MEXICO: Thousands of chess aficionados congregate in Mexico City in hope to set a new world record

Record ID: 303820

  • Title: MEXICO: Thousands of chess aficionados congregate in Mexico City in hope to set a new world record
  • Date: 27th October 2006
  • Summary: (L!2) MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (OCTOBER 22, 2006) (REUTERS) MEXICAN FLAG OVER THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE GATHERED TO PLAY CHESS IN THE ZOCALO VARIOUS OF PARTICIPANTS PLAYING CHESS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) CHESS PLAYER RICARDO GARCIA SAYING: "Really, people don't just play cards and board games. What they are demonstrating by coming here is that we know how to play other games like this one where you have to think a little. The thing is it gives the people in Mexico a way for us to develop something we know how to do ourselves." PLAYER MOVING CHESS PIECE (SOUNDBITE) (SpanIsh) CHESS PLAYER RICARDO SANCHEZ SAYING: "At our age we play to pass the time. But if you look at it as a sport, like that, well I think you can see that it is a game for the young." VARIOUS OF RUSSIAN MASTER ANATOLY KARPOV AT BOOK SIGNING ALEXANDRA KOSTENIUK, INTERNATIONAL CHESS PLAYER VARIOUS OF INTERNATIONAL CHESS PLAYERS PLAYING
  • Embargoed: 11th November 2006 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Mexico
  • Country: Mexico
  • Topics: Lifestyle,Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA4TO73XHFK40MZEEXDDX009467
  • Story Text: Thirteen thousand chess players congregated in Mexico City's Zocalo Sunday (October 22) in an attempt to break the world record for the number of chess games played at the same time and place.
    The participants ranged in age from the very old to the very young but everyone was immersed in strategic moves to outmanoeuvre their opponents.
    "What they are demonstrating by coming here is that we know how to play other games like this one where you have to think a little," said Ricardo Garcia who was having as good a time watching other matches as he was playing one himself.
    Russian chess master Anatoly Karpov attended the event and played a match himself after signing autographs for star-struck chess fans.
    The Guinness World Records organization has as yet to verify whether or not the event tops the previously set record of 12,388 players made in Pachuca, Mexico in 2005.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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