Alex Trebek says “Prague Pal.” What is the question? “What is a Czech Mate?” How better to get into a discussion of the venerable game of chess. Apparently invented centuries ago by the Chinese or Indians, it continues to challenge, perplex and enslave millions. My grand kids beat me without mercy, so I am hardly an expert. Even so, here goes?
1. The most famous chess player in US history was the controversial genius, Bobby Fischer. The most famous chess match in history occurred in 1972, when Fischer met the Russian champion. What was the Russian’s name?
2. The match was televised worldwide. In which city and country was the match held?
3. A couple decades back, the Musical “Chess” had a short run in England and on Broadway. The composers were Tim Rice, of “Evita” fame, and a couple of rock musicians from a famous rock group. What rock group did they represent?
4. “Searching for Bobby Fischer” was a fine movie of a few years back. Who played the father of the child prodigy chess player in the movie?
5. In the opening scene of this movie, consistently ranked among the five best American movies of the past century, our hero is shown for the first time in the movie playing chess against an unknown opponent. Who is the actor and what is the movie?
6. Everyone protects the king in chess, so he has to be pretty important. In the late 1930s, a movie magazine had a contest to select the King of Hollywood. From this point on, the star was referred to as “The King.” Who was he?
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