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Chess Olympus
@chessolympus.bsky.social
320 followers 110 following 800 posts
A daily celebration of chess marginalia. Author of this book about Alexander Alekhine: https://www.mcfarlandbooks.com/product/Chess-Villain/
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Happy birthday to Ed Sheeran, seen here showing off a chess-themed sweatshirt he sells on his website. I hope that isn't part of his usual opening repertoire!
In an image from Ed Sheeran's Facebook page, Sheeran, photographed from above, looks up at the camera as he reaches to make a move on a chess set printed on the back of a hooded sweatshirt. Sheeran is playing the pink pieces on a pink-and-white plastic set, and his pieces are in their starting positions except for his b-pawn, which is on b4.
February 17, 2026 at 4:25 PM
chessolympus.bsky.social
February 16 is Vera Menchik's birthday! Here she is competing in London in 1938.
In a Getty Images photo, Vera Menchik leans her chin on a hand as she concentrates over a chess position.
February 16, 2026 at 4:10 PM
chessolympus.bsky.social
Kevin McCarthy, born February 15, 1914, had plenty of time to study chess in a 1960 episode of The Twilight Zone.
In a scene from the Twilight Zone, Kevin McCarthy sits at a table smoking a pipe and playing chess. His opponent, Edgar Stehli, sits with his back to the camera.
February 15, 2026 at 3:07 PM
chessolympus.bsky.social
Happy birthday to Freddie Highmore! I haven't seen The Good Doctor, but if he isn't pointing out the King on the D-file in this scene, he isn't the genius the show would have us believe.
In a scene from The Good Doctor, Freddie Highmore squats low to get his eyes level with a chess set on an office table. In the background, Richard Schiff watches from his desk.
February 14, 2026 at 2:30 PM
chessolympus.bsky.social
Happy birthday to Joe Estevez, who played chess with intensity in Axe Giant: The Wrath of Paul Bunyan (2013).
In a scene from Axe Giant, Joe Estevez leans in close to a small wooden chess set on a rough table outside a log cabin. Estevez wears a plaid flannel shirt and jacket and has a wild look in his eyes.
February 13, 2026 at 2:57 PM
Reposted by Chess Olympus
thros.bsky.social
‘ALWAYS HANDY AND A BOON WHEN TRAVELLING’

#CharityShopFinds
A vintage box of pocket chess and checkers with an cartoon style drawing of a hand reaching out to the board whilst holding a playing piece with the words always handy and a boon when travelling
February 12, 2026 at 6:36 PM
chessolympus.bsky.social
Ludwig Stössel, seen here struggling with the competing impulses to drink beer and play chess in Man Hunt (1941), was born February 12, 1883.
In a scene from Man Hunt, Ludwig Stössel sits at a table behind a chess set and raises a glass of beer to his mouth. He wears a swastika pin on his lapel.
February 12, 2026 at 3:27 PM
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mduchamp.bsky.social
Pocket Chess Set https://www.artic.edu/artworks/210442/
Through prior gift of Mrs. Gilbert W. Chapman
February 11, 2026 at 1:33 PM
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Happy birthday to Damian Lewis, who dressed up to play chess in Wolf Hall.
In a scene from Wolf Hall, Damian Lewis wears a heavily embroidered and fur-lined robe while he sits on a throne and plays chess.
February 11, 2026 at 3:01 PM
chessolympus.bsky.social
Happy birthday to Robert Wagner, who was caught up in an international nuclear chess game in a 1969 episode of It Takes a Thief.
In a scene from It Takes a Thief, Robert Wagner, wearing a US Air Force dress uniform, sits in a throne-like chair. A chess set with oversized pieces dominates the foreground.
February 10, 2026 at 2:47 PM
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This is the second time I've posted an image of ALF playing chess in two weeks! This time it's with Jim J. Bullock, who is having his birthday today.
In a scene from ALF, Jim J. Bullock and ALF sit at a table with a floral tablecloth, playing chess with a wooden set. A spinet piano and several potted plants occupy the background.
February 9, 2026 at 3:26 PM
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Charlie Ruggles, born February 8, 1886, tests his wits against Haley Mills in The Parent Trap (1961).
In a scene from The Parent Trap, Charlie Ruggles and Haley Mills sit at a chess table in a palatial living room playing with ornately carved pieces. Maureen O'Hara approaches from the side and addresses Mills, who turns her back to the camera to face O'Hara. Cathleen Nesbitt stands behind Ruggles, observing the scene.
February 8, 2026 at 3:29 PM
chessolympus.bsky.social
Sinclair Lewis, American prophet, was born February 7, 1885. From Chess Review, April 1945.
A man and a woman sit at a chess table playing a game while Sinclair Lewis watches from the side. The caption reads, "On the sidelines, Marcella Powers of Good Housekeeping Magazine plays a friendly game with Corp. Frank Marshall Jr., recently returned from combat service in France, as Sinclair Lewis looks on."
February 7, 2026 at 1:57 PM
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Happy birthday to Charlie Heaton, seen here with his Stranger Things costar Natalia Dyer in a photo by Paul Hepper. Should they make use of that chess set? All signs point to yes.
Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton, both in formal wear, sit on a white table and look into a Magic 8-Ball that Heaton holds between them. Several games and toys sit on the table, including a large wooden chess set that dominates the foreground.
February 6, 2026 at 3:08 PM
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Happy birthday to Henry Golding, seen here in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024), presumably cautioning his shipmates about the dangers of rotating your chessboard 90 degrees at sea.
In a scene from The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, Alex Pettyfer sits at a table in a wooden ship's hold. The table is covered in maps and a chess board, mid-game. Hero Fiennes Tiffin sits on a bunk at the edge of the room and Henry Golding stands in the center of the frame, leaning on a ladder and lit from above. Golding gives a serious look and reaches toward his mouth with a pipe.
February 5, 2026 at 2:27 PM
chessolympus.bsky.social
February 4 is the birthday of William N. Woodbury, Correspondence Chess Champion of the United States. From American Chess Bulletin, September 1915.
Photo of William Woodbury with the text, "THE NATIONAL CORRESPONDENCE CHAMPION. William N. Woodbury, president and champion of the National Correspondence Chess Association, was born in Knoxville, Tenn., on February 4, 1886. He acquired his first knowledge of chess from his father, with whom he progressed gradually from accepting the odds of the queen to giving the odds of a rook. The subject of this sketch, in a large measure, is a product of intercollegiate chess, having been a member of the Yale team in 1905 and 1906, as captain. In his last year in college the Yale team won eight games out of twelve, but failed to land first place on account of| the exceptional score of 914 points obtained by Harvard. He gives credit for much of his development at chess, which he took up seriously only when he entered Yale in 1904, to the guidance of the Rev. Edward B. Adams, formerly of Yale and now the chess champion of San Diego, Cal."
February 4, 2026 at 2:58 PM
chessolympus.bsky.social
Happy birthday to Brandon Michael Hall, who played chess and talked religion with Joe Morton in the 2018-20 series God Friended Me.
In a scene from the pilot episode of God Friended Me, Brandon Michael Hall and Joe Morton play chess at a stone outdoor table in sunshine with green foliage in the background.
February 3, 2026 at 2:27 PM
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On Svetozar Glicorić's birthday, here he is collecting a sweet trophy from Isaac Kashdan (for winning the 1974 Los Angeles International Tournament).
Cover of the August, 1974 issue of Chess Life & Review magazine, featuring a picture of Svetozar Glicorić and Isaac Kashdan posing as Kashdan passes Glicorić a two-foot trophy.
February 2, 2026 at 2:41 PM
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Clark Gable, born February 1, 1901, hangs out with Euwe, Reshevsky and Steiner on the set of Any Number Can Play (1949). From Chess Review, March 1949.
Max Euwe, Samuel Reshevsky, Herman Steiner and Clark Gable, all wearing suit jackets (only Gable is without a tie), stand behind a roulette table and smile.
February 1, 2026 at 2:23 PM
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Happy Birthday to Women's World Champion, Ju Wenjun! 🎉🎂🥳

As a five-time Women's World Champion, the fifth woman to achieve a rating over 2600, she continues to inspire in the world of chess.
Wishing her a fantastic day and year ahead!

📷 Anna Shtourman
January 31, 2026 at 8:05 AM
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Carol Channing, born January 31, 1921, was in her element as the white queen in a 1985 TV adaptation of Alice in Wonderland.
In a scene from Alice in Wonderland, Carol Channing, all in white with a white crown on her head, marches through a green forest holding hands with Natalie Gregory as Alice.
January 31, 2026 at 3:19 PM
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On Boris Spassky's birthday, here he is playing not chess on the cover of Chess Life & Review. The other fellow is Robert Byrne, Spassky's opponent in a 1974 candidates' match.
Cover of the March, 1974 issue of Chess Life & Review, featuring separate pictures of Robert Byrne and Boris Spassky, each playing tennis.
January 30, 2026 at 3:05 PM
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Happy birthday to Paul Fusco!🎂 He's the one in the puppet.
In a scene from ALF, Max Wright and ALF sit at a kitchen table playing chess.
January 29, 2026 at 2:06 PM
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Happy 90th birthday to Alan Alda, who played plenty of chess on M*A*S*H.
In a scene from MASH, Alan Alda, wearing an army jacket over red pajamas, sits on an army cot and plays chess on a low table.
January 28, 2026 at 3:01 PM
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On this day in 1921, Samuel Reshevsky threw down against 20 Ohioans at the City Club of Cleveland (17 wins, 2 draws, 1 loss). From American Chess Bulletin, February 1921.
In a cavernous room, two long tables are set up, each lined along the inside with men seated at chess boards. Just outside the table on the left, ten-year-old Samuel Reshevsky stands ready to start a simultaneous exhibition. Rows of spectators sit on risers on both sides of the room.
January 27, 2026 at 2:39 PM