http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/local_ne...147784,00.html

They are making fun of us, and of themselves:

Just say checkmate, you all
July 31, 2003

Call it "The Retro Beverly Hillbillies." Call it "The Oddest of
Couples." Call it "When the Bluebloods Met the Rednecks."

However you choose to describe this unlikely union, one thing's for
su You can now call Tennessee the capital of chess in America.

The 90,000-member United States Chess Federation has announced it is
pulling out of New York and moving everything - lock, stock and bishop
- to Crossville.

Whoda'everthunkit?

Civic, business and political leaders in Cumberland County, that's
who. With their tempting offer, they outmaneuvered 29 other cities,
including Atlanta, Dallas, Indianapolis, San Francisco and St. Louis.

As corporate relocations go, this is not a huge sack of taters. The
federation will bring 16 employees from its New Windsor, N.Y.,
headquarters and has plans to hire 16 more once it sets up shop. It
posts retail sales of $3 million per year.

But the braggin' rights are worth their weight in kings.

"We're going to get a lot of distinction and prestige out of this,"
said Crossville Mayor J.H. Graham III. "All the chess players in the
United States, plus a whole lot in foreign countries, are going to
know where Crossville is."

Some of them do already.

Cumberland County may project an image of pot-bellied stoves and
checkerboards, but be not fooled by folksy stereotypes. The county
high school has a couple of state chess titles under its belt. In 1982
and 1984, chess clubs at the old Martin Junior High won national
championships.

One of the game's biggest supporters is Crossville lawyer Harry
Sabine. A former board member of the chess federation, he approached
Crossville officials with the idea of wooing the headquarters staff to
Tennessee. The city responded by offering three acres. It proved to be
a case of incredible timing.

According to USCF spokesman Tom Brownscombe, the organization needs to
relocate because it's getting crowded out of New York offices by
development. Just so happened that the very day federation officials
were being wined and dined in Crossville, Tenn., Gov. Phil Bredesen
was in town for a reception at a nearby ceramic-tile manufacturing
plant and agreed to say howdy to the entourage.

"The governor played no small role in this thing," said City Manager
Jack Miller. "He told 'em he was from New York, too, and had done
pretty well in Tennessee. He also told 'em he was a chess player."

And the next thing you know, the federation was hiring an architect to
design its building and warehouse.

All well and good for the home boys. They pulled off quite a coup by
slicking some major metro cities. Just one itty-bitty problem: None of
the local bigwigs is a chess player.

Miller says he couldn't tell one game piece from another. Graham says
he's much more at home on the golf course. County Mayor Brock Hill
says he can at least play, "but my 10-year-old daughter beats me."

Then again, I'll bet none of the New Yorkers knows much about country
ham, chewing tobacco, onion sets and coon dogs, either.

Let the blending of cultures begin.

What's an onion set?

"Sam Sloan" wrote in message
...

http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/local_ne...147784,00.html

They are making fun of us, and of themselves:

Just say checkmate, you all
July 31, 2003

Call it "The Retro Beverly Hillbillies." Call it "The Oddest of
Couples." Call it "When the Bluebloods Met the Rednecks."

However you choose to describe this unlikely union, one thing's for
su You can now call Tennessee the capital of chess in America.

The 90,000-member United States Chess Federation has announced it is
pulling out of New York and moving everything - lock, stock and bishop
- to Crossville.

Whoda'everthunkit?

Civic, business and political leaders in Cumberland County, that's
who. With their tempting offer, they outmaneuvered 29 other cities,
including Atlanta, Dallas, Indianapolis, San Francisco and St. Louis.

As corporate relocations go, this is not a huge sack of taters. The
federation will bring 16 employees from its New Windsor, N.Y.,
headquarters and has plans to hire 16 more once it sets up shop. It
posts retail sales of $3 million per year.

But the braggin' rights are worth their weight in kings.

"We're going to get a lot of distinction and prestige out of this,"
said Crossville Mayor J.H. Graham III. "All the chess players in the
United States, plus a whole lot in foreign countries, are going to
know where Crossville is."

Some of them do already.

Cumberland County may project an image of pot-bellied stoves and
checkerboards, but be not fooled by folksy stereotypes. The county
high school has a couple of state chess titles under its belt. In 1982
and 1984, chess clubs at the old Martin Junior High won national
championships.

One of the game's biggest supporters is Crossville lawyer Harry
Sabine. A former board member of the chess federation, he approached
Crossville officials with the idea of wooing the headquarters staff to
Tennessee. The city responded by offering three acres. It proved to be
a case of incredible timing.

According to USCF spokesman Tom Brownscombe, the organization needs to
relocate because it's getting crowded out of New York offices by
development. Just so happened that the very day federation officials
were being wined and dined in Crossville, Tenn., Gov. Phil Bredesen
was in town for a reception at a nearby ceramic-tile manufacturing
plant and agreed to say howdy to the entourage.

"The governor played no small role in this thing," said City Manager
Jack Miller. "He told 'em he was from New York, too, and had done
pretty well in Tennessee. He also told 'em he was a chess player."

And the next thing you know, the federation was hiring an architect to
design its building and warehouse.

All well and good for the home boys. They pulled off quite a coup by
slicking some major metro cities. Just one itty-bitty problem: None of
the local bigwigs is a chess player.

Miller says he couldn't tell one game piece from another. Graham says
he's much more at home on the golf course. County Mayor Brock Hill
says he can at least play, "but my 10-year-old daughter beats me."

Then again, I'll bet none of the New Yorkers knows much about country
ham, chewing tobacco, onion sets and coon dogs, either.

Let the blending of cultures begin.