Humphrey Bogart - Chess Expert

Here's something I didn't know. In looking over the "Famous Games" in Chessmaster 10, there is an entry from 1952 "George Koltanowksi vs Humphrey Bogart!" Turns out that this was a game played by Humphery Bogart against chess writer and columnist George (Kolty) Koltanowski who "in his newspaper office played without sight of the board against movie star and chess expert Humphrey Bogart, who lost by a mere pawn."

According to GameColony.com "It turns out that Bogart was a very accomplished chess player. (Bogart's rating would probably be equivalent to modern 2100.)"

The City Collge Chess web site has some more interesting details: "Before becoming a movie star, Humphrey Bogart hustled strangers at 5-minute chess for 50 cents a game in chess parlors in New York Times Square. In 1943 the FBI prevented him from playing postal chess, thinking the chess notation were secret codes. He was a USCF tournament director and active in the California State Chess Association. He once drew a game against Reshevsky in a simultaneous exhibition. He made 75 films and chess appears in several of his movies. He and his wife, Lauren Bacall, appeared on the cover of CHESS REVIEW in 1945 playing chess with Charles Boyer."

Play it again, Sam... :-)