Table of names

Sergei Borisovich Ivanov

First Deputy Prime Minister

Just three months younger than Vladimir Putin, Sergei Ivanov’s background has much in common with that of the president. Both are from St. Petersburg and served in the KGB. Both men went to specialized schools (Putin in chemistry, Ivanov in English language) before moving on to study at the Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) State University. Even though their paths continued in parallel as they both moved on to the Higher KGB School in Minsk, Ivanov says that it wasn’t until they were both assigned afterward to work in the same KGB division in Leningrad that they became acquainted.
In 1999, when former President Boris Yeltsin named Putin director of the Federal Security Council, the latter brought Ivanov, then a Lieutenant General with the FSB to Moscow to head the council’s information-analytical department. Ivanov was also responsible for liaising with foreign security services and counter intelligence. Their paths have not parted since and, when Putin was picked by Yeltsin as prime minister, Ivanov replaced him as secretary of the Security Council.
Ivanov's November 2005 appointment as Deputy Prime Minister made him second in line to the presidency, after Dmitry Medvedev. His February 2007 promotion, giving him a position equal to that of Medvedev while removing him from the much criticized and tarnished Defense Ministry increases the chance that Ivanov will become Putin's successor.
Basic bio info:

Born January 31, 1953 in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg)

1976 - graduated from the translation department of the philological faculty, Leningrad State University, where he majored in English and Swedish

1977 - graduated from the Higher Courses of the KGB at the USSR State Security Committee in Minsk; and in 1981 from School No. 101 of the KGB First Main Directorate (now the Andropov Red-Banner Institute)

1976 - began his service in the KGB. Upon graduating from the Higher Courses of the KGB in Minsk, Ivanov was sent to work at the State Security Department of Leningrad and the Leningrad region, where he met Vladimir Putin.

late 1970s - began working in foreign intelligence, held various posts in Africa and Europe; appointed deputy department chief in the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR); in the mid-1990s, became one of the youngest generals in the SVR.

August 1998-March 2001 - deputy director of the Federal Security Service (FSB), chief of the Department of Analysis, Forecast and Strategic planning of the FSB.

March 2, 1999 - joined the Interdepartmental Commission in charge of Russia's participation in G8 activities.

November 15, 1999-March 28, 2001 - secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation

March 28, 2001-present - minister of defense; remains a member of the Russian Security Council

May 2001- present - chairman of the Council of CIS Defense Ministers (SMO).

November 2005 - appointed Deputy Prime Minister

February 15, 2007 - appointed First Deputy Prime Minister, removed from position of Defense Minister. His duties in the new role will include overseeing the development of Russia's military-industrial complex.
Rank: Lieutenant-General, retired.
Awards: Rank II Order For Services to the Fatherland (2003).
Hobbies: Fishing and reading detective novels in original languages.
Fluent in English and Swedish.
Married, with two sons.

Viktor Ivanov

Viktor Ivanov is a longtime Putin associate. His biography records a more than 20-year career in the Soviet KGB and Russian FSB, ending as deputy director. Ivanov spent a year in the late 1980s “providing international assistance” to the Soviet-backed government of Afghanistan. He retired with the rank of colonel in 1994, and worked along with Putin and Sechin in St Petersburg’s city hall, later coming to Moscow, where he is now anaide to the president, responsible for personnel. Simultaneously, he chairs the boards of Almaz-Antei, a conglomerate of more than 40 defense companies, and Aeroflot, the national airline, formerly controlled by Berezovsky.

Garry Kasparov

Garry Kasparov was born to Armenian and Jewish parents in the city of Baku in Azerbaijan in 1963. He was a child chess prodigy, qualifying as an International Chess Master at the age of 16. In 1985 at the age of 22, he became the youngest-ever World Chess Champion when he defeated Anatoly Karpov for the title. Garry Kasparov is the highest rated player in the history of chess. Since his retirement from playing competitive chess, Garry Kasparov has been writing a regular column in New in Chess magazine. Kasparov has been active in Russian politics and heads the anti-Putin party, the United Civil Front.
More Bio info:
Widely believed to be the strongest player in the history of the game, Kasparov has successfully defended his crown four times: three times against Karpov (London/Leningrad 1986, Seville 1987, New York/Lyon 1990) and once against Nigel Short (London 1993) and once against Vishwanatan Anannd (New-York 1995). In 1993, Kasparov and Nigel Short helped form the Professional Chess Association (PCA).
Beyond his interests in chess, Kasparov is an accomplished mathematician and computer expert who speaks 15 different languages. He has authored four books and has gained international recognition as a prominent spokesperson for political, educational and social reforms in Eastern Europe.

UPDATE: Garry Kasparov retires from professional chess and attacks Putin. Read the full story at Garry Kasparov News

http://www.biogs.com/famous/kasparovnews.html
13 December 2006: Garry Kasparov's United Civil Front offices searched in Moscow
Security and criminal police officers raided the office of the United Civil Front headed by Garry Kasparov, according to his aide, Marina Litvinovich.
An AP article in The Washington Post quotes Garry Kasparov as saying:
"That's an important message not only for people in Russia, but also for the rest of the world to see how new laws, which are supposed to fight extremism, are used against political opposition."

11 March 2005: Garry Kasparov retires from professional chess to spend time on battles off the board.
Dramatic news today as the world's greatest ever chess player Garry Kasparov announced that he is to give up competitive chess and devote his time to writing and to Russian politics, in particular, his opposition to President Vladimir Putin.
Kasparov made the announcement after he had succeeded in winning the famous Linares chess event. He scored 8 out of 12 points as did Bulgarian Veselin Topalov (who beat Kasparov in the last round), but Kasparov took the title as he has scored the most wins with the black pieces.
Kasparov said: "Before this tournament I made a conscious decision that Linares 2005 will be my last professional [tournament], and today I played my last professional game."
Kasparov told the press conference at Linares:
"... by the end of this year my new book will appear ... the tentative title of the book is How Life Imitates Chess. It is a very important project because I want to demonstrate to a mainstream audience how the game of chess can explain the decision-making process in many walks of life."
Kasparov added:
"I devote a certain amount of time to Russian politics, as every decent person should do, who opposes the dictator Vladimir Putin."
It is a blow to the chess world to lose Garry Kasparov, but it is fitting that he went out on a high. After being increasingly frustrated by the chess authorities, Kasparov has proven beyond doubt that he is still the world's number 1 player, officially or not.
Kasparov will be hoping that the title of his new book "How Life Imitates Chess" is prescient. Although he was sitting across the chessboard from Anatoly Karpov when he claimed the crown of world champion, Kasparov was, in parallel, taking the Russian authorities on and defeating them. A feat that he now hopes to repeat.

Garry Kasparov was born Gary Weinstein on 13 April, 1963 in Baku, Azerbaijan, USSR.
Kasparov’s chess talent was evident from an early age. Taught to play by his father, he later joined the Botvinnik Chess School where he made significant progress. After his father died he changed his name to a Russian version of his mother’s maiden name.
From the age of 12 Kasparov was setting new standards. After becoming the youngest player to win the USSR Junior Championship he went on to win the World Junior Championship at age 16.
On his seventeenth birthday he achieved Grandmaster status. But his most notable achievement was the title of World Champion, the youngest ever, at the age of 22. This match was against the reigning champion Anatoly Karpov and the match was to last fully six months. However, a re-match was ordered and this took place in November 1985 and Kasparov was victorious.
Kasparov was to fall out with the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and he set up a rival organisation called the Professional Chess Association (PCA) and a World Championship match was arranged in 1993, in which Kasparov played Britain’s Nigel Short. Although Kasparov was to win the match, FIDE held their own World Championship match and Karpov was also to claim the position of World Champion after beating Dutchman Jan Timman.
In recent years Kasparov has been under the spotlight for his matches against the world’s strongest computers. In 1996 Kasparov played a six game match against Deep Blue, beating the machine 4-2.
However, he was defeated a year later by an improved version of the computer 3.5-2.5.
Garry Kasparov is the highest rated player in the history of chess.
Since his retirement from playing competitive chess, Garry Kasparov has been writing a regular column in New in Chess magazine. Kasparov has been active in Russian politics and heads the anti-Putin party, the United Civil Front.