Pubdate: Tue, 16 Nov 1999 Source: Orange County Register (CA) Copyright: 1999 The Orange County Register Contact: http://www.ocregister.com/ Section: News,page 15 DRUG TESTS ORDERED FOR CHESS PLAYERS Players at a Spanish chess tournament under way on the Mediterranean island of Menorca were stunned to learn they had to provide a urine sample under doctor's supervision,the daily El Mundo said Monday. The Spanish Chess Federation said it was acting on orders from the government body that oversees sports in Spain and regularly checks athletes for banned performance-enhancing substances such as amphetamines,tranquilizers and beta blockers. Competitors and tournament officials said they had never heard of a chess player taking drugs to become sharper-although a strong cup of coffee was not out of the question. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek Rea