STICKER SHOCK FOR CLOCK ON THE BLOCK
By ANDY SOLTIS
August 5, 2007 — CHESS BITS of chess history are constantly up for auction these days – and fetching amazing prices.
The most striking example occurred last week when a 103-year-old chess clock was offered on eBay.
Ordinary chess clocks, whether the traditional wind-up analog kind or the modern digital models, sell for $40 to $120. But the clock up for bid had a legacy.
It was used Jose Capablanca and Alexander Alekhine during part of their marathon world championship match in 1927 at the Argentine Chess Club in Buenos Aires.
The mahogany-and-brass timer drew an opening bid of $127, but within two days had garnered 40 others. After a week of bidding by a total of 18 people, the hammer came down at $12,200.
Bear in mind that even recent history sells. Every week on eBay, copies of Bobby Fischer’s “My 60 Memorable Games” sell for five to 15 times the initial 1969 cover price.
EN PASSANT: World chess federation president (FIDE) Kirsan Ilyumzhinov said FIDE is preparing a reality TV show, “Stars of the Chess Board,” for Russian television. Celebrities, including actors and politicians, will play 10-minute games to win $1 million, he said.
Source: NY Post
Nice job Kirsan!