Former world chess champion turned human rights activist Garry Kasparov has been granted Croatian citizenship after finding it increasingly difficult to live in Russia as a pro-democracy campaigner.

Kasparov, 50, has spent many summer holidays at a house he owns in the southern Croatian town of Makarska and he speaks the language. He is also a member of the chess club in the eastern town of Vukovar, which he has played for in the past.

Kasparov achieved international fame in 1985 when he became the world's youngest world chess champion at 22, beating Anatoly Karpov in Moscow. He went on to hold the No 1 spot as the world's best chess player until he retired in 2005.

Born in Baku, Azerbaijan, in 1963 when the country was still part of the USSR, the chess grandmaster is known for his outspoken political opposition to the Russian president.

A Croatian chess player close to Kasparov has revealed he applied for Croatian citizenship earlier in February "because of problems he experiences in Russia due to opposing the policy of Vladimir Putin".

Founder and chairman of pro-democracy organisation United Civil Front, Kasparov has been a figurehead in opposition to Putin's government. When standing outside the court in Moscow where members of the protest band Pussy Riot were being sentenced in 2012, Kasparov was arrested and beaten by police. He also spent five days in a Russian jail after he co-led an opposition march against Putin in Moscow in 2007.

His application for citizenship received support from politicians and organisations within Croatia. After they met in January, the Croatian president, Ivo Josipović, praised Kasparov for providing "great moral support to Croatia" during the country's war of independence between 1991-95. Kasparov is widely perceived in the country as having been a vocal supporter of Croatian independence. The Croatian war veterans' association has encouraged issuing him a passport.

Kasparov and Josipović also played a game of chess together, after which the president boasted on social media that he held the grandmaster off for 33 moves.

This week in the Croatian holiday town of Opatija, Kasparov discussed the idea of launching a local chess club with the minister of education and sports, leading to speculation in local media that he might settle in the town now that he has citizenship.

In a letter published in Croatian media, Kasparov also spoke of his desire to represent Croatia if he decides to run for presidency of the World Chess Federation (Fide) in 2014, as is widely expected.

The news of his Croatian passport follows an earlier request for citizenship in Latvia last year, which he said at the time would help him to feel more secure as he pursued political activities in Russia. The Latvian government announced in November it would not grant him citizenship owing to "procedural issues".