Princeton Students Give Prison Simul

There was a good story (with video) in The Star Ledger yesterday about a chess simul by several Princeton University chess players at New Jersey State Prison in Trenton (which boasts of 75 players in its chess club). With only one master and an Expert, the Princeton team dropped quite a few games. Even their best player did not have an easy time of it:

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."