Most children in Britain don't know how to play chess and I don't think many celebraties in Britain can play chess.
Now that's just sad, considering I got my ass wupped by Team England.
Totally off topic: on one of those lists, Christopher Columbus was listed as a US explorer.
Does that sound right?
Howard Stern plays chess, online too....I dont have satallite radio so, I dont know which site. would like to play though!
Pacino plays chess, Peter Fonda plays chess, Murray plays chess...
I'm sure some of the guys plays chess HERE.
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Mr. Wall,
Wow, what a list!
I noticed one of the celebrities was listed as R. R. Martin, author. I think this must be George R. R. Martin. I only know this because I read and liked a wonderful book he wrote called Armageddon Rag, a murder mystery involving the rise, demise and the almost supernatural return of a rock group called the Nazgul (with all its hobbit overtones) whose greatest album had been the Armageddon/Ressurection Rag, with all the mystical or cosmic implications of their music becoming incarnate.
No.
Batgirl,
You are right. He even directed chess tournaments with Goichberg and the Continental Chess Association.
http://www.georgerrmartin.com/bio.html
Nah not historically he never made it past Hispaniola and I don't know if he really did any exploring he was more about making that chedda but you know he's part of the US' founding myths. So it's not surprising that they would call him that.
Dennis Hopper plays chess. He claimed to have played Marcell Duchamp in the late '60s or early 70's. Duchamp was a French painter turned pro chess player. Duchamp was supposed to be very good but not world class (he was a much better painter). His turn toward chess was fortunate for everyone in the end though. After all, most would agree that there isn't much need for another urinal on a pedestal entitled: "Fountain."
I feel you might be overstating Duchamp's chess influence and understating his artistic influence. Duchamp never forsaked art for chess nor was he ever a professional chess player.
You can read the story of Duchamp and chess here and see some of his contributions to chess (through art) here.
I am certain that there are some well known names here, depending on just exactly what is one's definition of celebrity.
Check out Sting vrs Kasporov on You tube!
Billwall: great list, but I'm a little curious as to what the criteria for making it onto the list are? Must you have had a regular playing career, or merely played a couple of times in your life. Also, how do you know people like Chaucer and Shakespeare played chess? I know chess plays a part in The Tempest, but I'm pretty sure there's no evidence of Shakespeare's own chess playing given the dearth of information on him.
Plus, since Kasparov is now a celebrity in his own right outside of chess, he probably qualifies...
Duchamp was supposed to be very good but not world class (he was a much better painter). His turn toward chess* was fortunate for everyone in the end though. After all, most would agree that there isn't much need for another urinal on a pedestal entitled: "Fountain."
*Bold emphasis mine.
Strike that, reverse it!
Go take a peeksie at Nude Descending a Staircase.
Marcel was probaly about 1800 Elo. Which, imho, is very respectable.
Some of you are forgetting. Are any of these stars on this site? That's the question.
Maybe Sean Connery. But looks can be deceiving
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