Episode Summary: Ripley's Believe It Or Not - 1 Minute Episodes (349): Game of Chess

Podcast: Harold's Old Time Radio
Host: Harolds Old Time Radio
Date: November 6, 2025

Overview

This brisk, one-minute episode from the Golden Age radio series Ripley’s Believe It Or Not focuses on a fascinating and fatal historical anecdote: how a passionate chess game led to the demise of an Egyptian sultan in the 13th century. As always, the segment relishes in the strange, almost unbelievable facts that defined Ripley's legacy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to Strangeness

• The host sets the stage with the classic Ripley’s phrase, promising that “truth is stranger than fiction” and immediately recounts a quirky historical tidbit:

  "If you have a sweet tooth that's hard to satisfy, you can be happy you didn't live in 17th century England. In those days, a pound of sugar cost as much as 14 chickens. Believe it or not."
  (00:30–00:42)

2. Fatal Game of Chess: The Main Story

• The episode’s centerpiece is the fate of Sultan Malik Al Salif Najeemal Daeen Ayub (ruled Egypt, 1240–1249).
• Details include:
  • The Sultan’s habit of playing chess nightly, always barefoot and in oriental style.
  • His wife’s plot arising from hatred, where she treated his chess mat with a “highly corrosive substance.”
  • The chess addict’s routine exposes him to poison: “On the night of November 20, 1249, the Queen saturated the floor mat with some highly corrosive substance. As a result, the Sultan contracted a gangrenous sore and died 48 hours later. Believe it or not.”
    (00:43–01:27)
• Memorable moral: Even harmless pastimes can have unexpectedly dire outcomes when combined with human malice.

3. Tone and Style

• The narration carries the classic, authoritative, and slightly sensational tone of Ripley's presentations, drawing listeners in with concise, surprising facts.
• The signature signoff—“Believe it or not”—punctuates the segment, adding a sense of mystery and wonder.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On sugar prices in 17th-century England:

  "A pound of sugar cost as much as 14 chickens. Believe it or not."
  (00:40)

• On the sultan’s demise:

  "He was a chess addict who played the game every night, squatting barefoot on the floor in oriental fashion. On the night of November 20, 1249, the Queen saturated the floor mat with some highly corrosive substance. As a result, the Sultan contracted a gangrenous sore and died 48 hours later. Believe it or not."
  (00:53–01:27)

Timestamps for Main Content

• 00:30–00:42 — Sugar prices in 17th-century England
• 00:43–01:27 — The fatal chess game of Sultan Malik Al Salif Najeemal Daeen Ayub

Additional Notes

• The episode is framed by period-typical detergent advertisements (not summarized here per request) and maintains a crisp, engaging delivery throughout the historical section.
• The story effectively demonstrates the enduring appeal of Ripley’s: history’s oddities presented with drama and brevity.

In summary:
This Ripley’s Believe It or Not episode treats listeners to a quirky and macabre slice of history, merging the everyday (chess, sugar) with the extraordinary (royal intrigue, lethal consequence) in a minute-long segment designed to both educate and entertain.
“Believe it or not.”