Home Page arrow Earth vs. Space Chess Match 2008 arrow Earth vs. Space Chess Match, 2008
Earth vs. Space Chess Match, 2008 Print E-mail
By Hal Bogner, Match Director   
September 24, 2008
Within the next few days, American astronaut Dr. Greg Chamitoff will face off over his Velcro chessboard against any and all comers from planet Earth!

All Earthlings are invited to participate, by joining members of the United States Chess Federation on this web site and voting on our responses.

Earth will be guided in this historic match by the chess club team from Stevenson Elementary School in Bellevue, Washington - winners of this year's Kindergarten through Third Grade National Championship. 

The young champions - who have graciously offered to let Greg move first - will recommend up to four choices for Earth's first move here on Monday, and the winning move will be relayed by Mission Control to Greg, more than 200 miles above the rest of us, aboard the International Space Station (ISS).  The game is expected to proceed at a pace of roughly one move for each side every two days, but it may move faster at times, and slower at others, so check here frequently for the latest moves, discussion, and more.

All Earth-bound chess players are invited to join us Monday morning to vote!
 
Advertisement
Earth vs. Space Chess Match, 2008-09

Astronaut Dr. Greg Chamitoff has sent 46.Kxa2 and his resignation and congratulations to the Stevenson stars and Earth's voters.
 
Use the Java chess viewer (below) to review and analyze this historic game and read game commentary.

Explore the game in our Chess Viewer

(Click here for help with Java or the chess viewer, or click here for a move list.)

The Final Position:
Greg_move_46_150.jpg
(after Greg's 46.Kxa2)

196730main_meatball_100.jpg

Read NASA's announcement about this game.

If you don't know all the rules of chess, and would like to learn, click here.
 
Media Contacts:
NASA - Kelly Humphries
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
kelly.o.humphries
@nasa.gov


USCF - Glenn Petersen
732-252-8388
[email protected]

Stevenson Team -
Coach David Hendricks
WA State Scholastic Coordinator
425-868-3881
425-269-7949
DavidCHendricks
@comcast.net


Match Director -
Hal Bogner
650-284-5062
[email protected]