Hip Hop Chess Video

The Hip Hop Chess Federation hosted the second annual Mind over Matter festival last Saturday in San Francisco. The following YouTube video vividly shares the event's atmosphere. Do you recognize some of the chess celebrities? I saw rapper RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan, the enigmatic yet legendary IM Emory Tate, top board of the Stanford chess team FM Elliott Liu and prolific author FM Eric Schiller.



As a side note, IM Tate is giving a simul tonight at BayAreaChess.com headquarters in San Jose (4423 Fortran Court). The action begins at 6:45, but make sure to reserve your spot by sending email to contact(at)bayareachess.com (limit 20 players).

Hip Hop Chess Federation on October 11 at Cow Palace

Update on Thursday evening: This event has apparently been rescheduled to February 2009. I don't know the full details, except that the change was only publicized today.

Do you like chess, martial arts or rap music? Perhaps you like all three of these activities. In that case, check out the latest event hosted by the Hip Hop Chess Federation on October 11 at the Cow Palace just south of San Francisco. The tentative schedule for the Chess Kings Invitational 2008 includes a scholastic tournament, blindfold chess, a Jiu-Jitsu exhibition and two panel discussions. Special guests include recording artist RZA of the Wu Tang Clan and International Master turned martial arts champion Josh Waitzkin. Young Josh was a child prodigy who became the subject of the popular 1993 chess movie "Searching for Bobby Fischer". The chess activities will be organized by local gurus Alan Kirshner and Salman Azhar.

Video from HHCF Event in Menlo Park

(Does chess mix well with rap music? Photo by Alan Kirshner from the HHCF's event last May 2007 in San Francisco.)

The Hip Hop Chess Federation hosted their latest event yesterday at the Riekes Center for Human Enhancement in Menlo Park. Their mission is to use chess as a tool for popular rappers and martial arts experts to entertain kids. As the website proudly proclaims, the "HHCF brings together top entertainers and fighters to inspire today's youth."

Saturday's gathering included chess exhibitions, grappling competitions and a Symposium on Martial Arts as a Path to Nonviolence. The event was covered by the local media, including the TV station NBC11. Check out this video clip for a great report from Menlo Park. You may even find a few active local chess players among the crowd.