Chess and TV

Chess and TV
by Bill Wall
On February 11, 1952, "The Game of Chess,"

starring Vincent Price (1911-1993), was one of the
episodes (Season 2, Episode 25) in the CBS show
"Lux Video Theatre" (TV series from 1950 to
1959).
On July 17, 1952, an episode (Season 1, Episode

2) called "The Chess Match" was aired in the TV
series Mister Peepers (1952-1955) on NBC. Mr.
Robinson Peepers (Wally Cox (1924-1973)), the
shy science teacher at Jefferson Junior High, is
playing basketball by himself and somehow gets Bill Wall
stuck in the basket. There is no one available to
help him out of the basket. This dilemma means
that he is unable to serve as speaker at Mrs.
Gurney's flower club that evening as promised,
nor at a chess match that Mr. Gurney wants him to
participate in (Mr. Peepers was the Tri-State A pawn majority on one
Chess Champion). Peepers's solution is to have wing can be of more
both the chess match and the flower club meeting value than a single
take place in the gymnasium, where he talks about passed pawn, provided
potting soil to the ladies and wins the chess game that the foremost pawn is
against another high school's champion from his sufficiently advanced. —
perch in the basket. Du Mont
In the 1950s, Ernie Kovacs had his own TV show.
In one of his shows, he had a gag of a blindfold
chess master playing 4 masters at once and could
beat them in one move. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNwbrTyYxd
8)
In 1953, "The Royal Game," written by Stefan

Zweig in 1941, appeared on television. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtToPEPIHM
Q)
On February 4, 1953, Kraft Television Theater

Theatre (NBC TV series from 1947 to 1958) had
an episode (#357) called "The Chess Game." Joey
Walsh (as John Green) gives a touching
performance as a reformed juvenile delinquent. It
appeared again on Aug 31, 1955.
On December 15, 1953, an episode (Season 6,

Episode 12) called "Cagliostro and the Chess
Player," starring Jack Palance (1919-2006),
appeared on "Suspense" (CBS TV series from
1949 to 1954). Count Alessandro di Cagliostro
engages Poland's King Stanislaus in a game with
his mechanical chess player.
On May 5, 1954, a one hour live performance TV

show called "Alice in Wonderland" aired on the
NBC Kraft Theatre (1947-1958). Ernest Traux
was the White Knight and Arnold Moss was the
Red Knight. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-
ka4honG5s)
On November 12, 1954, an episode (Season 2,

Episode 6) called "The Chess Player" appeared on
the CBS TV series Topper. Cosmo Topper is
expecting a visit from his pen pal chess partner,
whom he has never met. When he meets him for
the first time, he is surprised that his
correspondence chess opponent was a young boy
genius who doesn't believe in ghosts. Topper was
a TV series from 1953 to 1955, starring the
English actor Leo G. Carroll (1886-1972).
On June 6, 1955, an episode (Season 1, Episode

32) called "The Case of the Impromptu
Performance" on Sherlock Holmes (1954-1955)
aired on NBC. Watson runs into a backstage
employee who has the black pieces and studying a
position. If it is White's move, then it is a Scholar's
Mate and the game is over. Watson make the
move that leads to checkmate and walks out.
(source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNTNjMVT1
5U)
In February 1956 (season 6, episode 20),
Grandmaster Isaac Kashdan (1905-1985) appeared
on "You Bet Your Life" (TV series from 1950 to
1961) with Groucho Marx (1890-1977). Groucho
kept calling him Mr. Ash Can. Kashdan's partner
was Mrs. Helen Klein Schwartz, the mother of
Tony Curtis. They did not say the magic word and
failed to answer all the questions.
On April 29, 1956, an episode (Season 1, Episode

31) called "The Gentleman from America" on
Alfred Hitchcock Present (1955-1962) aired. This
episode had a chess scene with several men
playing chess at a London gentlemen's club.
In June 1956, Bobby Fischer (1943-2008) first

appeared on television. He was a guest on the
"Home Show" with Arlene Francis (1907-2001)
on NBC. Home was on TV from 1954 to 1957.
On September 1956, the Adventures of Dr. Fu

Manchu had 13 episodes of Fu Manchu (Glen
Gordon) playing chess at the beginning of the
show. The board was set up wrong.
On December 16, 1956, "The Chess Game," with

Ronald Reagan (1911-2004) as the host, was one
of the episodes (Season 5, Episode 12) on
"General Electric Theater" (TV series from 1953
to 1962). A cynical intellectual shelters a 15-year-
old boy who is wanted for murder.
On May 12, 1957, an episode (Season 2, Episode

33) called "A Man Greatly Beloved" appeared on
Alfred Hitchcock Presents (CBS and NBC TV
series from 1955 to 1962). There is a chess scene
with a young girl, Hildegarde Fell (played by
Evelyn Rudie), playing chess (she has been
playing for years) with Judge John Anderson
(played by Cedric Hardwicke), but with mistakes
(illegal chess moves). He gives check, and she
next takes a piece and says mate. The story was by
A.A. Milne, the creator of Winnie the Pooh. The
host was Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980).
On August 19, 1957, an episode (Season 1,
Episode 8) called "The Chess Player," starring
David Janssen (1931-1980), appeared on "Richard
Diamond, Private Detective" (TV series from
1957 to 1960). However, only checkers was
mentioned. (source:
https://archive.org/details/richard_diamond_-
_1x06_the_chess_player)
On September 14, 1957, the first episode of Have

Gun — Will Travel (1957-1963) aired on CBS.
The main character, Paladin, played by Richard
Boone (1917-1981) wore a nickel-plated, long-
barreled Colt in an elegant black holster adorned
with a sliver chess knight. Paladin's business card
had the words "Have Gun Will Travel" and a
drawing of a white knight chess piece. He was
also an expert chess player. In 1974, a rodeo
performer named Victor De Costa won a federal
court judgment for trademark infringement. In
rodeo appearances, he always dressed in black,
called himself "Paladin," and handed out hundreds
of business cards with a chess piece logo and the
phrase "Have gun will travel." He was awarded
more than $3 million, but died at the age of 83
before he could receive the award.

Episode 13) called "The Chess Game" appeared
on "The Danny Thomas Show (called Make Room
for Daddy in the first 3 seasons)." It was a TV
series from 1953 to 1965. Nurse Kathy's Uncle
Sean, who has been carrying on a chess game by
mail with Paddy McCormack (Harry Shannon) in
Ireland, visits the Williamses. He is on the verge
of losing the game, which would solidify his
feelings of inferiority to Paddy, so Danny
Williams (Danny Thomas (1912-1991)) tries to
help him out by writing to Paddy to tell him that
Uncle Sean has died, thus ending the game.
Trouble ensues when Paddy announces his plans
to attend the funeral.
On March 26, 1958, Bobby Fischer (1943-2008)
appeared on Garry Moore's (1915-1993) I've Got a
Secret (CBS TV series from 1952 to 1967). It was
part of a special "teenage appreciation" episode.
He stumped the panel, which included Dick Clark
(1929-2012). His secret was that he was the U.S.
chess champion. For stumping the panel, he
received two complimentary airline tickets to
Europe. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ortpQ8nQuH8
)
On March 29, 1958, an episode (Season 1,

Episode 29) called "Gun Shy" for Have Gun —
Will Travel aired. In order to collect the gift of a
precious jade chess set, Paladin must first
intercept the men who stole it.

Episode 6) called "Design for Loving" on Alfred
Hitchcock Presents (1955-1962) aired. There is a
scene with chess playing where the replacement
Charles plays chess with Lydia.
In 1960, a TV series called "Checkmate" aired on

CBS, starring Sebastian Cabot, Doug McClure,
and Anthony George. Guest stars included Charles
Laughton, Peter Lore, and Lee Marvin. It was
cancelled after 70 episodes in 1962. Checkmate,
Inc was a high priced detective agency in San
Francisco.
On February 2, 1960, an episode (Season 2,

Episode 19 (Episode #59), from The Rifleman
(TV series from 1958 to 1963), starring Chuck
Connors (1921-1992), called "Hero," Lucas
McCain (Connors) and Marshall Micah Torrance
(played by Paul Fix) are playing chess in Micah's
office, and Lucas is even winning.
In 1961, the TV show The Avengers was first

aired in the United States. In the fourth season, the
opening scene was a waiter that was stabbed to
death on a large chessboard. The British TV series
starred Patrick Macnee (1922-2015) as John
Steed. The 4th season introduced Emma Peel,
played by Diana Rigg (1938- ). (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frFWpzwos4I
)

23) called "Ed Cries Wolf," where Mister Ed, the
horse, plays Wilbur in a game of chess on Mister
Ed (TV series from 1958 to 1966). Mister Ed
manipulates Wilbur (Alan Young) into playing
chess with him, but Wilbur is reluctant to believe
Ed when he sees a burglar in the house.

Episode 7 (Episode #117)) called "Knight Errant,"
starring Chuck Connors (1921-1992), appeared on
The Rifleman (TV series from 1958 to 1963). Two
of Lucas' oldest friends ask him to observe a chess
match to prevent any cheating. One of the players,
Colonel Charles Black, says, "I'm going to watch a
chess game between you two gentlemen. The
winner gets fired, the loser gets dead!" In this
episode, Lucas plainly states to Don and Colonel
Black that he doesn't know anything about the
games of chess. However, in episode #59, called
"Hero," Lucas and Micah are playing chess in
Micah's office, and Lucas is even winning.
On May 21, 1961, Lisa Lane (1938- ), appeared

on What's My Line? (Season 12, Episode 38), and
stumped the panel as a professional chess player
and the reigning U.S. women's chess champion
during the first game. What's My Line? was a TV
series from 1950 to 1967.
On October 9, 1962, an episode (Season 4,

Episode 3) called "The Chess Game" appeared in
"The Untouchables." The TV series lasted from
1959 to 1963. A blind fish and seafood wholesaler
(and bootlegger), Ira Bauer (Richard Conte), plays
chess as a way of keeping his mind sharp. He and
Eliot Ness (Robert Stack) play a game of chess
and the game ends in stalemate. The board with
the fancy chess pieces was set up wrong.
In 1964, a TV movie called Sach mat aired, with

the theme of chess. (source:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5789834/?ref_=kw_li
_tt)

Episode 20) called "From Agnes — With Love"
was aired on the TV series The Twilight Zone.
James Elwood (Wally Cox) mentions that the
computer Mark 502-741, commonly known as
Agne,s beat the world's chess champion, four
games to five.

Episode 26) called "Lobster Quadrille" for the TV
series The Avengers (1961-1969) aired. In
investigating the death of a colleague who has
died in a fire, Steed (Patrick Macnee) and Mrs.
Cathy Gale (played by Honor Blackman) find an
ornately-carved chess piece in the dead man's
possession.

Episode 7) called "the Giuoco Piano Affair,"
starring Robert Vaughn, David McCallum, and
Leo G. Carroll, appeared on The Man from
U.N.C.L.E (TV series from 1964 to 1968). There
is a party and a man (Norman Felton) is playing
chess by himself. Ilya tries to make a move and
the man knocks over the pieces and leaves.

Episode 20) called "Chess Set" appeared on The
Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet (TV series from
1952 to 1966). Ozzie gets a large-scale chess set
in the mail. He ordered a chess set, but the fine
print neglected to state the size of the set. Ozzie
discovers a neighborhood kid with a talent for
chess. The two play chess. The boy then
challenges Ozzie to a bet and Ozzie loses $50
playing chess with the boy. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkRPjNBvaJ
w)

Episode 14) from Jonny Quest, called "Dragons of
Ashida," was aired. Hadji and Jonny Quest play
chess. The animated TV show Jonny Quest ran for
one season from 1964 to 1965.
On January 21, 1965, an episode (Season 1,

Episode 19) from Jonny Quest, called "Attack of
the Tree People," was aired. Dr Benton Quest was
playing chess with Race Bannon, while Jonny
Quest and Hadji played checkers. The chess game
was being played before the boat catches fire.
When the camera cuts back once, there are no
pieces on the chess board.
On September 12, 1965, an episode (Season 1,

Episode 10) called "The Chess Player" aired in the
TV series Jury Room, which lasted only one
season and 12 episodes.
On September 15, 1965, Lost in Space first aired

on CBS. A photo poster appeared with the
characters sitting or standing around a chess set. It
included Guy Williams as Prof. John Robinson,
Bob May as The Robot, June Lockhart as
Maureen Robinson, Marta Kristen as Judy
Robinson, Billy Mumy as Will Robinson, Angela
Cartwright as Penny Robinson, and Don Matheson
as IDAK Alpha 12.

Episode 3) called "Island in the Sky" appeared on
Lost in Space (TV series from 1965 to 1968).
Jonathan Harris (Dr. Zachary Smith) plays chess
with the robot. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlRXqu7Jx3
U)

Episode 7) of Mister Ed, called "TV or not TV,"
has Mister Ed answering a hard question regarding
chess on a radio game show and ends up winning
Wilbur a new color TV set.

Episode 11) called "Sun Probe" on Thunderbirds
(1965-1966) aired. This episode had some chess
playing. Brains and Braman have moved into a
separate part of the Tracy Village lounge to play
chess. Jeff interrupts Braman's attempt at chess.
On December 11, 1965, episode 13 from Season 1

of Get Smart (1965-1970), called "Aboard the
Orient Express," was aired. Maxwell Smart,
played by Don Adams (1923-2005), confused
chess with checkers.
On December 18, 1965, episode 14 from Season 1

of Get Smart (1965-1970), called "Weekend
Vampire," was aired. Maxwell Smart plays chess
with Agent 52 (Don Ross).

Episode 11) called "A Riddle a Day Keeps the
Riddler Away" on Batman (1966-1968) aired.
There is some chess play in this episode. Bruce
Wayne and Dick Grayson play chess at the stately
Wayne Manor. Bruce wins. The Riddler says he
has reduced the king to a pawn in his plot to kill
Batman.

Episode 22) called "Smart the Assassin" appeared
on Get Smart (TV series from 1965 to 1970).
Maxwell Smart, played by Don Adams (1923-
2005), is hypnotized to kill the Chief during their
nightly game of chess at the Regency Club.
(source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWHq9othR
xM)
On March 27, 1966, an episode ( Season 1,

Episode 26) of The F.B.I. (1965-1974), called
"The Defector," was aired. Dr. Gregory Holman
(George Voskovec) is in Washington playing in a
chess tournament. He is also an intelligence
operative for an Eastern European country and
may be ready to defect to the United States.
However, he is killed before doing so.

Episode 7) called "Works with Chess, Not with
Life" appeared on Public Eye, a British television
series (1965-1975).
Star Trek (TV series from 1966 to 1969) ran from

1966 through 1969 on NBC with several episodes
showing its version of three-dimensional chess.
On September 15, 1966, in an episode (Season 1,

Episode 2) on Star Trek, called "Charlie X," Kirk
(William Shatner (1931- )) and Spock (Leonard
Nimoy (1931-2015)) are playing three-
dimensional chess. The young passenger Charlie
Evans (Robert Walker) walks in and asks to play.
After defeating Spock in an "illogical approach" to
the game, Kirk turns it over to Charlie. Spock,
playing with the White pieces, beats Charlie in
just a few moves. When Charlie gets angry, Spock
leaves and then Charlie uses his powers to melt
the white chess pieces.
On September 22, 1966, in an episode (Season 1,

Episode 3) on Star Trek, called "Where No Man
Has Gone Before," Kirk (William Shatner) and
Spock (Leonard Nimoy) play chess at the
beginning of the show. They are playing in the
briefing lounge when Spock announces to the
captain that he's about to checkmate him on his
next move. However, Kirk is preoccupied with
awaiting the bridge's update on an unexplained
Earth-vessel distress signal. The captain notes that
Spock plays a very "irritating game of chess," to
which Spock responds with "Irritating? Ah yes,
one of your Earth emotions." Kirk then smiles and
makes a move and checkmates Spock. This
surprises Spock. "Certain you don't know what
irritation is?" Kirk says wryly.

Episode 1) called "Atlantic Inferno" on
Thunderbirds (1965-1966) aired. There is a chess
scene where Gordon plays chess with Brains.

Episode 11) called "The Clock King's Crazy
Crimes" on Batman (1966-1968) aired. There is a
chess scene in this episode. Gordon calls Batman
while Bruce Wayne and Dick are playing chess.
Dick makes a move and puts Bruce in check.
When Alfred says the Bat-phone is ringing, Dick
makes a second move in a row, which is illegal.
On November 6, 1966, a TV movie called "Alice
Through the Looking Glass" aired. It starts out
with a Staunton chess set in the living room. Alice
(Judy Rolin) is transported to a magical world
through a large looking glass with the help of a
living chess pieces, the Red King (Robert Coote).
Nanette Fabray played the White Queen, Ricardo
Montalban as the White King, and Agnes
Moorehead as the Red Queen. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLIw8COJ0Q
g)

Episode 10) on Star Trek, called "The Corbomite
Maneuver," Spock compares a helpless situation
that they are in to chess, suggesting that the USS
Enterprise crew was checkmated and the game
was over. However, a comment from Dr. McCoy
about a bluff led Kirk to reject Spock's chess
analogy and compared it to poker when he tried a
bluff.
On February 2, 1967, a Star Trek episode (Season

1, Episode 20) called "Court Martial" was aired.
Kirk, being court martialed, opens a
communications channel and tells Spock that
Spock will be able to defeat his next commanding
officer at chess. Spock plays a game of three-
dimensional chess in the USS Enterprise briefing
room. Dr. McCoy walks in and, irritated, calls
Spock a cold-blooded person for playing chess
while their captain's career is hanging in the
balance during court martial proceedings. After
thanking McCoy for the compliment, Spock adds
that he had just won four games in a row against
the computer (later, it was 5 games in a row). As
Spock had programed the computer himself, he
says the best he should have been able to attain
was a draw. Spock detected programming errors
in the computer's databanks because of faulty
chess moves made by the computer.
In the 1967, George Koltanowski (1903-2000) did

a TV series entitled Koltanowski on Chess for
KQED on PBS. It was a half hour segment
devoted to chess.

Episode 27) called "Casanova from Canarsie"
from I Spy, was aired. Bill Cosby plays chess as
Robert Culp looks on. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVmK7IXkt
MU)

Episode 1) called "Arrival" featured live chess in a
village on The Prisoner (TV series from 1967 to
1968), starring Patrick McGoohan (1928-2009).
The Prisoner gets checkmated by the Admiral, but
beats the General in the next episode.

Episode 7) of The Wild Wild West (1965-1969)
called, "The Night of the Hangman," was aired.
Artemus Gordon (Ross Martin) uses a chessboard
to map out the crime scene and take some trouble
to choose an appropriately symbolic chess piece
for each participant.
On November 24, 1967, an episode called

"Checkmate" (Season 1, Episode 9) appeared on
The Prisoner, starring Patrick McGoohan (1928-
2009), as Number 6. The Villagers are the
chessmen and the players sit in elevated chairs
calling out moves with megaphones playing living
chess. The game ended in checkmate. The escape
secret word was Rook to Queen Pawn 6, check. In
the script, the working title of this episode was
"The Queen Pawn." The chess problem found in
the newspaper came from Leonard Barden,
published in the London Evening Standard on
January 9, 1967. In real life, Patrick McGoohan
was a very keen chess player.
On January 14, 1968, "A Game of Chess" was one

of the episodes (Season 2, Episode 17) of Mission:
Impossible (TV series from 1966 to 1973). Their
target was an international chess grandmaster
(Nicholas Groat). The GM is also planning to steal
$1 million in gold bullion seized by a Soviet bloc
country. The gold was originally sent by the USA
to the underground movement in a Socialist
country, but was seized by the Soviets. Rollin
Hand (Martin Landau) poses as an amateur chess
player (P. Anderson) with a hearing aid, helped by
a computer that Barney Collier (Greg Morris) is
running and transmitting the move to Hand.
Cinnamon (Barbara Bain) wears a broach that
sends the video back to the motel room to the
computer. The computer program is unbeatable at
chess (the show was 25 years ahead of its time for
chess computers and cheating). The chess clocks
were not set right and every game ended in
checkmate. All the chess players smoked at the
table.
On February 23, 1968, a Star Trek episode

(Season 2, Episode 22) called "By Any Other
Name" was aired. Spock played a game of three-
dimensional chess against Kelvan expedition
leader Rojan (Warren Stevens). He observed,
during their match, that Rojan's game was "off,"
suggesting that they have played before. Scotty's
quarters are seen only in this episode. A wall
plaque looks like part of a 3-D chess set.
On January 3, 1969, a Star Trek episode (Season

3, Episode 14) called "Whom Gods Destroy" was
aired. Kirk and his senior officers used a chess-
based code as transporter clearance. The code
phrase was "queen to queen's level 3." The
response was "queen to king's level 1."

25) called "The Great Chess Gambit," starring
Robert Wagner, appeared on It Takes a Thief (TV
series from 1968 to 1970). A "Black Box" failsafe
device from a B-52 bomber has fallen into the
hands of a chess player. Al Mundy (Robert
Wagner) must play chess with the chess player in
order to try to negotiate the purchase of the
computer part. Al loses the chess match. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTM7_kBA5t
k)
On September 25, 1969, Season 5, Episode 2 of

The Dean Martin Show (1965-1974) had David
Janssen (1931-1980) giving a chess lesson.
(source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohiYpXogtu0
)

Episode 4) called "Deadly Pawn" appeared on
Land of the Giants (TV series from 1968 to 1970).
The Earthlings are forced to compete in a life-and-
death chess game with a Giant chess expert called
Kronig (Alex Dreier). The little people find
themselves bound to the chess pieces. Alexander
Fitzhugh (Kurt Kasnar) asks Mark Wilson (Don
Matheson), "You programmed a chess machine.
Surely you must be a chess expert?" Mark replies,
"Not really." Fitzhugh says, "Why not?" Mark
replies, "Does using an adding machine make you
an expert at math?" The victory for the little
people means freedom; if Kronig wins, he turns
them over to the Special Investigations
Department (SID). Fitz tests a trap door when
Kronig tells them the doors will be locked. If they
refuse to play, the giant will turn them over right
away. He gives them an Earth size chess game,
table, and chairs for them to pick their best player.
Dan Erickson (Don Marshall) tells the others he is
better at checkers. Captain Steve Burton (Gary
Conway) played for fun only but once wrote a
book on it. Mark programmed a computer to play
chess once but he reveals that it doesn't make him
an expert. As Steve and Mark play to see which is
better, Barry comments on their moves. Steve
queries Barry Lockridge (Stefan Arngrim) and
finds out the boy played All State Pre Teen
Competition Chess Game and won. Mark tells a
complaining Fitzhugh that Bobby Fischer was
only 14 when he beat Reschesky for the US
Championship. Barry takes over Steve's seat to
play Mark. Val cheers the boy on, quietly. Barry
seems able to beat Mark. Steve tells a worried
Barry he will have to play him. Barry is nervous
that if he loses, his friends will be turned over to
the SID. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Veid665GsU
A)
On January 21, 1970, the first episode of Nanny

and the Professor, called "Nanny Will Do," aired.
The episode had a chess scene. Hal, the oldest of
the Everett kids, pays chess with his father,
Harold.
In January 1970, an episode called "Anne Boleyn"

on The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1970-1971)
aired on the BBC. It was part of a series of six
television plays. The series was later aired in the
United States on CBS in 1971. The series was
rebroadcasted on PBS as part of its Masterpiece
Theatre. This episode had a chess scene. Anne
Boleyn's (Dorothy Tuten) brother, George
Viscount Rochford (Jonathan Newth) moves some
chessmen on a cloth roll up board. The board was
set up wrong.
In 1970, a TV movie called "The Cliff" aired. Tag

(Chesea Brown) and Jimmy (Felton Perry) play
chess at a hospital.
In 1970, the British TV science fiction series UFO

(1970-1973) was aired. The staff plays three-
dimensional chess. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvYrKcJJL9Q
)
On January 27, 1970, a TV movie called "Carter's

Army" aired as an ABC Movie of the Week. Lt.
Edward B. Wallace (Robert Hooks) is playing
chess with Private George Hayes (Moses Gunn) in
a tent. The king and queen are on the wrong
starting squares. Hayes makes a move and says
"mate" when there is no mate. Wallace picks up a
chess book and discovers the castling move,
which Hayes never told him about. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GvKvfN8N1
o)
On February 3, 1970, a made for TV movie called

"Along Came a Spider" aired. Dr. Martin Becker
(Ed Nelson) says he is a member of the radical
wing of the Berkeley Chess Club. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjPTW2vzR
HA)

Episode 24) called "The Merry Widow" on
Hogan's Heroes aired. There was a chess scene
with Col Hogan playing Col Klink. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5qvEovfup
w)
On March 7, 1971, an episode (Season 6, Episode

22) called "Hogan's Double Life" on Hogan's
Heroes (1965-1971) aired. This episode has a
chess scene. Hogan plays a chess game with
Carter. He deliberately knocks a piece over, and
leaves the table to retrieve it, as he does so,
Newkirk takes his place at the table wearing a
similar uniform. The change is unnoticed by
Schultz who only manages to spot "Hogan" place
his rook on a different square, laughingly
declaring "Hogan" to be a cheat. Pruhst angrily
rebukes Schultz and orders him to keep watching,
before getting up to leave for Leiter's party.
(source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3K3Uk79on
Y)
In the summer of 1971, Bobby Fischer appeared

on The Dick Cavett Show (TV series from 1968 to
1972). He also appeared on the show on
December 21, 1972.

Episode 3) called "The Chess Game" appeared on
The Good Life (NBC TV series from 1971 to
1972), starring Larry Hagman (1931-2012) and
Donna Mills (1940- ). Posing as the owner of the
Dutton's estate, Albert Miller (Larry Hagman)
tries to outshine an overbearing school chum at
chess.

Episode 17) called "Eye of the Storm" for the
ABC TV series Longstreet (1971-1972) aired.
Mike Longstreet (James Franciscus (1934-1991))
travels to a lonely roadside diner to meet the
representative of a gang that stole a valuable jade
chess set, in order to pay the ransom for its return.
In February 1972, CBS's 60 Minutes did a

segment of Bobby Fischer, interviewed by Mike
Wallace (1918-2012).
In July-August 1972, most of the TV networks

covered the Fischer-Spassky world championship
match. WNET/PBS (Channel 13) covered the
match, which became their most watched
program, with millions of viewers. The PBS
coverage, produced by Mike Chase, was the first-
ever live, real-time American TV coverage of a
chess championship match. The PBS coverage has
hosted by Shelby Lyman (1936- ) and Edmar
Mednis (1937-2002). Lyman was paid only $10
per diem to cover the match.
After Fischer returned to the United States, he

appeared on a Bob Hope (1903-2003) television
comedy series (October 5, 1972, with Mark Spitz)
(source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSWau3pTyI
g ) and The Tonight Show (November 8, 1972)
with Johnny Carson.
On September 13, 1972, the first episode of

Banacek (1972-1974), called "Let's Hear It for a
Living Legend" was aired. The chess match they
mention is the Fischer-Spassky world chess
championship match, held in Iceland in 1972.
Banacek (George Peppard (1928-1994)) is a gifted
chess player throughout the series. His chauffer
also plays chess.
On September 22, 1972, Jerry Lewis (1926-2017)

played chess with Sonny Bono (1935-1998) in one
of the episodes (Season 3, Episode 2) on The
Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour (TV series from
1971 to 1974). Jerry appears as a chess champion
whose annoying habits distract his opponent
(Sonny).
From 1972 to 1980, Florencio Campomanes

(1927-2010) of the Philippines, who would later
become president of FIDE, produced the only
daily chess television in the world. It appeared
nationwide in the Philippines.
On November 5, 1972, "A Game of Chess" was

one of the episodes (Season 8, Episode 8) in The
F.B.I (TV series from 1965 to 1974), starring
Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. (1918-2014) as Inspector
Erskine. Erskine poses as a blind chess master in
order to infiltrate a spy ring.

Episode 5) called "The Chess Game" appeared on
The Black Arrow (TV series from 1972 to 1975)
in the UK.
In January 1973, the Bobby Darin Show debuted

(1972-1973), starring Bobby Darin (1936-1973).
He always had a chess set while on the air and
sometimes explained tricky chess moves. He
featured a chess problem every week on his show.
He planned to sponsor a huge chess tournament,
the First Annual Bobby Darrin Chess Classic, but
died before the event took place.
On March 4, 1973, "The Most Dangerous Match"

was one of the episodes (Season 2, Episode 7) on
NBC's Columbo (TV series from 1971 to 1978 on
NBC), starring Peter Falk (1927-2011). A chess
player, Emmett Clayton (Laurence Harvey)
murders his Russian chess opponent, Tomlin
Dudek (Jack Kruschen), before a big match. It had
an interesting chess plot, but the worst error was
allowing the grandmaster to fall for a fool's mate
and getting beat in a few moves because he was
rattled.

Episode 13) called "Winterkill" on The Streets of
San Francisco (1972-1977) aired. The episode had
a chess scene. (source:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4aj8bn)
In late 1973, a TV movie "Frankenstein: The True

Story" was first aired on NBC. It also aired on
December 27, 1978. Dr. Victor Frankenstein
(Leonard Whiting) plays chess with his wife,
Elizabeth Fanshawe (Nicola Pagett) in their
stateroom on their sea voyage to America. Dr.
Polidori (James Mason) comes into the room and
makes a move that leads to checkmate. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yx2GTpW-
iU)
On January 15, 1974, the first episode of Happy

Days, called "All the Way," aired on TV. Richie
Cunningham (Ron Howard) plays chess with his
Mary Lou Milligan (Kathy O'Dare). (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlwBnWWhi
DY)

Episode 3) called "Chess Set" aired in the TV
series Salty (1974- ).
Episode 5) called "The Concrete Jungle Caper" on
McCloud (1970-1977) aired. Inmates are playing
chess in the prison library.

Episode 13) called "Jerry Robinson Crusoe" on
The Bob Newhart Show (1972-1978) aired. Bob
plays chess with Jerry. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBydrUQUf1
8)

Episode 14) called "Mike's Friend" appeared on
All in the Family (TV series from 1971 to 1979).
Mike's (Rob Reiner) college friend, Stuart
Henderson (Greg Mullavey), comes over to the
house to spend the evening playing chess with
him. Stuart checkmates Mike 3 times in a row and
calls him the worst player in chess.
In the UK, chess appeared on TV from 1975, the

time of the first Karpov-Korchnoi world
championship match, until 1995, the time of the
Kasparov-Anand match. After 1995, British
television producers lost interest in chess. They
did not even cover the 2000 Kasparov-Kramnik
world championship match, held in London a few
miles away from BBC headquarters.
On February 4, 1975, a TV movie called "Death

Be Not Proud" aired. Johnny Gunther (Robby
Benson) plays chess with his girlfriend Mary
Wilson (Wendy Phillips). (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SicWF7eKf0
)

Episode 1) called "Forgotten Lady" on Columbo
(1971-2003) aired. A younger Grace Willis (Janet
Leigh) is playing chess to the sound of "Glow
Little Glow Worm."

Episode 9) called "Chicken Little is a Little
Chicken," Jim Rockford (James Garner (1928-
2014)) gets checkmated by his father, Rocky
Rockford (Noah Berry (1913-1994)), while Angel
(Stuart Margolin (1940- )) tries to explain the end
of the game in his lingo. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88m2eQabgt
Q)
The Master Game series ran on BBC2 from 1976

to 1982. It was presented by Jeremy James,
Leonard Barden, and Bill Hartston. The programs
were cheap to make and got excellent viewing
figures. Many of the episodes can be found on
YouTube. The 1983 series was never shown in
England, but did appear on German TV.
On November 12, 1976, a TV movie called "The

Boy in the Plastic Bubble" aired. The physician,
Dr. Ernie Gunther (Ralph Bellamy) comes over
every month to play chess with Tod Lubitsch
(John Travolta). (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQAh4MNb
M5I)

5) called "The Disappearing Floor" on The Hardy
Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries (1977-1979) aired.
There is a chess scene. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wGnR4W5A
nM)

3) called "The Bye-Bye Sky High I.Q. Murder
Case" on Columbo (1971-2003) aired. Mike Lally
is the chess player at the Sigma Society, a Mensa-
like club, who plays chess with Mr. Wagner
(George Sperdakos).

Episode 13) called "The Sun Makers" aired on the
Doctor Who (1963-1989) British TV series. The
robot K9 beats Doctor Who in chess. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSoC1VUda
vE)
On January 23, 1978, a TV movie called "The

Defection of Simas Kudirka" aired. Simas
Kudirka (Alan Arkin) plays chess with Captain
Popov (Donald Pleasence) in the radio room. A
KGB agent comes in and suggests a chess move to
Kudirka. Kurdirka obeys and the KGB agent
leaves. The Captain says, "Between you and me
Simas, you can't trust the KGB for anything, even
chess." Then the captain makes his next move,
which is checkmate. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvXHjKU3-
6k)

Episode 2) called "Good Old Reliable Janet" from
Three's Company (1976-1984) aired. Jack and
Janet played chess on the couch. The scene only
showed the last two moves. Chrissy asked Jack if
Janet had won. Janet won.

Episode 16) called "Pressure Point" on CHiPs
(1977-193) aired. This episode had a chess scene.
On October 15, 1979, a TV movie called "The

Flame Is Love" aired. Two men are playing chess
in a cafe. The king and queen are set up wrong on
one side. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZP8ehSQh96
E)

Episode 9) called "The Snare" appeared on The
Incredible Hulk (TV series from 1978 to 1982).
Dr. David Banner (Bill Bixby (1934-1993)) is
invited by a millionaire, Michael Sutton (Bradford
Dillman), to play a game of chess on his private
island after Banner beats Sutton in a game of
chess while waiting at an airport. They play at the
millionaire's home and it is tied 2-2. They start the
next game, but Banner's wine is drugged and he
passes out on the chess table. The man turns out to
be a hunter, and David is the prey. The episode
was a variation on the short story "The Most
Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell.
On January 22, 1980, a TV movie called "Death

Penalty" aired. Carlos Riviera (David Labiosa)
plays chess with Woody (Ted Ross). Both are next
to each other and both have chess sets in their
cells. The chess board is set up wrong on both sets
(light colored square needs to be on the right hand
side). (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXPZruXIVA
s)
On March 2, 1980, a made for TV movie called

"The Aliens Are Coming" aired. A chessboard
with some chess position sits on a night stand in
the Dr. Scott Dryden's (Tom Mason) bedroom.
The movie was meant to be a pilot for a TV series,
which never materialized.
On March 4, 1980, a TV movie called "Bogie"

aired. In the opening scene, Humphrey Bogart
(Kevin O'Connor) is playing chess. His chess
partner is a Harvard professor (Robert Karnes).
On November 5, 1980, the TV movie "Alcatraz:

the Whole Shocking Story" aired. The second part
of this TV mini-series has Joe Clarence Carnes
(Michael Beck) makes chess pieces out of bread
slices and plays chess with the Birdman of
Alcatraz, Robert Stroud (Art Carney), who is in
the cell next to him and gives him a chess book to
read. Later, Joe plays chess with Bumpy Johnson
(John Amos). Joe makes a move with his knight
and says checkmate, when there is no mate
(Bumpy's queen could have taken the knight). A
new game is started, but Black moves first, which
is illegal. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUKp8ApMZ
rE)
On November 28, 1980, a TV movie called "The

Babysitter" aired. Dr. Lindqvist (John Hauseman
(1902-1988)) plays chess with Scotty (David
Wallace). The board is set up wrong. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WQgyelEuy
w)
On January 18, 1982, a TV movie called

"Fantasies" aired. Roy Hansen (Stuart Damon)
plays chess in the park and checkmates an
opponent with the Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

Episode 16) called "The Challenge/A Genie
Named Joe," on Fantasy Island (1977-1984) aired.
Roarke (Ricardo Montalban (1920-2009) beats
Douglas Picard (Vic Morrow (1929-1982)) in a
life-size chess game.
On May 23, 1982, a TV movie called "Coming

Out of the Ice" was aired. Vicotr Herbert (John
Saage) and Red (Willie Nelson) play chess. Chess
is also played in a cafe. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frWlbFHv6IQ
)
On December 18, 1982, the first episode of four

episodes of the TV mini-series "Framed" aired.
Eddie Meyers (Timothy Dalton) teaches chess to
Sergeant Larry Jackson (David Morrissey). Eddie
demonstrates to Larry a poor way on how to
checkmate with rook and king against king and
gives bad advice (he overlooks an easier way to
mate the enemy king). (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BA1haCPDoh
Y)

Episode 17) called "French Lesson" from Family
Ties (1982-1989) aired. Chess is being played.
Alex and Steven play chess. Alex claims a record
of 138-0 against his father. Steven claims it is
138-0-1. The tie supposedly happened on the day
when Alex had his appendix removed. While Alex
is away, Steven reads the book "Chess for Idiots"
to help him analyze the game. Steven wins
unexpectedly, but then knocks the board over
before anyone can see it (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9Uu5G_HT
EY)
In 1983, a TV series called Chessgame appeared

in the UK. It was a drama series about the
activities of British counter-intelligence agents.
The show lasted 6 episodes.

Episode 2) called "Alice in Wonderland" on PBS's
Great Performances (1971- ) aired. This was
originally a 1982 Broadway stage performance.
Richard Burton (1925-1984) played the White
Knight. Colleen Dewhurst played the Red Queen,
who talked to Alice (Kate Burton). Maureen
Stapleton played the White Queen. There were
several chess references. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdE5TSkStus
)

Episode 3) called "Nurses Night Out" for Fantasy
Island (1977-1984) aired. In one scene, they are
talking chess.
On January 17, 1984, A Talent for Murder TV

movie was aired. It contains a scene of chess-
playing.

17) called "The Artful Dodger" from Scarecrow
and Mrs. King (1983-1987) starts out with a chess
scene. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-sQ4QjsBts)

2) called "The Best Chess Player in the World"
appeared on Tales of the Unexpected (UK TV
series from 1979 to 1988). G. B. Shaw (played by
Michael Jayston) is a gifted chess player, but he
tells his opponent over a chess game, that he is in
fact the greatest chess player in the world. To
prove it he explains how he planned the perfect
murder, after discovering his wife was unfaithful.
(source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeRZnlDgAg
E)
On November 22, 1984, an episode (Season3,

Episode 10) called "Lost Weekend" aired on
Family Ties. Alex (Michael J. Fox) throws a chess
game against his father, Steven (Michael Gross),
in a minute as an excuse to run off to a potential
girlfriend. (Source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXikdceofbc)

Episode 8) called "Puzzled Steele" appeared on
Remington Steele (TV series from 1982 to 1987),
starring Pierce Brosnan (1953- ). A game of chess
was played.
The Cosby Show (1984-1992) appeared with

many chess references. In an episode (Season 1,
Episode 8) that aired on November 8, 1984, called
"Play it Again, Vanessa," Dr. Heathcliff "Cliff"
Huxtable (Bill Cosby) and Theo (Malcolm-Jamal
Warner), his son, are playing chess with a chess
clock. However, Theo never starts the clock to
start his turn. He just moves and stops the clock
which rings a bell. His son beats him twice in
chess. Later, Cliff wins 4 games in a row. Bill
Cosby appeared on the cover of Chess Life with a
chess set in the living room of the TV show. The
board was set up wrong (white corner square on
the left).
In December 1984, a TV movie called

"Forbidden" aired. Ruth Friedlander (Irene Worth)
and her husband used to play chess. Fritz
Friedlander (Jurgen Prochnow) plays chess by
himself. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCV3FeMloB
M)
On February 4, 1985, a TV movie called "The

Dirty Dozen: Next Mission" aired. Colonel
Schmidt (Crispin De Nys) and General Sepp
Dietrich (Morgan Sheppard) play chess on board a
train moving through occupied France. The
general checkmates the colonel.
On May 39, 1985, a TV movie called "Arch of

Triumph" aired. Dr Ravic (Anthony Hopkins) and
his friend Boris Marozov (Frank Finlay) play
chess. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCt64_5HLf
E)

Episode 2) called "The Main Attraction" from
Amazing Stories (1985-1987) aired on NBC.
Shirley (Lisa Jane Persky) wants to be accepted by
the "in crowd" at her high school. She tries to get
close to the football hero, but she is removed,
chair and all, near the members of the chess club.
The nerdy chess club members are at and around
two chessboards, but even they pack up and move
away from Shirley.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSZvg23jH
ZE)
On December 9, 1985, a two-part made-for-TV

film adaptation called "Alice in Wonderland"
aired. The second part of the film opens with
Alice (Natalie Gregory) at home trapped behind
the living-room mirror and invisible to her
parents. The Jabberwocky scares Alice and she
wishes it away, it disappears as she hides behind
the chessboard, knocking it over. She sees that she
has knocked all the pieces onto the floor and
begins placing them back on the table, but realizes
they are all alive, but can't hear her. The White
Queen (Carol channing), White King (Harvey
Korman), The Red King (Patrick Culliton) and the
Red Queen (Ann Gillian) decide that Alice's
lifting them up was a "Tornado". When Alice
meets The Red Queen once more, she is now the
same size as her. She tells her that she is to take
the place of one of the pawns of The White Queen
in a giant game of chess. Alice is to play a pawn,
and finds herself now on the second square. The
Red Queen tells her that she must reach the eighth
square to become a queen, and only when she
becomes a queen may she go home. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4BJPnAemU
E and
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfXIp760OM
0)
In 1986, a made-for-TV mini series called If

Tomorrow Comes appeared. It was based on a
crime fiction novel by Sidney Sheldon (1917-
2007). It had several chess references about
grandmasters at an international tournament.

Episode 20) called "Checkmate" appeared on
Family Ties (TV series from 1982 to 1989). Alex
(Michael J. Fox), the Leland Chess Club
champion, is competing in a chess match with a
Russian master named Ivan Rozmirovich.
In 1986, the Karpov-Kasparov world

championship match was shown on 120 public TV
stations, hosted by Shelby Lyman.

Episode 17) called "One Good Bid Deserves a
Murder" appeared on Murder, She Wrote (TV
series from 1984 to 1996), starring Angela
Lansbury (1925- ). The plot centers on a diary
found in a secret compartment of a chess set.

Episode 19) called "Who Is Don Luis
Higginsâ€¦and Why Is He Doing These Terrible
Things to Me?" appeared on Magnum, P.I. (TV
series from 1980 to 1988) where a man claiming
to be Higgins' half-brother shows up to play in a
Hawaii chess tournament.
On April 7, 1986, a TV movie called

"Annihilator" aired. A chess game is played
between Angela Taylor (Catherine Stewart) and
her boyfriend, Robert Armour (Mark Chapman).
This TV series pilot was not picked up by the
network. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bsc4uBSNFtk
)

21) called "A Prisoner of Conscience" appeared
on MacGyver (TV series from 1985 to 1992),
where Marvin Kaplan (1927- ) plays a chess
master.
On May 7, 1986, a TV movie called "The Blue

Lightning" aired on CBS Movie of the Week.
Ninian (Robert Coleby) and Doctor William Giles
(John Meillon) play chess.
On July 16, 1986, an episode called "The Abbey

Grange" on The Return of Sherlock Holmes
(1986-1988) aired on British TV. Sherlock
Holmes is called to the Southern Cross Steam
Navigation Company in London where he sees a
chessboard on the other side of the room. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLdXvQSlUV
k)
On July 27, 1986, a TV movie called "C.A.T.

Squad" aired on NBC. The movie starts out with
Carlos (Eddie Velez) playing chess on his
magnetic pocket chess set while riding the
subway. The position is illegal (two bishops on the
same colored square) and there are no pawns.
Also, both kings are in check at the same time.
Carlos later plays chess with Bower. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnB8L5u5Qw
Q)
On December 20, 1986, a TV movie called

"Christmas Snow" aired. Harry Bannerman (Don
Mackay), the local bar owner, plays chess with
Old Man Snyder (Sid Caesar (1922-2014)).
(source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUUMJIwm5
_U)
In 1987, a TV drama called The Mighty Pawns

appeared on TV. Inner city kids were given new
direction when they joined the school chess team.
Inspired by a special teacher, kids from an inner-
city junior-high school form a winning chess
team.

Episode 15) called "Spellbound" on Cheers (1982-
1993) aired. Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer)
loses at chess. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sv6bzeoS_dk)
Sam Malone (Ted Danson) is also a chess player.
On January 25, 1987, a British TV movie, called

"Agatha Christie's Miss Marple: At Bertram's
Hotel" aired. Chess is being played in a British
men's club room.
On January 26, 1987, the TV movie "The Alamo:

Thirteen Days to Glory" was aired. A figurine
chess set appears on the long table in the main
room when Santa Anna arrives.
On April 12, 1987, the TV movie "Escape from

Sobibor" aired. Leon Feldhemler (Alan Arkin
(1934- )) plays Alexander "Sasha" Pechersky
(Rutger Hauer) in chess. Leon also plays Abraham
Weiss (Zlatan Fazlagic) a game of chess. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4R53qvwba
g)
On October 11, 1987, a 7-part BBC miniseries

called "Fortunes of War" first aired. In episode
one, two men play chess outdoors in as park in
Bucharest, Romania, just past the gazebo. The
man with the white hat is playing White, and the
man with the black hat is playing Black. In
another scene that follows quickly, a man dressed
in white is setting up a chess position. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZu4acN-
U3k)
On November 1, 1987, a made-for-TV movie
called "Echoes in the Darkness" aired on CBS.
Bill Bradford (Peter Coyote) plays chess with
Vince Valaiyis (Zeljko Ivanek). He also plays
chess with a black inmate named Proctor Nowell
(Eugene Clark).

Episode 8) called "Fred Plays Chess with Yassir
Arafat," from the TV series D.C. Follies (1987-
1989). There is an Elvis edition of chess and Fred
learns that playing chess with Arafat is a no win
situation.

Episode 56) called "Room 2426" from The New
Twilight Zone was aired. Josef (Brent Carver) and
Martin Decker (Dean Stockwell) try to keep their
sanity by playing virtual chess.

Episode 3) called "Blind Chess" appeared on B.L.
Stryker (TV series from 1989 to 1990), starring
Burt Reynolds (1936- ). Harold Laiken III (Scott
Plank) compares private investigations to double
blind chess.
In 1989, a documentary appeared on TV called

American Gambit, featuring Kasparov giving a
simultaneous exhibition.
On December 16, 1989, the TV movie "Age-Old

Friends" aired. Cooper (Hume Cronyn) and Aylott
(Vincent Gardenia) are residents of a retirement
home who stimulate their minds by playing chess.
The pieces are set up wrong in one scene with the
king and queen reversed.
On January 21, 1990, the BBC first aired the

series called "The Man from the Pru." It is the
story of a famous real-life murder case and the
story of William Herbert Wallace (1878-1933),
whose favorite recreational activity was chess.
On February 18, 1990, the TV movie "The Death
of the Incredible Hulk" aired on NBC. Dr. Ronald
Pratt (Philip Sterling) plays chess with Dr. David
Banner (Bill Bixby (1934-1993)). (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDghJt3XkuI
)

Episode 19) called "Indoor Fun with Sammy and
Robby" appeared on Cheers (TV series from 1982
to 1993). Robin Colcord (Roger Rees) challenges
Sam Malone (Ted Danson) to play a game of
chess for a week's salary. Sam accepts despite not
knowing how to play chess. However, Sam gets
help from some transmitting equipment with
Norm and Pete sitting in front of a computer with
a strong chess engine running.
In 1990, The Chess Show began appearing on

public television in Portland, Oregon. It was on
the air from 1990 to 1998. Players called in to
make the chess moves. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKgKQnqgN
X8)
On August 9, 1990, an episode (Season 1, Episode

5) called "Russian Flu" appeared on Northern
Exposure. A game of chess was being played and
one of the spectators said it was more fun
watching slush melt than watching chess.

Episode 9) called "Dedicated to the One I Love"
for Family Matters (1989-1997) aired. Steve Urkel
(Jaleel White) tells Laura Winslow (Kellie
Williams) that he introduced Susie (Caryn Ward)
to the president of the chess club with the belief
that Laura is interested in him.
On November 24, 1990, a TV movie called

"Death Has a Bad Reputation" aired. A young
operative named Walter Jerome is working at the
British embassy in Rome. He plays chess on a
home chess computer. The kings and queens are
set up on the wrong starting square.
On December 15, 1990, and episode (Season 2,

Episode 18) called "Masked Ball" on Twin Peaks
(1990-1991) was aired. Cooper inspects a letter
from Windom Earle. It's another chess move and
tape. Cooper listens to the tape and inspects a
chess board. Windom says that the king must die.
(source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_PVMg3DP
BA)

Episode 15) called "The Space Eaters" on
Monsters (1988-1990) aired. Two old gentlemanly
friends are playing a game of chess, when a
sinister telepathic alien invader shaped like a giant
tentacled eyeball arrives to eat their brains.

"Bejewelled" aired. A Staunton chess set and
board appears on a table with the queens and kings
on the wrong squares. One of the jewels looks like
a chess knight. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRYWkyaM3
jg)

Episode 16) of The Golden Girls called "There
Goes the Bride: Part 1"featured a game of chess.
Blanche (Rue McClanahan) and Sophia (Estelle
Getty) are playing chess in the kitchen.
On February 11, 1991, a TV movie called "Deadly

Intentionsâ€¦Again?" aired on Lifetimes Movie
Network. Dr. Charles Raynor (Harry Hamlin)
plays chess with his step-daughter, Stacey
(Fairuza Balk). (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLXrOlPwK8
A)
On February 24, 1991, "And the Sea Will Tell"

appeared on TV as a two-part miniseries. Mac
Graham (James Brolin) plays chess with Buck
(Hart Bochner). Checkmate was said, but there
was no checkmate at the end of the game. Also,
the film shows White moving twice. In the book,
Jennifer also played chess and beat Mac in their
first game.

Episode 21) on computer chess called "Chip vs.
the Chessmaster" appeared on NOVA. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3t9r2ahMO7o
)

26) of The Golden Girls called "Henny Penny —
Straight, No Chaser" featured a game of chess. A
chess move came by letter from Serafina
Gambrotsi.

25) called "Working It Out" on The Fresh Price of
Bel-Air (1990-1996) aired. There is a scene of
chess playing. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoduQLjcduo
) Will Smith often played chess on the set when
not doing a scene.

3) called "All the King's Horses" on Monkey
House (1991- ) aired on Showtime cable TV. A
Latin American revolutionary decides to play a
game of chess with real human lives on the line.
The floor tiles are of black and white tiles make
up a 64-square giant chessboard. A game of
Living Chess is played. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXCrGk_OW
qo)
On November 20, 1991 an episode (Season 3,

Episode 9) called "The Nose Job" appeared on
Seinfeld. There is a dream sequence in which
Jerry's brain and penis play a game of chess to
decide whether he should dump his girlfriend or
not. (note:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WyojQFJY1
w)
In 1991, an episode (Season 3, Episode 7) called

"Check Your Mate" appeared on Saved by the
Bell (TV series from 1989 to 1993), where
Screech Powers (Dustin Diamond) plays in a
chess championship. Screech is the undefeated
chess champion of Bayside and he has to play
against Valley for the chess championship. Zack
and Slater bet $300 that Screech would win, but
Screech gets distracted when one of the attractive
Valley girls steals his lucky beret before the
match.
In November 1991, an episode (Season 5, Episode

2) called "Antonia and Jane" on Screenplay (1986-
1993) aired. Jane Harman (Imelda Staunton) plays
chess in bed with Howard Nash (Bill Nighy).

Episode 1) called "The ABC Murders" on Agatha
Chrisite's Poirot (1989-2013) aired on British TV.
Alexander Bonaparte Cuff (Donald Sumpter) is a
lover of chess. Hercule Poirot (David Suchet)
discuss a murder case over the chessboard with his
friend , Captain Hastings (Hugh Frazier).
On January 25, 1992, a TV movie called "The

Cloning of Joanna May" aired. Philip the butler
(Peter Guiness) plays chess with Carl May (Brian
Cox).

Episode 2) called "The Bet" was aired in the
British TV series Men Behaving Badly. Gary and
Demot play a game of chess, where the winner
will get two tickets to Carmen. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFujVYmLIx
s)

Episode 2) called "Culture" from the British TV
sitcom Bottom (1991-1995) aired After cleaning
up, they try to play with Richie's antique chess set
that his Great Aunt Dorothy left him. Richie puts
on a smoking jacket, which is actually his Mac,
turned inside out. Richie tells Eddie that the chess
set is the one that Wellington played with on the
eve of the Battle of Waterloo. Here, it is made
clear that Eddie has been stealing the valuable
ivory chess pieces and selling them. Because
there's only five pieces left, they have to play
chess with different objects as the missing pieces
such as frozen prawns (in place of pawns), a
potted cactus, a tomato ketchup bottle, a large
Spider-Man figurine and a toy skeleton. They also
create cocktails using Pernod, Ouzo, marmalade
and salt as ingredients, naming their creation the
Esther Rantzen, as it "Pulls your gums over your
teeth". Just as they are about to start playing,
Richie tells Eddie he doesn't know the rules of
chess. The episode then cuts to a few hours later;
it is now 5 o'clock in the morning and Eddie has
been up since 10 o'clock last night telling Richie
the rules of chess 124 times. They have been
through the Ouzo, the Pernod, the Old Spice and
all three litres of the Industrial Strength Floor
cleaner. By now Eddie's nerves are frayed and
furiously forces Richie to begin the game. Richie,
having learned nothing over the previous seven
hours, acts out a war situation with his pieces,
destroying half of them in the process and Eddie,
realizing that Richie still doesn't have a clue about
the rules, moves his Queen around the board
several times in one go to confuse Richie, and
then drags Richie's pieces over to his side, then
declares checkmate. Richie retaliates with a punch
and they have a massive fight, in which Richie
gets his feet crushed with a table, has a chair
broken over his head and his head slammed in the
fridge, but not before ramming the spike of an
umbrella into Eddie's groin. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvBrU1Cofm
s)

Episode 14) called "the Movie" from Seinfeld
(1989-1998) aired. CheckMate is a film at the
center of the plot. Jerry, George, Elaine, and
Kramer plan to see a screening of CheckMate, but
keep missing each other at two different theaters.

Episode 2) called "The Day of the Devil" on
Inspector Morse (1987-2000) aired on British TV.
The opening scene features a pocket peg set in
front of a guard that has been knocked out. The
criminal inmate makes a move on the board and
throws away a white piece.
On February 21, 1993, an episode (Season5,

Episode 6) called "The Chocolate Box" on Agatha
Christie's Poirot (1989-2013) aired. FranÃ§ois
(Preston Lockwood) plays chess with a lady friend
at an outdoor cafe.
On March 20, 1993, a made-for-HBO TV movie

called "Barbarians at the Gate" aired. Ed Herrigan
(Matt Clark) and Peter Cohen (Peter Riegert) play
chess. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6P0M-
Wp5L8)

Episode 5) called "The Magic Voyage of Sinbad"
aired on Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988-
1999). Joel Hodgson, along with Crow T. Robot
and Tom Servo, introduced the Rat Pack Chess
Set. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2uBV4KsYP
k)
In September-October 1993, the BBC had 60

hours of chess on television during the Kasparov-
Short world championship match in London.
On September 28, 1993, the first episode of

Acapulco H.E.A.T., called "Code Name:
Checkmate" aired. The HEAT guards a former
KGB agent and chess master named Andre Sokol
(James Booth) attending a chess match. One of the
HEAT members is Ashley Connington (Catherine
Oxenberg), who happens to be a woman
grandmaster. A grandmaster chess tournament
takes place in Caracas and it seems a few
chessplayers are cheating by wearing an earpeace
and getting the moves from a supercomputer. No
one is keeping score in this event, which wouldn't
happen in real life.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G26oMPPah
0Y)

"Confessions: Two Faces of Evil" aired. Billy
Mothershed (Jason Bateman) plays chess in a
dorm room with his girlfriend Lisa Darby (Ari
Meyer). He also plays chess with his father when
he was back in Chicago. Billy says checkmate in a
game with his dad when there was no checkmate.
(source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNVQFMbI
UQs)

2) called "Dead Water" on Alleyn Mysteries
(1990-1994) aired on British TV. Emily Pride
(Margaret Tyzack) plays chess with Dulcie
Cruickshank (Mona Bruce). (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eInxshZxRN
U)
On May 6, 1994, the TV movie "Hart to Hart: Old

Friends Never Die" aired. James Avery (1945-
2013) plays a chess expert on a Hawaiian Island.
On May 10, 1994, "A Perry Mason Mystery: The

Case of the Lethal Lifestyle" aired on NBC TV.
Bill McKenzie (Hal Holbrook (1925- )) fills in for
Perry Mason at an event in which one of the
guests is a chess master named Daniel Kingman
(James Stephens) whom McKenzie knows.
McKenzie plays a game of chess with Kingman
when they first meet (a King's Gambit Accepted).
An interviewer (Robin Leach) forces the chess
player to be on his show when he refused. When
the interviewer is later found dead, the chess
master is arrested and McKenzie defends him.
(source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAY91KIOa1
k)
On February 18, 1995, a TV movie called "The

Computer Wore Tennis Shoes" aired. Two
middle-age men are playing chess on the sidewalk
outside a building. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQUrAh7GR
qo)
On April 12, 1995, a made for TV movie called

"The Android Affair" aired. The android, William
(Griffin Dunne), plays chess.
On April 30, 1995, a TV mini-series called

"Buffalo Girls" aired. Chess is being played in the
all male Pall Mall Club in London. A chess set is
in front of Lord Windhouvern (Peter Birch) who
backs Calamity Jane (Anjelica Huston). (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NkYt4qE2q
U)

18) called "I, Robot" from The Outer Limits
(1995-2002) aired. It starts out with a chess scene.
Thurman Cutler (Leonard Nimoy) is a retired
lawyer who plays chess in the park. Cutler wishes
chess was not so boring. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcZ3RHTXI
Do)
On August 20, 1995, "Amanda and the Alien"

appeared on Showtime cable TV. Two of the
regulars at a Haight-Ashbury cafe play chess in
one of the booths. The chess set in the San
Francisco cafe had the kings and queens on the
wrong squares. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpGv8Xh6zh
4)

Episode 2) called "Chess Moves" appeared on
Central Park West (TV series from 1995 to 1996).

Episode 3) called "Dope Diamond" on The Nanny
(1993-199) aired. There is a chess scene with the
show starting out with Maxwell Sheffield playing
chess with his son Brighton.

Episode 13) called "Goodnight Mr. Bean" from
Mr. Bean was aired on ITV. He tries to fall asleep
by watching a televised chess match. He is nearly
asleep when the television channel cuts to a
Bodyform advert, via a star wipe, featuring loud
rock music. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BWjIkG6x8
U)
On November 19, 1995, the first episode of the 4-

hour TV mini-series "Dead by Sunset" aired on
Lifetime Movies Network. There are several chess
scenes. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HENM-
cs1eM)

Episode 11) of Saturday Night Live aired. It
featured a sketch of the Spartan Cheerleaders
(Will Ferrell and Cheri Oteri) at a chess
tournament. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WifF0kZ0zp4
)

Episode 19) called "Spring Break" on Married
with Children (1987-1997) aired. This episode had
a chess scene with Al Bundy playing chess. He
tries to cheat in chess by taking a piece of the
chessboard, but loses anyway. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9w7OyJypa0
)

Episode 18) called "Chess Pains" appeared on
Frasier (TV series from 1993 to 2004). Dr. Frasier
Crane (Kelsey Grammer) buys an elaborate
antique chess set, but he can't beat his father,
Martin Crane.
In 1996, a documentary called Chess Kids

appeared on 125 PBS stations. It was about the
World Youth Championship, held in Wisconsin in
1990.

Episode 4) called "Dumb Witness" on Agatha
Christie's Poirot aired. Aleis (tobias Saunders)
teaches his sister, Katya (Layla Harrison) how to
move a knight on a chessboard.
On November 30, 1996, Season 2, Episode 10 of

the TV series Life with Louie, called "The
Masked Chess Boy," aired.
On February 2, 1997, a TV movie called "Breach

of Faith: A Family of Cops II" aired. Inspector
Fine (Charles Bronson) is at a park where there
are chess players playing blitz chess. In the scene
there are illegal chess moves and the king and
queen are on the wrong starting square.
On February 2, 1997, a TV movie called

"Breaking the Code" was aired on BBC. It is a
biography of English mathematician Alan Turing,
who was a chess player. There are a few scenes
with a chess set in the background. The place
Turing (Derek Jacobi) works is referred to as the
golf club and chess society. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S23yie-779k)

9) called "The Chess Game" appeared on Beyond
Belief: Fact or Fiction (TV series from 1997 to
2002). Does a spirit show up to play chess?

20) called "The End" appeared on The X-files (TV
series from 1993 to 2002). During a chess
tournament, a young boy named Gibson Praise
becomes the center of an investigation concerning
aliens. Mulder and Scully investigate the
assassination of a chess grandmaster.
On November 1, 1998, a TV movie "David and

Lisa" aired. David (Lukas Haas) plays chess with
a black patient. The king and queen are on the
wrong starting squares. A girl patient pulls up a
chair to watch the game. Lisa walks over, picks up
a black rook and drops it on the girl watching the
chess game. The black explodes and knocks over
all the chess pieces and pounds the table. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlJrAqV75-
M)

Episode 12) called "Monkey Business" from Spin
City (1996-2002) was aired. Bobo the chimpanzee
plays chess against Mike Flaherty (Michael J.
Fox).
In 1998, a British TV movie, Alice Through the

Looking Glass, was made. It started out with an
animated chess board and chess pieces. A wooden
chess board on the other side of the mirror with
chess pieces knocked on the ground was picked up
by an adult Alice (Kate Beckinsale). The Knight
was Ian Holm. The Red Queen was Stan Phillips.
The Red King was Michael Mednin. The White
Queen was Penelope Wilson. The White King was
Geoffrey Palmer. ) It appeared on American TV
on March 28, 2005. (source:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0167758/fullcredits?r
ef_=tt_ov_st_sm and
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGM7aiQkAA
I)
On February 28, 1999, a TV movie called "Alice

in Wonderland" aired. Christopher Lloyd played
the White Knight. John Owens played the Red
Bishop. Christopher Greet played the White Rook.
Gerard Naprous played the Red Knight. An early
scene shows two old men playing chess with red
and white pieces at an outdoor gathering.
In June 1999, the TV game show Jeopardy had an

entire category devoted to chess called Chess
Mania. In May 2000, Jeopardy had another
category devoted to chess called Chess Nuts.
On October 6, 1999, an episode a TV movie called

"As Time Runs Out aired. There is a chess scene.

Episode 9) called "The Thanksgiving Show" from
Spin City (1996-2002) aired. Deidre and Carter
play a game of strip chess to see who is smarter.
On April 25, 2000, a TV movie called "The
Expendables" aired. Two Cubans can be seen
playing chess in the park.
On June 25, 2000, and episode (Season 5, Episode

4) called "Comings and Goings" on Arli$$ was
aired. Kirby suggests Stanley have sex with an
ugly woman as a "slumpbuster," after he suffers
numerous setbacks in his chess game.

"Crossfire Trail," with Tom Selleck, aired on
TNT. Rock Mullaney (David O'Hara) and Joe Gill
(Wilford Brimley) play chess. The position is
illegal as two bishops are on the same color.
(source:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x26x23x)

21) called "The One with the Vows" appeared on
Friends. Joey and Phoebe seem to be engaged in a
blitz chess game, each moving pieces and hitting a
chess clock in turn. Neither knows how to play
chess.

24) called "The Chess Mess" was aired in the TV
series Between the Lions. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kInNNKSSw
QE)
On July 6, 2001, a TV movie called "Black River"

aired. Some old men (Robert Harper, David
Smith, and Bill Waters) in the park play chess.
On November 6, 2001 the first episode of 24 was

first broadcast. Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) is
playing chess with his daughter, Kim (Elisha
Cuthbert).
In 2002, an episode (Season 1, Episode 3) of

Benjamin Franklin called "The Chess Master"
aired.

Episode 58) called "Hartsfield's Landing"
appeared on The West Wing. President Bartlet
(Martin Sheen), an avid chess player, received
some nice chess sets from the Indian Prime
Minister. He plays two of his top advisors
simultaneously in different rooms. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMUFP3x-
cno) The chessboard in Babish's office is set up
wrong.
On March 10, 2002, a TV movie "Firestarter 2:

Rekindled" aired. Andrew (Scotty Cox) plays
chess with Cody (Travis Charitan).
On March 15, 2002, an episode (Season4, Episode

18) called "The Game" from the TV series Lexx
(1997-2002) aired. Kai agrees to play a high-
stakes game of chess against Prince in The Other
Place. If Kai wins, Prince will unite the spirit and
body of Kai into one. If Kai loses, Stan and Xev
must forfeit their lives. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RHfIvYyhG
M) On June 16, 2002, an episode (Season 1,
Episode 2) called "The Buys" aired in the TV
series The Wire. D'Angelo Barksdale (Lawrence
Gilliard) spots his crew playing checkers with a
chess set. He teaches them the game of chess
using the Barksdales as an analogy. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8lyda_ZkL
Q)
On January 12, 2003, a made for TV movie called

"America's Prince: The John F. Kennedy Jr. Story
aired. Two older men in Central Park play chess in
the background.
On March 16, 2003, a TV mini-series called

"Children of dune" aired on the Sci Fi Channel. A
chess-like game is played by the twins at a fast
pace. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuggNu4iyzE)

16) called "Chess Wars" appeared on The Bernie
Mac Show (TV series from 2001 to 2006). Jordan
tries to butter Bernie Mac up by playing chess
with him so that he can later play paint ball.
(source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmvOlswrG8
g)

19) called "Future Malcolm" from Malcolm in the
Middle (2000-2006) was aired. Malcolm meets a
chess-playing bum named Leonard who could be
him in 30 years. (source:
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4u1plf)
Leonard is a bald overweight man who works 4
hours a days selling toner over the phone so he
can devote all his time to playing chess in the park
with strangers. He enjoys making fun of everyone
who loses to him. Malcolm played Leonard
multiple times, but always drew. After seeing
Leonard was in debt, Malcolm gets him a job
interview at the Lucky Aide. He is interviewed by
Craig, but loses the job after he is seen making fun
of him with Malcolm in private. He moved away
after this incident leaving Malcolm a letter stating
that everyone is a jackass, and that world isn't fit
for people like us (Referencing that Malcolm and
he are both antisocial).
6) called "Chess Mom" from Dexter's Library was
aired. In this episode, Mom poses as a personal
cheerleader to Dexter as he is playing at a chess
championship. However, Mom's cheering only
leads to Dexter's embarrassment.

2) called "Fairy Chess" was aired in the TV series
Last Exile.
On October 17, 2003, a TV movie called "D.C.

Sniper: 23 Days of Fear" aired. John Muhammad
(Bobby Hosea) and John Lee Malvo (Tent
Cameron) play chess in a diner. On the board,
both kings are in check, which is illegal.
Muhammad announces checkmate, but there is no
checkmate, and the enemy king was already in
check.

5) called "Chess Champ to Football Manager"
appeared on the UK reality-TV show called
Faking It (TV series from 2000 to 2006).
Maximillian Devereaux is already a chess
champion, but can he fake it as a football (soccer)
manager in 4 weeks?

Episode 9) called "Chess Lessons" appeared on
Jack and Bobby. Benedict discovers that Bobby is
a talented chess partner. Jack & Bobby ran for 22
episodes in 2004-2005.
In December 2004, an episode (Season 24,

Episode 11) of The Woodwright's Shop (1979- ),
starring Roy Underhill, called "Turning Chess
Pieces," aired. (source:
https://videos.popularwoodworking.com/courses/t
he-woodwrights-shop-s24-ep11-turning-chess-
pieces)

Episode 12) of The Woodwright's Shop (1979- ),
starring Roy Underhill, called "Chess Board &
Box," aired. The project was to make a chess
board with alternating squares of light and dark
wood sawed and joined into it. (source:
https://videos.popularwoodworking.com/courses/t
he-woodwrights-shop-s24-ep11-turning-chess-
pieces)

Episode 11) called "Gone" on Law & Order:
Criminal Intent (2001-2011) aired. Goren finds
himself matching wits with a paranoid chess
master suspected of murdering a young woman in
town.

Episode 11) called "Observer Effect" appeared on
Star Trek: Enterprise (TV series from 2001 to
2005). The episode begins with a discussion of the
triviality of chess while Travis Mayweather and
Malcom Reed play a game of blitz chess. They
happen to be under the control of two
noncorporeal aliens. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nzkZH5F_4I
)
On March 12, 2005, Malcolm in the Middle aired

an episode featuring chess. Malcolm set up the
white pieces on the board, but put the king and
queen on the wrong squares.
On July 2, 2005, in Season 1, Episode 3 of

Chasing Lance, called "Chess on Wheels," was
aired. The series was abut Lance Armstrong. It ran
for 6 episode in 2005.

Episode 4) called "Corporate Warriors" appeared
on CSI:NY. A game of chess helps solve a case.
In 2005, Knights of the South Bronx appeared on

the A&E channel. Richard Mason (Ted Danson of
"Cheers") teaches chess to a group of low income
students who end up winning the national
championship. Mason's character is based on
David MacEnulty, who did take his Bronx
elementary school students to a national chess
championship. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBCLUTCR
M9w)

Episode 11) called "Gone" appeared on Law &
Order: Special Victims Unit (TV series from 2001
to 2011). Detective Goren finds himself matching
wits with a paranoid chess master suspected of
murdering a young woman.
In April 2006, an episode called "The Mad Genius

of Bobby Fischer" was shown on Anything to
Win, a TV series documentary. It was narrated by
Jeremy Schaap.

23) called "Live Together, Die Alone" from the
TV series Lost (2004-2010) aired. Henrik and
Mathias are seen playing chess in the Listening
station.
On May 24, 2006, an episode of Let's Paint TV

(2001- ), called "Let's Paint, Exercise, Cook, and
Play Chess!" aired. Bernard Nacion was the chess
player.

Episode 7) called "A Matter of Life and Chess"
aired on the BBC TV series Young Dracula.
(source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m94urRxJ4y8
)
On November 4, 2006, Season 1, Episode 8 of

Hammered with John and Jimmy DiResta (2006-
2007), called "The Custom Chess Set," aired.
In 2007, National Geographic aired "My Brilliant

Brain," featuring Susan Polgar. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJaknr55PLQ
)
On January 4, 2007, Chess Now appeared on TV,

hosted by Tana. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpamG7Pv6t
U)

11) called "Enter 77" appeared on the TV series
Lost (2004-2010). There is a computer called
DHARMA that has a chess program on it. John
Locke plays the computer and loses. One of the
positions is from the final position of Ivanchuk vs.
Yusupov in 1991. Another position came from
Karpov-Kasparov, World Championship Match
1985, game 16.

23) called "The Jerk" appeared on the TV series
House (2004-2012). A chess player named Nate
beats up another chess player using a chess clock.

20) called "Unending" from Stargate SG-1 (197-
2007) was aired. A chess game was played on the
stranded Odyssey.
On July 2, 2007, Season 1, Episode 14 of Gaming

Disasters (2007-2008) featured a review of Battle
Chess. The conclusion from one of the reviewers
was that you couldn't make a more boring game if
you set out to try.
On October 13, 2007, the Hip Hop Chess

Federation First Kings Invitational, starring The
GZA, was aired on Rap City (2000- ).
On December 1, 2007, an episode called "Capture

the Queen" appeared on CBS 48 Hours.
In 2008, The Mentalist had a chess scene where

checkmate was announced by a queen move, but
the queen could have been taken and no
checkmate.
On March 24, 2008, an episode called "A Little

Clammy and None Too Fresh" on Two and a Half
Men (2003-2015) aired. There is some chess
playing in this episode.

14) called "Checkmate" from Numb3rs aired. In
this episode, Bishop and David play blitz chess.
Don runs into Robin Brooks during an
investigation concerning informants and a chess
master. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kQ1vPiODV
4 and
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDffgNVDR
uE)

2) from As the Bell Rings, called "Chess for a
Day," aired.

2) called "Mr. Monk and the Genius" appeared on
Monk (TV series from 2002 to 2009). Monk
matches wits with a chess master who is suspected
of murdering his wife. A girl plays chess in the
park, has the black pieces, and makes the first
move 1.f5. The Grandmaster she is playing says
this is the Bird's Opening. It would be if White
had played the first move and played 1.f4.
On January 25, 2009, Woman Grandmaster and

Women's World Chess Champion Alexandra
Kosteniuk appeared on Fox TV (Lexus Sports
Extra). (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFFsQGukNz
w)
In 2009, a musical episode called "Chess in

Concert" appeared on Great Performances.
In 2009, an episode (Season 3, Episode 7) of Yard

Crashers (2008- ), called "Chess Board Patio,"
aired.
On June 17, 2009, a Great Performance PBS

episode (season 37, Episode 19) called "Chess in
Concert" aired. Great Performances has been
shown on PBS since 1972. This was a London
concert of Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus's
(ABBA) 1986 cult musical Chess.
On November 16, 2009, ABC World News Now

covered a news article on chess boxing.

Episode 5) of the TV series Timeshift (2002- ),
called "How to Win at Chess," aired. It featured
GMs Raymond Keene, Daniel King, David
Howell, Nigel Short, Victor Korchnoi, Tony
Miles, John Nunn, and a host of other chess
personalities.

Episode 14) called "And the Winner isâ€¦" from
Numb3rs (2005-2010) aired. There is a chess
scene in this episode.

Episode 19) called :Game Changer" on Modern
Family (2009- ) was aired. Jay brings home a new
chess set. Jay takes on Gloria and Manny in the
ultimate chess game. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hUoqmLYra
U)

16) called "Checkmate" appeared on Smallville
(TV series from 2001 to 2011). Amanda Waller
has a chess set in her office at Checkmate
headquarters.

6) called "Sunset" of Breaking Bad (2008-2013)
aired. This episode has a chess scene. Gale plays
chess.
Episode 39) called "Chess Olympiad" aired in the
TV series Who Knew?

Episode 14) called "Payback" on White Collar
(2009-2014) aired. Neal and Keller play chess.
In March 2011, a TV series called Endgame

appeared on Canadian drama television. The series
follows former Russian world chess champion
Arkady Balagan (Shawn Doyle), a genius who
uses his analytical skills to solve crimes. It
appeared on Showcase Television. In early June
2011, Showcase announced that it would not
renew Endgame for a second season.
In 2011, a documentary film called Bobby Fischer

Against the World was shown on TV in the UK on
BBC and the United States on HBO.
On February 27, 2011, Book TV on CSPAN did

an interview of Frank Brady and his new book on
Bobby Fischer, called "Endgame."
On March 14, 2011, the TV series Endgame first

aired. It was a drama series centering on brilliant
chess master Arkady Balagan (played by Shawn
Doyle). There were 13 episodes.

6) called "Fearful Symmetry" from Endgame
(2011) aired. Balagan is sidetracked by an
unexpected mach with a 16-year-old world chess
champion.

22) called "The Wildebeest Implementation"
appeared on The Big Bang Theory (2007- ).
Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) invents "Three-
Person Chess." (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHVPutfveV
s)
11) called "Mr. Black" on Endgame (2011) aired.
Balagan was forced to match his chess skills
against a computer when his anonymous online
opponent reveals that he is playing for the lives of
a group of innocent hostages.

Episode 10) called "The Queen's Gambit Job"
from Leverage (2008-2012) aired. A chess
tournament in being played in Dubai. Over a game
of chess, Sterling tells Nate that Kazhistan is
developing the infrastructure to develop uranium.
The chess game ends in a draw as only two kings
remain. Livingston's step-daugher Olivia is
playing in the chess tournament in Dubai. At the
chess tournament, Hardison rigs it so Olivia plays
the easier players to advance, but that means Nate
gets the hard ones. He's supposed to meet her in
the final.
On February 19, 2012, 60 Minutes on CBS

presented "Mozart of Chess: Magnus Carlsen."
Bob Simon interviewed Magnus Carlsen at the
London Chess Classic, held in December, 2011.
(source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc_v9mTfhC
8)

Episode 18) called "The Werewolf
Tansformation," of The Big Bang Theory (2007-
), was aired on CBS. Penny (Kaley Cuoco) beats
Leonard Hofstadter (Johnny Galecki) at chess the
first time she ever plays. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtcvCO7oQu
Y)

Episode 15) on Video Game Vault (2006-2014)
featured Battle Chess.
On April 25, 2012, Magnus Carlsen appeared in

The Colbert Report on Comedy Central. Colbert
asked him what does the little horsie do?
On February 4, 2013, Magnus Carlsen appeared

on the Talk Show Metaphsical Milkshake and was
interviewed in the back of a 1970s van by Rainn
Wilson.

Episode 52) called "Chess Cake" appeared on the
reality TV show Nerdy Nummies.

1) called "Game of Chess" aired on the TV series
2 Guys and a Couch. Things get touch as Mike
and Korey disagree about the rules of chess.
On April 24, 2013, the Charlie Rose show on PBS

interviewed Magnus Carlsen.

6) of the animated TV series Arthur (1996- ),
called "The Last Tough Customer/Brain's Chess
Mess," aired on PBS.

13) called "Nightmare in Silver" aired on Doctor
Who. It featured a chess-playing dwarf.

30) called "Space Chess" was aired in the TV
series, The Cosmonaut.

Episode 5) called "Chess(ish)" was aired in the
TV series The Agoraphobes. Amy and Colin find
a way to spice up a game of chess.
On October 24, 2013, an episode called "Ancient

History" on Elementary (2012) aired. There was a
brief chess scene between Sherlock Holmes and
the morgue doctor, and Holmes wins. The board
was set up wrong.

Episode 6), called "The World's Best Chess
Player," from the animated TV series The Travels
of the Young Marco Polo (2013- ), was aired.
In 2014, Season 1, Episode 16 of the UK TV

series Dixi (2014- ), called "No One Goes to
Chess Club," aired.

Episode 9) called "Deadliest Chess Game: Gustav
III Assassination, Shot in the Heart," from
Mysteries at the Castle aired on the Travel
Channel. It included a vicious Earl playing chess
with the devil at a Scottish fortress, an epic love,
and a royal murder. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkAOJ9-
fUQM)

Episode 14) called "The Master in the Slop" for
Bones (2005-2017) was aired. When the
Jeffersonian team discovers the body of a
renowned but disliked chess master named
Magnusson amidst pig slop, Sweets surprises the
team with his chess skills and goes undercover in
the world of professional chess to find the killer.

Episode 16) called "Killer Moves" from CSI:
Crime Scene Investigation (2000-205) aired. CSI
searches for a killer whose victims and locations
resemble moves on a chess board.

16) called "Shogi vs. Chess" was aired in the TV
animated series, Tonari no Seki-kun: The Master
of Killing Time (2014- ).

Episode 10) called "A Pack of Cards" on Extant
(2014-2015) aired. There is a chess playing scene
in this episode. Femi Dodd asks if Ethan Woods
has played chess before. Ethan replies, "My dad
just showed me. It's easyâ€¦ You just have to look
at the connections.

Episode 11) called "If-Then-Else" from Person of
Interest (2011-2016) was aired. There is a chess
game scene with Mr. Finch playing chess. Finch
says this of chess, "It's a useful mental exercise.
Through the years, many thinkers have been
fascinated by it. But I don't enjoy playing...
Because it was a game that was born during a
brutal age when life counted for little. Everyone
believed that some people were worth more than
others. Kings. Pawns. I don't think that anyone is
worth more than anyone else... Chess is just a
game. Real people are not pieces. You can't assign
more value to some of them and not others. Not to
me. Not to anyone. People are not a thing that you
can sacrifice. The lesson is, if anyone who looks
on to the world as if it is a game of chess, deserves
to lose. " (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBpIoAYul8
0)

Episode 13) called "Chess Champion, Operation
Dream, Special Gymnasts," appeared on the TV
series Live Life and Win! (2011- ).

13) called "Chess" from Team Toon (2013- ) was
aired.
On March 31, 2015, STL TV Live in St. Louis,

Missouri featured a segment on the World Chess
Hall of Fame in St. Louis. Shannon Bailey,
director of the World Chess Hall of Fame was
interviewed. (source:
https://archive.org/details/STL_TV_Live_-
_World_Chess_Hall_of_Fame)

2) called "A Game of Chess" aired in the TV
mini-series April in the Cruelest Month.
On June 28, 2015, Season 1, Episode 3 of the TV
series JonTron's Starcade (2015- ), called "Star
Wars Chess," aired. Jon Jafari reviews the "Star
Wars Chess" game with Chewbacca.
On August 29, 2015, CSPAN hosted a segment

called Open Phones with Garry Kasparov.

Episode 1) called "Blind Chess" was aired in the
TV series Con.

Episode 6) called "Bobby Fischer, King of the
Chess People" on Drunk History aired on Comedy
Central. It was a spoof of Fischer playing Boris
Spassky. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeKHtIAYA
eU)
On October 28, 2015, the second episode of Bull

(2015- ) called "A Fine Example of a Victorian
Chess Set (1865)" aired. Rupert Bull (Robert
Lindsay) challenges his new rival, Mr. Mumford
(Kevin Eldon) to a duel by chess.

Episode 6) called "Animal Activist, Chess
Champion, Tennis Lessons," appeared on the TV
series Live Life and Win! (2011- ).
On November 7, 2015, Gary Kasparov was

featured on CPAN's Book TV taking about his
new book, "Winter is Coming."
On December 1, 2015, Season 2, Episode 18,

called "Crossword Puzzles, Pinball, & Chess" air
in the TV series Origins. It discussed the origins
of chess.
On December 14, 2015, the TV series James &

Mike Mondays (2012- ) review Star Wars Chess
from the Sega CD.
9) called "Chess Nuts" in the TV series The Odd
Couple. Oscar learns that Felix was a nationally
ranked chess player as a child and convinces him
to return to the game to make money. The Odd
Couple ran on CBS from Feb 2015 to Jan 2017.
On June 19, 2016, the first episode of

Declassified: Untold Stories of American Spies,
was titled "Trigon: The KGB Chess Game." The
CIA recruited Soviet diplomat Aleksandr
Ogorodnik, codenamed TRIGON, to capture
intelligence on the Soviets.
On July 1, 2016, an episode (Season 2, Episode 6)

called "Serpent's Terms" from Marco Polo (2014-
2016) aired. Ahmad's deadly and secret chess
match against Kublai enters its endgame.

6) called "The Chess Players" aired in the TV
series American Gothic.
On July 27, 216, an episode (Season 2, Episode 4)

called "The Man in the Mask" from Mr. Robot
(2015- ) aired. There are a few chess scenes as
Eliot and Mr. Robot play chess.

Episode 10) from Handcrafted America (2016- )
featured a talented craftsman in Hawaii who hand-
turns Koa wood chess sets.

Episode 17) of Cell Outs 2.0 (2016- ) featured real
life chess boxing. Joven and Lasercorn go head-
to-head in boxing and chess.

Episode 6) called "A Game of Chess" aired on the
TV series, Too Close to Home.

Episode 14) of the Simpsons has Homer playing
chess at the bowling alley. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrBy2X4xa-
0)

Episode 15) of Life Life and Win! (2011- ) featue
a 14-year-old world chess champion.

Episode 7) called "hack Attack" from Power
Rangers Ninja Steel (2017) aired on Nickelodeon.
Sarah (Pink Ranger) signs up for four different
clubs, including the chess club. She beats Preston
in chess. (source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLLA7-
y32gc)
On March 26, 2017, 60 Minutes on CBS covered a

story on chess ("Chess Country") in Franklin
County, rural Mississippi.

19) called "Chess Master Steve" on the animated
TV series Uncle Grandpa (2010-2017), aired.
On July 30, 2017, CSPAN interviewed Garry

Kasparov on a segment called Deep Thinking.

Episode 1) called "Game" from Endeavour (2012-
) was aired. A pattern of murders suggests a serial
killer with a knowledge of chess moves. There
was a chess scene where it was announced that the
pawn was moved to queen four (d4), but the green
computer screen showed the pawn went to king
four (e4).

Episode 9) called "Chess to the Death," was aired
in the TV series PaulWesNick. Wes and Ari
engage in a chess match that could lead to
disaster.
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Chess and TV

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Chess and TV

On February 11, 1952, "The Game of Chess,"

On July 17, 1952, an episode (Season 1, Episode

In 1953, "The Royal Game," written by Stefan

On February 4, 1953, Kraft Television Theater

On December 15, 1953, an episode (Season 6,

On May 5, 1954, a one hour live performance TV

On November 12, 1954, an episode (Season 2,

On June 6, 1955, an episode (Season 1, Episode

On April 29, 1956, an episode (Season 1, Episode

In June 1956, Bobby Fischer (1943-2008) first

On September 1956, the Adventures of Dr. Fu

On December 16, 1956, "The Chess Game," with

On May 12, 1957, an episode (Season 2, Episode

On September 14, 1957, the first episode of Have

On December 30, 1957, an episode (Season 5,

On March 29, 1958, an episode (Season 1,

On November 9, 1958, an episode (Season 4,

In 1960, a TV series called "Checkmate" aired on

On February 2, 1960, an episode (Season 2,

In 1961, the TV show The Avengers was first

On June 11, 1961, an episode (Season 1, Episode

On November 13, 1961, an episode (Season 4,

On May 21, 1961, Lisa Lane (1938- ), appeared

On October 9, 1962, an episode (Season 4,

In 1964, a TV movie called Sach mat aired, with

On February 14, 1964, an episode (Season 5,

On March 21, 1964, an episode (Season 3,

On November 10, 1964, an episode (Season 1,

On December 16, 1964, an episode (Season 13,

On December 18, 1964, an episode (Season 1,

On January 21, 1965, an episode (Season 1,

On September 12, 1965, an episode (Season 1,

On September 15, 1965, Lost in Space first aired

On September 29, 1965, an episode (Season 1,

On October 24, 1965, an episode (Season 6,

On December 9, 1965, an episode (Season 1,

On December 11, 1965, episode 13 from Season 1

On December 18, 1965, episode 14 from Season 1

On February 16, 1966, an episode (Season 1,

On February 19, 1966, an episode (Season 1,

On March 27, 1966, an episode ( Season 1,

On August 13, 1966, an episode (Season 2,

Star Trek (TV series from 1966 to 1969) ran from

On September 15, 1966, in an episode (Season 1,

On September 22, 1966, in an episode (Season 1,

On October 2, 1966, an episode (Season 2,

On October 12, 1966, an episode (Season 2,

On November 10, 1966, an episode (Season 1,

On February 2, 1967, a Star Trek episode (Season

In the 1967, George Koltanowski (1903-2000) did

On March 29, 1967, an episode (Season 2,

On September 29, 1967, an episode (Season 1,

On October 20, 1967, an episode (Season 3,

On November 24, 1967, an episode called

On January 14, 1968, "A Game of Chess" was one

On February 23, 1968, a Star Trek episode

On January 3, 1969, a Star Trek episode (Season

On April 15, 1969, an episode (Season 2, Episode

On September 25, 1969, Season 5, Episode 2 of

On October 12, 1969, an episode (Season 2,

On January 21, 1970, the first episode of Nanny

In January 1970, an episode called "Anne Boleyn"

In 1970, a TV movie called "The Cliff" aired. Tag