John Abraham a chess buff

The heartthrob's passion for the game is such that he watches biopics of players and collects chess sets.

Bollywood heart-throb John Abraham, one of the Bollywood's sexiest stars, kills time between takes by playing computer chess, a report said, on Friday.

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Abraham, 34, is passionate about the game. He also loves reading books and watching movies about chess players.

"Whenever I have some hours to while away, I get busy with the game. I play against the computer," he said. "It's one of those childhood habits that refuse to leave me."

But the one person Abraham can never beat is his brother. "My younger brother Allen is perhaps the most intelligent guy I have ever met," he said. "Over the years I have been unable to beat him at the game."

Abraham even buys chess sets when he travels abroad - he now has 25.

Abraham, one of India's top models, made his film debut three years ago. He has starred in several blockbuster movies since he struck fame in the 2004 action adventure Dhoom.

Abraham recently won praise for Water, which has been nominated in the foreign film category (from Canada) for the Oscars. The film deals with the harsh treatment Indian widows frequently receive. Abraham plays a law student who falls in love with an inmate of a widow's home.