NBA sensation Victor Wembanyama joins chess frenzy in New York

by Carlos Alberto Colodro
12/31/2024 – Victor Wembanyama, the 20-year-old basketball sensation and unanimous NBA Rookie of the Year, recently turned heads off the court during a visit to New York City. Known as "Wemby", the San Antonio Spurs star revealed his passion for chess, taking to Washington Square Park to play in its famous open-air chess scene. Amid chilly weather and enthusiastic fans, Wemby's appearance captured widespread attention. | Photo: Wemby's X account

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The great allure of the royal game

Victor Wembanyama, the 20-year-old French basketball sensation, continues to captivate fans beyond the NBA courts. After being unanimously crowned Rookie of the Year in his first season with the San Antonio Spurs, "Wemby", also known as "the Alien," is already carving a legendary path in basketball. However, his interests extend beyond hoops, as the prodigy recently showcased his love for chess during a visit to New York City.

On 24 December, Wembanyama took to X to ask, "What are the best spots to play chess in NYC?" The query came as the Big Apple buzzed with chess excitement, hosting the World Rapid and Blitz Championships. Among the many replies was an invitation from Levy Rozman, one of the most popular chess streamers in the world, to visit Washington Square Park, a renowned hub for casual and competitive chess enthusiasts.

Wemby accepted the invitation, making an appearance at the park's southwest corner on 28 December despite the rainy, chilly weather. Fans and onlookers braved the conditions, gathering to witness the NBA star indulge in his chess passion. The moment quickly went viral, with even the NBA's official account sharing images of Wembanyama playing under the park's iconic arches.

Wembanyama’s chess hobby is not unique among NBA stars. Fellow players Luka Dončić of the Dallas Mavericks and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks have also expressed their love for the royal game.

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Topics: World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2024
Carlos Colodro is a Hispanic Philologist from Bolivia. He works as a freelance translator and writer since 2012. A lot of his work is done in chess-related texts, as the game is one of his biggest interests, along with literature and music.
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‘New ideas in the Najdorf – a Power Play 18 Update’ aims to complement Daniel King’s popular DVD from last year ‘The Sicilian Najdorf - a repertoire for Black’. Such a dynamic and popular opening as the Najdorf is developing the whole time. On this download, Daniel King updates lines that were included on his DVD but also responds to viewers’ requests, considering lines that he omitted from his original repertoire. The lines examined on this update are: • 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 a6 6 h3 e5 7 Nde2 • 5….a6 6 Bc4 in combination with the English Attack (Be3, f3 etc) • 5…a6 6 Be3 and the …a5 variation • 5…a6 6 Be2 and 9 Re1 • 5 f3 (instead of 5 Nc3) It isn’t necessary to have seen the original Najdorf DVD to understand the lines examined here – but it would help as they form part of a complete repertoire.