Princeton students, state prison inmates face off in chess challenge

[Mugu]

By Brian T. Murray/The Star-Ledger

Thirty minutes before the final moves were made, the outcome was already certain. "It's over," whispered convicted killer Carl Gooding, grinning as he looked confidently over the remaining pieces on the chess board.

The 41-year-old prison inmate had a rook, a knight and six well-placed pawns. Atanas Petkov, 19, a Princeton University economics major from Bulgaria, was struggling to regain his posture with one rook and a somewhat bunched and useless assembly of six pawns. "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.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/11/princeton_students_state_priso.html">Complete article

[Tuesday Afternoon]

1. Interesting juxtaposition

Inmates and Ivy :thumbsup: