International Space Station flight engineer and science officer Greg Chamitoff (aka, “Space Chess Guy”) is so far undefeated in his “long-distance chess” matches between himself and personnel at space station control centers around the world.

[His NASA biography, as linked above, doesn’t even mention an interest in chess. I think we have a good chance of beating him. He’s probably all talk, and no action.]

The September 26, 2008 NASA article “NASA Astronaut in Space Challenges Earthlings in Chess Match,” states that “Chamitoff, a space station flight engineer speeding about 210 miles above the Earth at five miles a second, is a chess aficionado. He brought a chess set with him when he arrived at the complex on the STS-124 space shuttle mission in June.”

It continues, “Chamitoff has added Velcro to the chess pieces to keep them from floating away in weightlessness. He has been playing long-distance chess during his mission in his off time with station control centers around the world. So far, he is undefeated.”

[A boast if I ever heard one!]

The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the U.S. Chess Federation (USCF) are sponsoring the competition. The match begins on Monday, September 29, 2008.

Read page two for details of the match.

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Here is how the chess match will be set up: “Key players in the game will be the kindergarten through third grade U.S. Chess Championship Team and its chess club teammates from Stevenson Elementary School in Bellevue, Wash.”

“The K-3 champions will select up to four possible moves on Earth's turn.”

“The public then will vote on the move transmitted to orbit. The USCF will facilitate the match on its Web site at: https://www.uschess.org/nasa2008”

The USCF website is entitled “Earth vs. Space Chess Match 2008.”

Hal Bogner, USCF match director, states on another USCF website, “The young champions - who have graciously offered to let Greg play 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)."

Bogner adds, "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.”

Specifically, “The game against the public will move at a pace of one move per day on weekdays only. Play may be slower, however, because Chamitoff only makes moves when his workload permits.”

[It sounds to me like Chamitoff is already making excuses. Of course, now, he is playing against a championship team from the state of Washington and a potential mass of people in excess of 6.6 billion. So, he’d better have his chess-playing hat on while competing against this vastly talented group.]

Page three contains comments from NASA and USCF.

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Heather Rarick, NASA lead flight director for the International Space Station Expedition 17 mission, states, “For the past 10 years, the International Space Station has been an important platform to learn about living in space."

She adds, "We're excited to have the opportunity to engage not only young students, but the public at large in this unique chess match.”

Rarick is based out of the Johnson Space Center (Houston, Texas), the location of primary ground support for the ISS.

USCF executive director Bill Hall adds, “We hope the excitement and interest this game generates will inspire students to become interested in chess.”

He continues, “Chess is a valuable tool to lead students to become interested in math and to develop critical thinking skills, objectives we focus on in our work with schools nationwide."

So, all you chess players out there on Earth, go to https://www.uschess.org and prepare for the first chess match ever played both on Earth and in Space.

May the best team win!

In other words: Go Earth!!