They meet at 4:30 p.m. in the Depot Plaza and they bring their own equipment. If you dare to challenge one of them, you'd better be prepared. They are the Mill Valley chess and backgammon players, and Arthur Sheridan is one of them. Arthur has been playing chess in the Depot Plaza for years, and is a fixture throughout town. He is also a well-regarded poet who is part of a the Revolutionary Poets Brigade.

Mill Valley Patch: Do you live in Mill Valley?
Arthur: I live in Marin County, mostly in Sausalito. I grew up in Santa Barbara. I've been here about 40 years.

MVP: How many days a week are you out here playing chess?
Arthur: Well, when it's not raining, somebody's here at 4:30.

MVP: Is it always the same people?
Arthur: Basically, yes. But there are some people who have heard about the quality of the game being played here, and so they come.

MVP: If someone new came along and walked up with their chess pieces, would it be hard for them to join in?
Arthur: Any player who might come around would be welcome, especially if they are good because they can add something to the game here. They come from all over. There are some chess players who are called Master Players and they sometimes come over. You can beat them but not as much as they are going to beat you.

MVP: Are you a Master Player?
Arthur: No, no. Well, not officially.

MVP: Do you play anywhere else? Have you ever competed?
Arthur: Well a lot of these players have competed. They've played on TV and on the computer, that's where you learn.

MVP: I'm sure there are rules of etiquette. Are their any taboos specific to the Mill Valley chess gang?
Arthur: Most places don't allow talking in the game but here they do it anyway. It's kind of like a thing here. A lot of people don't like that.

MVP: Have you ever had anyone come along who made everyone mad and had to be kicked out of the group?
Arthur: No. Not in this game. Once someone threw someone in a garbage can. But he wasn't a chess player, he was a backgammon player.

MVP: I never see women down here. Do women ever play?
Arthur: There are some great women players. There is a woman from New York who comes and can beat anybody here. There are a couple of kids who are very good too - a six-year old.

MVP: What do you do when you're not playing chess?
Arthur: I am a writer. I do a lot of writing. Poetry. I organize an open mike at the Café Trieste once a month on the fourth Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. I've read in the Depot and all over. A book just came out that's an anthology and I'm in there. It's called Revolutionary Poets Brigade.

MVP: Wow. I didn't know I was talking to a famous poet! Famous poet and chess player, Arthur Sheridan. Do you like Mill Valley?
Arthur: I love Mill Valley. It's a great place. There's a lot of space. Compared to the city it's not crowded. And it's close to the beach. 

MVP: What about the people here?
Arthur: There have been a lot of changes. Bill Graham used to come by here every day and he and I knew each other.

MVP: Really? Did he play chess?
Arthur: He came by a lot of times and he actually built these tables. And they were actually (built) because of our relationship. He used to come through here a couple of times a week and watch the games.

MVP: I remember when there was talk about putting life-size chess set down here. What did you think of that?
Arthur: Yeah. I went to the meeting. The controversy was that they needed a place to store the pieces. But that would require money and someone to be in charge. I think it might be good down at the Community Center, but so long as anyone would have to pay that would not be for me.

You can see Arthur and other poets on the fourth Thurday of every month at Cafe Trieste in Sausalito. You can also see him most weekdays at the chess tables at Depot Plaza.