CHESS QUIZ

There are 3-4 topics off the top of my head I could write about, but today I am going to finish up some bookkeeping... so, I'll keep it light.

ChessBase.com posted a picture today of a child chess prodigy and asks readers to figure out who it might be. They give some "clues," some of which, they admit, are a little exaggerated.

My guess: Nigel Short--who else's could have those lips?

You might like to use the comment box below to register your guess. ChessBase said they would announce who it is in a week, so you have a few days to get your guesses in.

Don't think this is an automatic "win" however. Years ago I ran a contest of "Who is this?" I think in an issue of The Chess Atlas. It was a younger picture of David Bronstein. One guess came in: Sammy Reshevsky!! So anything is possible and I have proof.

You know there are agencies who take on "imitators," people who strongly resemble the characteristics of someone famous. We've seen them for Jimmy Carter, George W. Bush, and movie stars. A guy I know told me about this drop-dead look-alike for Julia Roberts and he was going to recommend her to an agency in Chicago to see if he could pick up a few bucks on the side (almost all of his money making schemes end badly... so be forewarned.) I asked to see a picture (designers have this bad habit.) I saw the resemblance, both are females! No thin flared nose/nostrils, no long hair, no piercing strong eyes, no full lips, but yes, definitely a female! Glad to say this didn't go very far.

One more curious anecdote. There was a music dance hall here years ago called Fenders. Near the front door was a gal who did portrait paintings. I never saw her do anyone that looked like the person who was sitting in the chair. I asked my son Rob, who is a commercial artist, if he thought she ever drew/painted anyone realistically. Short answer, "No."

Here's the amazing part. The female artist and the guy who spotted "Julia Roberts" on the lam, they had dated each other! They must've been a perfect couple. I recall him enthusing over her portrait art ability.

So, I can think it is Nigel Short, it probably is Nigel Short, but who knows? Send in your answers... let's have some fun.

PS: And don't you love relatives who, upon seeing a new baby, say ridiculous things such as: "Oh, he looks so much like (fill in the blank)." Babies, at that age, seldom look like anyone except maybe another baby (no, they don't all look like the Gerber kid). And when they get older, it often gets worse: "Oh, she looks just like (fill in the blank)." Yeah, and Elmer Fudd looks like Sammy Reshevsky.