Israeli Construction and Housing Minister Ze'ev Elkin was bested in a tense game of chess with former world champion Garry Kasparov in Jerusalem, losing in a nearly hour-long contest of wits and strategy on Sunday, Walla reported.
"I fulfilled a childhood dream and played against my childhood hero, for whom I learned to love the game," Elkin said after his loss. "It's doubly exciting to play the oldest game in the world in one of the oldest cities in the world."
Though a politician by profession, Elkin is well-known for his love of chess, and has even been dubbed the "Knesset chess player" for it.
He has promoted several initiatives related to chess in the past in an effort to further develop it in Israel.
Kasparov, well known for his skills at chess, is also well-known for his political activism and involvement in geopolitical analysis. He is a prominent commentator on international affairs, and has given his opinion on many prominent matters such as the Iran nuclear deal and the state of Russia under President Vladimir Putin.
The game between the two was held at the start of the IMPROVATE Innovation Conference in Jerusalem, Walla reported.