For the first time in Penn State history, three international masters and an international arbiter will be in town for a chess tournament at the same time.

Competitors from Nigeria, Canada, Russia and the Philippines will face off against American players this week in the Donald Byrne Memorial International Chess Tournament.

The six-day tournament kicked off last night, and the first round will be held at 5 p.m. today in room 325 HUB-Robeson Center.

International arbiter Jerome Bibuld is in town for the week to do what he explains as the chess equivalent to a professional football chief umpire.

Bilbuld, who is now in his 70s, got his start in chess years ago when he received a present from his wife of a chess board and a book about chess. He has been heavily involved in the game ever since, he added.

"My first wife made a terrible mistake," Bibuld said of her decision to give him the gift.

He said he could talk about the game for hours if given the chance: "Forgive me, I'm in love with chess."

This week's game at Penn State will be particularly important for many of the players involved because they will be trying to get points toward an international master title, Bibuld explained.

"The most important purpose of this tournament is that the persons who are not international masters will try to achieve international norms," he said.

Players will receive an international norm if they win in a match against an international master. Once they receive three international norms, they too will hold the title of international master, he said.

Stas Kriventsov, Penn State Chess Team treasurer and a tournament competitor, will be one of seven aiming to gain international norms.

A native of Moscow, Kriventsov said he got a late start on the game and will therefore probably never reach the highest levels of competition.

He is currently teaching the game to a local 7-year-old, which is the age someone who aims to reach the level of grand master should start playing at, he said.

"Playing chess is like learning a foreign language," he explained.

Whether the game is a foreign language or not, Bibuld said it transcends cultural and national boundaries.

"The World Chess Federation has more national affiliates than any other organization in the world, other than the (United Nations)," he said.

This week's tournament is named in memory of Donald Byrne, the former Penn State chess club advisor and a well-known international player.

Jerry Bergman, a 1968 alumnus who played under Byrne, said he is glad to see that the tournament is a tribute to his former coach and mentor.

"I'd have to say that Donald Byrne was probably the most intelligent person I've ever known," Bergman said.

The overall winner of this week's memorial tournament will receive $500. "Unfortunately in chess we don't have golf or tennis cash prizes," Bibuld said.