Chess players searching for Bobby Fischer may not find him, but they won't have to go far to match wits with a man who once played Fischer to a draw. Saturday, Missoula chess master Greg Nowak will be in Kalispell, letting up to 70 Flathead residents test their skills against him.
Known for his strangling style of play, 49-year-old Nowak has been Montana's State Chess Champion since 1992, and ranks in the top one percent worldwide.
The FHS Chess Club is organizing the event, to be held in Gateway West Mall, starting at noon. Nowak will play 70 people at one time.
"If we aren't filled up (with registered players), it may be open to the public," said senior and Chess Club president Max Otis. "His record for most people played at once is 60. We want to break the record."
Nowak earns his living from tournaments such as these, and he offers those who can beat or play him to a draw $30 or $15 gift certificates.
Players at his tournaments sit on the outside of tables arranged in a rectangular formation. Nowak will move from board to board, taking five to seven seconds to make a move.
Nowak taught himself the game at age nine, spending 8 or 9 hours a day studying chess strategies. At 17, he participated in a chess exhibition where he played Fischer to a draw.
"Daniel Nelson thinks he'll have him in the bag," said Otis, referring to Chess Club's vice president and the winner of the last FHS competition. "But I probably won't play because I'll be busy organizing everything."
Nelson responded jokingly to his friend's prediction: "Max is lying. I'm hoping to get a draw, but that's it. I think it'll be a blast."