MOSCOW — The former world chess champion Garry Kasparov entered Russia's presidential race on Sunday, elected overwhelmingly as the candidate for the country's beleaguered opposition coalition.

Kasparov has been a driving force behind the coalition, which has united liberals, leftists and nationalists in opposition to President Vladimir Putin. He received 379 of 498 votes at a national congress held in Moscow by the Other Russia coalition, coalition spokeswoman Lyudmila Mamina told The Associated Press.

Kasparov's place on the March ballot was not assured. His candidacy still needs to be registered and is likely to be blocked.

Even if he were allowed to run, Kasparov would not be expected to pose a major challenge to whichever candidate wins Putin's backing.

"The goal of the Other Russia is not winning elections, but to have an election," Kasparov told AP Television News, speaking in English on the sidelines of the congress. "We're trying to force the regime to accept our rights to participate in free and fair elections, to agitate the Russian population and Russian public to support our ideas."