Anatoly Karpov, a former chess champion and now a member of the Russian parliament, was injured in a fall outside the parliament building in Moscow on Saturday, Russian and International the media reported.
Mr. Karpov has been a staunch defender of Russian President Vladimir V. Putin, and in many of Russia’s internationally controversial actions, notably its annexation of Crimea and invasion of Ukraine. But he also has express sympathy for war victims on both sides.
Accounts in the Russian media about the incident and the severity of Mr Karpov’s injuries have been sharply contradicted over the past few days, with speculation fueled by speculation by Mr. the number of dead or injured Putin critics since the invasion of Ukraine. However, people close to Mr Karpov said he slipped and fell.
Karpov, 71, was the undisputed world chess champion for a decade, starting in 1975 when American Bobby Fischer refused to defend his title. He is known for his years-long rivalry with another Russian chess champion, Garry Kasparov.
During the Soviet era, Mr. Karpov was the Kremlin’s favorite, while Mr. Kasparov was a major thorn in the founding team, a role he continued to fill after leaving Russia in 2013. was a fierce critic of Mr. Putin and was a scathing critic of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
