SHORT TAKES : Comedians Check Out Chess

NEW YORK â€”  Comedy actors Steve Martin and Rick Moranis joined hard-core chess fans at a world championship match between two bitter Soviet rivals--and found something to laugh about.

“I don’t know anything about checkers,� Moranis quipped, explaining that he came to the opening game Monday only because Martin “bought the tickets.�

Martin said he came for the excitement and “to see the fights in the audience,� but the hottest crowd action came when someone in the back spoke out loud and miffed spectators let out a unified “shhhh!�

The actors watched as defending champion Gary Kasparov and challenger Anatoly Karpov battled to a draw in the opening match of the 1990 World Chess Championship at the Hudson Theater.