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Chess In the Media

Iceland Grants Fischer Special Passport (San Francisco Gate)

Icelandic immigration authorities agreed Tuesday to grant the former American chess champion Bobby Fischer a special passport for foreigners that would allow him to travel to Western Europe, officials said.

Lawmakers in the Nordic country last week rejected Fischer's citizenship application, prompting his supporters to apply on his behalf for a so-called foreigner's passport.

The document would allow him to travel freely between the 15 Western European countries of the Schengen zone, a region covering much of western Europe where passports are not required, but not to the United States, said Gudrun Ogmundsdottir, a member of Iceland's Parliament General Committee.

The United States has been seeking Fischer, 61, for more than a decade on charges of violating international sanctions against the former Yugoslavia by playing chess there in 1992.

Chess enthusiasts dream of local club, host workshop Saturday at Baker Arts (Southwest Daily Times)

The pawns advance across the board. The queen goes where she pleases. The king moves one step at a time.

But however an individual game might unfold, chess will become a popular pasttime in Liberal.

At least, that's the scenario husband-and-wife chess enthusiasts Emile Darga and Chris Seeman would like to see play out. Their first move is set for Saturday, when they host the Mid Plains Chess Workshop. The event will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Baker Arts Center, 624 N. Pershing Ave.

Emory's latest stop on chess circuit: penitentiary (Emory Wheel)

For the Emory Chess Club, it was clear from the rules of entry that last Friday’s chess tournament was different from any previous competition.

“Empty your pockets and leave your stuff in the car,” read a notice written by the club’s adviser, David Woolf. “This includes watches, pens, everything EXCEPT your picture ID.”

While the members of the club wore blue collared shirts that said “Emory University Chess,” their opponents wore white jumpsuits with blue lining that said “State Prisoner” or “Dept. of Corrections” in all capital letters on the back.

School janitor also teaches chess (Emory Wheel)

The cafeteria floor gleamed beneath Richard Martin's feet as he walked along a row of tables where students sat facing chessboards.

Martin had mopped this shining floor hours earlier as part of his duties as a custodian at Richardson Park Elementary School in Christiana Hundred.

But this was after school, and Martin, 47, was now a teacher, pulling the kids along as he helped them understand one of the world's oldest and most complex games.

Do you know of an interesting, humorous, or unique chess story published online? E-mail us at newsletter@uschess.org.