Cambridge, MASS – Think you got what it takes to beat the Chessmaster? Think again. Most that have walked the sidewalk outside of Au Bon Pain have seen the man that’s been a fixture in Harvard Square ever since 1982.

Born in Albany, New York, the Chessmaster, whose full name is Murray Turnbull, came to Boston in 1962, where he attended Harvard University as a full-time student. Studying English at the time, he had high hopes of one day becoming a writer. That all changed when he decidedly dropped out of school to pursue other interests. “I left Harvard to become a hippie, basically,” he said.

So what did he do then?

Turnbull relocated to Berkeley, California where he would reside as a member of the homeless community. A short-lived decision, Turnbull eventually moved back in with his parents. “I was lucky to have parents that cared about me, they accepted me back even after I made my mistakes.”

Working briefly as a metal polisher, Turnbull soon chose to pursue the game that served as a retreat from the realities of the world. And it was then that his love for chess truly began to flourish.

“It just occurred to me to come out here with a little sign, and say ‘Play the Chessmaster’,” said the Chessmaster himself. But the sign is a very intriguing, and misleading, indication of what an everyday passerby may expect. The words scrawled in black permanent marker over the worn looking piece of cardboard lead some into a false sense of security. Don’t be so naïve.

When asked about his skill level, Turnbull admits he is in the top 1% of all chess players. Quite the contrary belief to what many may assume after glancing at the man with a tearing sun straw-hat perched shakily atop his head. “Don’t ever judge a book by its cover,” said Turnbull as he took another puff from his favorite brand of cigars and chuckled softly.

Averaging about 30-40 opponents on an average weekend day, Turnbull’s income is comfortably low. At $2.00 a game, he can usually turn close to $200.00 on a good weekend. That is, of course, assuming he wins each game (which he usually does). But the private hour-long lessons supplement the minimal income he makes playing random pedestrians. At $18 per hour, it’s a wage a modest man can live from.

When Turnbull first came into his self-appointed post as the Chessmaster, he only worked part-time on the Chess board. Once permanent stone chess tables were constructed outside of Au Bon Pain, “I decided to make it a full-time job,” he said.

He has yet to regret it.

For many, the Chessmaster has become as much a part of the scene around Au Bon Pain as the chess tables themselves. Jill Haney, a local in Cambridge, said she loves the comforting sight of the wise-looking Chessmater. “I’ve never played him. I’m too intimidated, but he’s always been there. Him and his chessboard are just a part of the square now.”

Shortly after playing the Chessmaster in a game, Cambridge tourist, Richard Cunningham said he had never seen a more unique aspect of a community. “You can’t find a chessmaster in very many places.”

But who inspired Turnbull to pursue his goals to become a true master of his craft? “For a while Fisher was my chess idol, but he’s such a racist bastard that he no longer is,” said Turnbull, shrugging his shoulders. Instead, he now looks to Akiba Rubinstein’s use of calm, positional tactics for new inspiration.

After being asked which piece he considers to be the most valuable asset of the overall strategy of the game, Turnbull seemed stumped. “Strong players rarely have one chess hero, or favorite piece,” he said. Instead, a chess player must consider the manner in which all pieces coincide during game play, and then determine how to exploit each piece’s full potential.

For Turnbull, it isn’t merely a simple game of strategy. There are many parallels between chess and the real world. Logic, decision, loss, mistake – all things found in the game of chess and the game of life. “You can’t lie on a chess board,” said Turnbull as he moved for his squirt gun to scare the birds away from his workplace.

Indeed, that’s why he loves the game.

                                                                                                                                                              Joel