Princeton students, state prison inmates face off in chess challenge

"I lost a bishop quickly, and I couldn't get back. He's very good," Petkov explained. To an "expert"-ranked chess player, the fight was fair enough. Petkov tried to take on six New Jersey State Prison inmates at once, standing over a long table and moving from board to board in what has become known as the "Inmates and Ivy" tournament - an unusual and occasional competition celebrating its seventh season.

Before they were led into the stark gymnasium of the aging maximum-security prison, a group of six polite and humble Princeton students stepped out of the cold Trenton air today, looking slightly nervous. They passed through metal detectors and were patted down by two large guards wearing surgical gloves. Inside waited nearly 50 convicted killers, armed robbers and kidnappers, who greeted them with smiles.

Thirty-five of the prisoners were already seated and waiting to play. "It was a little intimidating at first," said Cameron Myhrvold, 19, of Seattle, a molecular biology major who, with his twin brother, Conor, was making his prison debut in the tournament. "I also haven't played like this, in groups, all at once," he added. "But once I got into the game, I was into the game. You think about chess, not where you are." Myhrvold's game, however, was a bit off as he took on six players.

His first defeat, and the first inmate victory of the event, was at the hands of Malvern Lewis, 43, a former Princeton High School student who had been in chess competitions when he was young. In 2000, he stabbed his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend to death and turned the knife on the woman as well. "I expected to win. I like to believe I'm pretty good," said Lewis, explaining how chess helps him pass the time.

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Princeton students, state prison inmates face off in chess challenge

Chess competition in prison

Princeton University student Sudeep Doshi (only hand in photo) makes a move during a chess match with inmate Amir Winn at the New Jersey State Prison in Trenton.

The next convict to lean back from his board and fold his arms in victory was Gooding, serving life for killing a North Philadelphia man over a drug deal in 1987 and wounding two more people the next day in a Camden shooting spree.

He had been victorious in past tournaments, and was featured in a Sports Illustrated feature in 2004 after narrowly losing a one-on-one match against noted Princeton chess master Samson Benen.

"I played since I was a kid, on the sidewalk, in the street. Checkers or chess," he explained in a calm, quiet voice, never openly celebrating his win. "It keeps your mind focused on things other than the craziness in here."

Others couldn't control themselves.

Alonzo Hill, 39, of Newark, serving life for a carjacking that left a woman dead, jumped from his chair at Petkov's table, dancing, after the expert conceded.

"This is the day for my victory over the Princeton dude. I've been in this thing since it began. I've been in this the longest, and I finally won," Hill said, explaining his rank as secretary of the 75-member prison chess club.

He credited his victory to his chess mentor, a man he referred to as "the master" and who had taught him to play in 1990 in Northern State Prison.

"He was a New York dude named Mustache. Ever since, I've been playing when I can, on and off, even in the street," Hill said.

Today was an unusual meeting of the tournament. Usually, the Princeton players wipe up the gym with the inmates, who might eke out one victory.

"They're good this year, but we have only one master and one ranked expert. In the past, the inmates have had to face much more phenomenal players," explained John Marshall, a chief actuary for Benecard, an insurance firm.

The company had previously sponsored the event, beginning in 2001 and ending in 2006. The idea, Marshall said, was to promote chess as an intellectual game that cuts across all boundaries and life circumstances.

After a hiatus in 2007, Marshall and his wife decided to pick up the sponsorship, issuing chess boards and pieces to the inmates. He also gave books on chess to the inmate winners, who joked that the losers might need them more.

Princeton, however, still had its king.

David Wang, 19, of Canada, a molecular biology sophomore with a masters rating in chess, beat nine inmates simultaneously, although he nearly stumbled against convicted killer James Cooks. The 36-year-old inmate, who is serving a 32-year sentence, once had a promising start as a chess player growing up in Camden, playing on a middle school team.

"I had some trouble with him," Wang said, nodding at Cooks, who smiled back with pride. "They were all much better than I imagined - some incredibly inventive and interesting moves."

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