How many music genres have their own chess federation and annual tournament? There's only one that we know of : the Hip-Hop Chess Federation (HHCF), which held its 1st Annual Chess Kings Invitational in October.

• RZA Goes Undefeated at Celebrity Chess Benefit • 'The Hip-Hop Chess Federation is proud to announce that after a long tumultuous battle, RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan walked away the winner of the 1st Annual Chess Kings Invitational champion belt.'

It might be only the first annual tournament, but you have to admire the optimism. Here are some videos, all from YouTube, promoting the HHCF.

• Hip-Hop Chess Federation Talks with Adisa, RZA, and Josh Waitzkin • '19 May 2007: The Hip-Hop Chess Federation hosted its second "Hip-Hop, Chess & Life Strategies" event. The HHCF uses Hip-Hop, chess and martial arts to promote unity, strategy and nonviolence.'
  
  
• Hip Hop Chess Tournament; 'Think before you move. Don't rush to success' • 'We got wind of a big chess tournament happening with some of the big names in hip hop, so of course we had to see what this was all about. Turns out the Hip Hop Chess Federation was putting on the inaugural Chess Kings Invitational, an event with the brightest young minds of chess competing for scholarships and the big belt.' • The interviews are great. Don't miss them!
  
  
• Official HHCF Chess Kings Invitational Video Mix • 'A collection of rappers and martial artists battled for a title belt, while children from local schools played for 10K in scholarships.'
  
  

Chess and art mix in ways you could never imagine. For more about the HHCF, visit their site at hiphopchessfederation.org.