Checkmate Me in St Louis
How the mid-western city of St Louis in Missouri has become a world centre for the game of chess, with funding from a controversial millionaire.
Dave Edmonds travels to the mid-western city of St Louis (the location for the musical Meet Me in St Louis, starring Judy Garland) for the US chess championships. The city has become a world centre for the game of chess. Its status has partly been achieved by funding from a controversial multi-millionaire, whose childhood included time in an orphanage. Rex Sinquefield is well known for his fascination with the game and his enthusiasm is shared by many others. There is a thriving chess centre, elite tournaments which attract some of the top players, a Chess Hall of Fame and chess lessons in local schools.
St Louis is one of America's most violent cities and has most recently been in the news for race riots which erupted when an unarmed black man was shot by police. Can the game of chess serve to lessen racial tension and unite its citizens across the board?
(Photo: Dave Edmonds playing chess in St Louis)
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The fastest chess game in the West
Duration: 00:57
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- Thu 12 May 201602:32GMTBBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean
- Thu 12 May 201604:32GMTBBC World Service Online, South Asia, Europe and the Middle East & UK DAB/Freeview only
- Thu 12 May 201605:32GMTBBC World Service East Asia
- Thu 12 May 201606:32GMTBBC World Service Australasia
- Thu 12 May 201612:32GMTBBC World Service except News Internet
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- Thu 12 May 201619:32GMTBBC World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
- Mon 16 May 201601:06GMTBBC World Service Australasia
- Mon 16 May 201606:06GMTBBC World Service East Asia
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