Clash over chess

ON ONE side of the chessboard is a small, newly formed, informal group who call themselves Chess Is For Everybody In Singapore (CES).

Facing them is the more than six-decadeold Singapore Chess Federation, which is the main authority over chess activities in Singapore with about 500 active senior and junior members.

Both sides have their pawns, bishops and knights all lined up in a face-off. The chess king in the middle: Garry Kasparov.

Kasparov - who was world champion from 1985 to 2000 - is visiting Singapore tomorrow at the invitation of the group to promote the game here.

The arrival of the Russian grandmaster has brought to light a dispute between the two groups on how chess is being promoted in Singapore.

One issue is over international chess politics involving Kasparov and also last month's visit by another champion, Anatoly Karpov, which the group's members were instrumental in arranging.