Shields, Brando among others

By Frank 'Boy' Pestaño
Chessmoso

HERE are some interesting information about well-known personalities who not only enjoy the game of chess but who also promoted it in their own way. It really makes you feel good that you share the same passion or hobby with them.

Kate Jackson of Charlie’s angels once admitted during a TV interview that she would rather play with her chess computer than watch TV or go out. Also, the late Ava Gardner was once described as not only having a killer of a face and body but also a killer chess player. When Mae West says “come up and see me sometimes” she probably meant to play chess or it could be her other hobby.

Morgan Fairchild, the sexy superstar loves to play chess and once hosted a charity event in Mexico in 1989 where Erik Estrada also played. The distinguished Spanish actor Jose Ferrer also plays well enough to play with Bobby Fischer. Bob Hope, the ultimate comedian once defeated Bobby Fischer in a simul but he took a few liberties with the rules.

You maybe surprised as I am to know that Brooke Shields was a member of the 1990 Chess World Championship Organizing Committee in New York where Steve Martin and Rick Moranis were constant visitors. Woody Allen wanted to join a chess team but according to him he was “too small.”

Marlon Brando is known as the Godfather of chess-playing actors, while Frank Sinatra the “Chairman of the Board” is also a force at the chess board.

Ivan Lendl reportedly took up tennis because he could not beat his father who was Czech Junior Champion and Sevy Ballesteros rarely does not let a week go by without playing a game or two. Steve Davis once traded chess and snooker stories with Anatoly Karpov.

Che Guevara was a chess player of master strength and his favorite whipping boy in the jungles was a guy named Fidel Castro. Leo Tolstoy once went to jail in the army because he was caught playing chess while on duty.

MISTAKE. The inclusion of Mark Paragua, who incidentally is our newest Grandmaster, Joey Antonio and Eugene Torre to the Philippine Olympiad team without passing through a qualifying tournament is unfair, unjust and a setback to promote chess in our country. What about our other GMs, Bong Villamayor and Nelson Mariano II, and our other good players? If the seeded players are really better, then they should have no problem in qualifying. But as it is they are afraid because they believe in their hearts that they might lose!

This reminds me of IM Walter Arencibia of Cuba who was our guest in Cebu during the Interzonals in 1990. He said that there were other grandmasters in Cuba including their champion but he was chosen as the representative because he defeated them in a qualifying tournament.

Anyway, the eliminations have just ended and the qualifiers are Darwin Laylo, Emmanuel Senador and Jayson Gonzales, thanks to 10-year-old Wesley So who upset IM Chito Garma in the last round.

$500,000 OPEN. The richest open tournament in the history of chess, the HB Global Chess Challenge, will take place in the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minnesota with a guaranteed prize fund of $500,000 including a cash prize of $50,000 to the winner in the open section. It will be held from May 18-22, 2005 and is expected to attract more than 4000 participants. The organizer of this tournament is Generation Chess, LLC, headed by its CEO Maurice Ashley, who is also the first black American grandmaster.

Here is a breakdown of the prizes:

Open: 1st place $50,000, 2nd $25,000, 3rd $12,500, 4th $7,000, 5th $3,500, 6th $2,000, 7th-20th $1,000 each, 21st-50th $500 each.

Rated 2300-2499: 1st $20,000, 2nd $10,000, 3rd $5,000. Under 2300:1st $20,000, 2nd $10,000, 3rd $5,000.

Under 2200, U2000, U1800, U1600: (Prize for each section) 1st $20,000, 2nd $10,000, 3rd $5000, 4th $2,500, 5th $1,500, 6th $1,000, 7th-20th $500 each, 21st-50th $300 each.

There are also substantial prizes for Under 1400 ($12,000, 1st place), U1200 ($10,000, 1st place), U1000 ($4,000, 1st place) and Unrated section ($2,000, 1st place).