The NYPD yesterday stuck to its guns over the ticketing of seven chess players for pushing pawns in a Manhattan playground reserved for kids — and revealed that two of the men had prior felony arrests.
A spokesman declined to name which chess players ticketed on Oct. 20 had criminal pasts.
“Police acted appropriately in issuing criminal summonses last month to men in a section of Inwood Hill Park restricted to children with their parents or other minders,” said the spokesman, Paul Browne.
But Rich Jackson, a US National chess master, insisted that the police action was “wrong — pure and simple.”
“Wouldn’t you rather have chess players in the park than drug dealers?” he asked. “I think the [US Chess Federation] should contact the Mayor’s Office and let them know that us chess players are pretty nice.”
Inwood resident Regina Christoforatos, whose young daughter and nephew enjoyed chatting with the chess players in the playground, agreed.
“This is so petty,” she said. “I just don’t get it.”