OCR Text |
Show Chess Expert Visits Moab. Takes on Local Players By Fran Barnes Mr Ted Pathakis, an "expert" "ex-pert" rated chess player from Salt Lake City, visited Moab last week and favored Moab Chess Club members with an interesting demonstration demon-stration of multiple - chess and blindfold chess. The demonstration took place in the conference room of the Federal Building, but was set up on too short notice no-tice to permit inviting the public. Despite this, nine Moab chess players, including includ-ing one woman, participated in the demonstration. Each player was given a chess set, then Pathakis went to each board in turn, making mak-ing moves at each as he went. As the two-hour playing play-ing session progressed, it soon became apparent that Pathakis was, indeed, an expert." ex-pert." player after player lost to the Salt Lake expert, ex-pert, then starte da new game. During the two hours of play, the Moab challengers challeng-ers averaged about three games apiece, almost all of them lost quite decisively. Mr. Pathakis lost to only one Moab player. After the multiple-chess games were completed, Pathakis Pa-thakis then gave a demonstration demon-stration of blindfold chess, in which he played without seeing the chess board or moves at all, while his opponent op-ponent studied the pieces in the normal manner. As moves were made by the Moab player, these were relayed re-layed verbally to Pathakis in standard chess "shorthand" code, for example: P-K4, which reads "pawn to King four," meaning to move the pawn in front of the king forward to the fourth rank of squares on the board. After each opponent's move relayed to him verbally, Pathakis Pa-thakis would study "his mentally men-tally visualized board, then state his own move in chess code. The technique was impressive, im-pressive, especially to those not familiar with such "mental "men-tal . gymnastics." Ted Pathakis has been an ardent chess player since he was a boy, has held his "expert" "ex-pert" ranking since 1947, has a collection of chess books numbering in the hundreds and has even published one such book himself, "This Is Chess." He is currently working work-ing on a second book. At the conclusion of the evening, Pathakis promised to return to Moab at a later, date to repeat his demonl stration, perhaps with a still larger group of . Moab chal-kngers. chal-kngers. Moab vicinity chess players interested in participating, parti-cipating, or in becoming adr ' trye in the Moab Chess Club, should call Terby Barnes, 259-7164 days, or 259-6700 evenings. |