SHORT TAKES : Comedians Check Out Chess

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.