Hip-hop tourney makes chess less square

OAKLAND, Calif., Oct. 14 (UPI) -- Chess got a little bit cooler at the Hip-Hop Chess Federation’s First Annual Chess Kings Tournament in Oakland, Calif.

At the tournament, held Saturday, high school teams from Oakland, San Francisco and San Jose competed for scholarships, Inside Bay Area reported Sunday.

Meanwhile, hip-hop stars -- including RZA of the Wu Tang Clan -- chess champions and other celebrities sang the game’s praises to the assembled crowd.

RZA described the many similarities between chess and hip-hop, while Rakaa, of the group Dilated Peoples, said both hip-hop and chess teach you to trust your instincts.

U.S. National Chess Champion Josh Waitzkin said chess is a way to get to know oneself better.