Central Park

The Daily Plant : Thursday, October 3, 2002

BETHESDA TERRACE COVERED WITH CHESS LOVERS

Photo by Malcolm Pinckney

Most tournament chess players are used to competing within the hollow walls of a hotel banquet room. It doesn’t matter whether it’s raining or shining or what season it is; it always looks the same. So when the chance arises to play at a site as aesthetically pleasing as Bethesda Fountain in Central Park, it’s difficult to resist. At least that’s the way 607 people felt when they gathered there on September 28 for the 2nd Annual Chess in the Parks Rapid Open. Although the initial forecasts were bleak, it proved to be a beautiful day.

Chess is often thought of as a game that takes hours to play. That is sometimes true, but by using a chess clock it’s possible to control how much time each player has for the game. This tournament featured rapid play with each side having ten minutes for the entire game. That meant that no single game could last more than 20 minutes because if neither side could deliver checkmate within his or her allotted time, the player who ran out of time first would lose. This enabled us to have a six round event on a single day.

Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe welcomed chess enthusiasts who ranged in age from 5 to over 70 and from beginner to master. Since chess is a game of such varying skill level, the tournament was divided into six sections so that people close in playing strength could compete easily against one another. The sections were Open Championship, Intermediate, Novice, Adult Unrated, Teen Unrated, and Youth Unrated. There were approximately 100 players in each section.

The highlight of the day was a human chess game that took place between rounds. With hundreds of people looking on from Bethesda Terrace and its steps, the area was turned into a quasi arena. Most of the “pieces” ranged in age from 11 to 14 and were students from PS 318 in Brooklyn. The game was contested on a gigantic chess board approximately 25 feet x 25 feet. A Renaissance touch was added to the game by using a trumpet player who played a few upbeat notes whenever a piece moved. When a captured piece was exiting the board, the trumpeter played a dull, solemn sound. And the fans were treated to a showdown by two of New York’s strongest players: Grandmasters Lev Alburt and Maurice Ashley. Alburt won playing his patented Alekhine’s Defense. But the game was awkward for Ashley to play since he was not able to stand on the same side of the board as his pieces.

After the smoke cleared, National Master Eric Fleischman emerged as the winner of the Open Championship. Fleischman, a Housing Specialist for Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, held his trophy up and exclaimed “This one’s for Brooklyn!”

One of the pleasures of organizing an event like this is the opportunity to work closely with so many extraordinary people. I would like to thank our co-sponsor Chess-in-the-Schools, the Central Park Conservancy, Grandmasters Lev Alburt and Maurice Ashley, the Chess Shop in Greenwich Village and the Broadway show “Proof” for their various in-kind donations. I would also like to recognize Deputy Commissioner Bob Garafola, my two deputy organizers Ya-Ting Chang and Aaron Greenberg , tournament director Jay Steenhuis, Chief of Technical Services Artie Rollins, Eileen Egan, Ray Grasso, Kerrianne Biele, Eric Friedenberg, Misa Numano, Dana Wilner and T. J. Gerney.

Written by Ed Feldman

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO IN THE PLANT
(Thursday, October 12, 1989)

“CAN I EAT THE FISH?”

Although most people can’t imagine fish swimming outside—and certainly not inside—the perimeters of our concrete city, there are many fish in New York City park waters. And New Yorkers catch these fish for both food and sport. Parks’ Natural Resources Group (NRG) is now collecting fish samples as part of the agency’s first study to determine whether these aquatic animals are safe to eat.

Chemicals enter our city’s water through industrial discharge, road runoff, leaking landfills and the use of pesticides. Fish and wildlife absorb these contaminants from the environment, and people eating these fish may also consume many of the chemicals. Long-term exposure to high levels of the chemicals has been linked to health effects such as cancer in laboratory animals and nervous system disorders in humans.

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

"We must ask ourselves whether improving education
will halt the violence.
If anyone can think of a better way,
we may have to try that.
But the way I see this tragedy, education is the most
wholesome and effective approach."

Walter Annenberg
(March 13, 1908- October 1, 2002)

Know Before You Go

Harlem Meer Center (formerly Lasker Rink)

Harlem Meer Center