I recently read that chess is having a resurgence in popularity, so I decided to write a #FilmNoirFriday thread about old Hollywood's premier chess player, Humphrey Bogart. #HumphreyBogart #Chess

Bogart learned to play chess as a boy. He became so proficient in the game that he played for money during his early days working as a theater actor in New York. #HumphreyBogart #chess

Bogie brought his love of chess to Hollywood. He often played between takes - during World War II, Bogart played correspondence games with GIs - and even onscreen in Casablanca. #HumphreyBogart #chess

Bogie played on movie sets for years (photo below during the filming of Casablanca). His famous opponents included friend and fellow actor Theodore Bikel (they tried playing a blindfolded game) and chess master Samuel Reshevsky (Bogart played him to a draw). #chess

There's even a chess move, the Humphrey Bogart gambit, named after the star. The Internet describes this move as a single piece (most times a pawn) being sacrificed at the beginning of the game for strategic purposes (just like Rick and Ilsa's relationship in Casablanca ).

Here's what Bogart had to say about his favorite game: "Chess is an intellectual exercise. Also a companionable game. I play it very well." The End. #HumphreyBogart #chess