The Hip-Hop Chess Federation (HHCF), an organization that uses music, chess and martial arts to promote unity, strategy and non-violence, and Ubisoft, announced the 1st Annual Chess Kings Invitational to be held at the Francisco Design Center on Saturday, October 13th from 1pm to 5pm.

The 1st Annual Chess Kings Invitational will kick off with HHCF's Life Strategies All-Star Panel. The Life Strategies panel will feature multi-platinum rappers RZA and GZA from the Wu-Tang Clan, chess icon Josh Waitzkin, turntable wizards DJ QBert and DJ Disk and other surprise guests in a discussion about how music, chess and martial arts have guided them in their paths to success.

The Invitational includes an all-star chess tournament that will pit some of America's top rappers, DJs, martial artists and others in a head-to-head battle in which the winner will walk away with the HHCF Chessmaster championship belt. Competitors include RZA, award-winning MMA fighter Ralek Gracie, Casual of the Hieroglyphics, Sunspot Jonz of the Living Legends and other special guests. Rakaa of Dilated Peoples will host the event.

The HHCF has also invited four youth teams to participate in the Invitational's Scholarship Tournament. Players will compete for a chance to win a variety of educational scholarships, among other prizes.

Chessmaster: The Art of Learning for the Nintendo DS and Chessmaster®: Grandmaster Edition for Windows PC will be released in October/November 2007. In both games, Josh Waitzkin, International Master and eight-time National Chess Champion, coaches players to grasp the basic fundamentals of chess and to master the game through exciting courses and tutorials.