, that was about what I expected had happened between them.

One correction: the blitz tourney was in Herceg Novi not in Niksic. 

Let's cut to the chase---Gary, walk over there to that handle and push it down. Flush your Dad's name down the toilet. Your life will be a bowl of cherries.

You will have it all Garry boy---fame, fortune, women, travel, women, houses, cars, women! Just push this handle down? Yes, thats all you have to do Garry. OK, I'll do it.

 Can you hear the sucking sound of the toilet?

I can very well understand why he did it---but it is dishonorable.

What is "honorable" about a last name? Seriously? What is it? We don't live in the Rome of 1000s. Even then there's nothing honorable about it, but I could understand how people could consider it as such. Now, it's like a joke.

I think some people just love to hate on the big K.  At this point the discussion is ridiculous because all the substantive points have been made:

* He was a kid

* His father had been dead for five years

* He lived in Soviet Russia in a completely different culture than America

* He took his mother's name, which, tradition aside, is just as honorable as his father's

* I doubt at his age, in his culture, and in that situation "easy greenbacks", as somebody referred to, was the first thing on his mind.

But even though all this stuff has been said, people still want to be dramatic and talk about how dishonorable it was.  Who gives a flying....what his name is?  In America people change their names all the time.  What he accomplished is much more important.

So let's see. You're a 12 year old boy with a deceased Jewish father and Armenian mother, living in a predominantly Muslim country which really does not care for Armenia. All of these identities are subsumed under Russian-disguised-as-Soviet. The adults who are shaping your life, including a former world champion, suggest that you change your name to something closely resembling your mother's. You would of course stand up and refuse on principle???

Please, let's lose the sanctimony

Well, some Career Singers and actors change their last name, and sometimes their first name too, so they seem more attractive to the general public. My Grandfather (Namesake) was a jew and migrated to the United States from Russia right before WW2 , and he could not get a job here in the USA, with his Jewish Last name, so he Changed it to "Rogers". We have been working ever since, and with William Henry Rogers the Fourth about to be born, we have no intention of changing it Back. I do sport a Menorah on my Profile.

Someone in the help and support group was asking why chess.com wont allow members to sport the Karpov name. i was surfing around on the net and found this forum. does anyone know why chess.com wont allow us to use it, like other grandmasters names... ?

My bet is Alois Schicklgruber.