Former chess champion Kasparov arrested

Moscow -- Police in Moscow detained Garry Kasparov Saturday as the former world chess champion took part in a rally by his Other Russia coalition.

Marching with nearly 3,000 other protesters in Moscow, Kasparov and several other critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin were arrested when they attempted to march to the election commission, the BBC said.

Kasparov's coalition is made up of Russian leftists and nationalists
, along with some mainstream politicians, all of whom are opposed to Putin.

Kasparov was named world chess champion in 1985 and held the title for many years, becoming a famed figure in the international chess community.

Putin will be replaced as Russian president next March as the country's constitution forbids the controversial leader from seeking a third term.

Yet Putin has decided to seek a seat in the Russian Parliament, a decision that opposition leaders have strongly criticized.

An official complaint against Putin's parliamentary candidacy was recently rejected by the Russian Supreme Court, the BBC reported.

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Copyright 2007 by United Press International.