MOVING TOWARD A GOAL : 12-YEAR-OLD SETS SIGHTS ON BECOMING YOUNGEST CHESS CHAMPION.

Byline: Bhavna Mistry Daily News Staff Writer

Brian Havey was a typical 10-year-old boy with a messy room, a penchant for computer games and a dose of curiosity. Then came the movie ``Searching for Bobby Fischer'' and his life changed forever.

Two years ago, Brian's mother rented the movie, the true story of chess prodigy Josh Waitzkin after his parents discover his talent for chess. His mother had no idea the effect it would have on Brian.

``I want to become the youngest world champion,'' said Brian, who is 12 now. ``I want to do it when I'm 22 or anytime before that.''

After watching the movie, Brian began to teach himself chess.

He read books from the Los Angeles County Library Bookmobile that visits their home some 30 miles north of Santa Clarita, then he began buying his own books and magazines.

Now he spends five to six hours a day studying, playing and reading about chess. Sundays are usually devoted to traveling to Chess Palace, a chess club in Long Beach. Once a month, he competes in tournaments - some are scheduled across the country and most last about three days.

``He's a lot better than me and is going to continue to get better,'' said Gary Sauer, a Santa Clarita resident and owner of the Valencia Chess Club, who has become a mentor to Brian and takes him to tournaments.

This weekend Brian will play 20 simultaneous games of chess against Antelope Valley Chess Club members in an exhibition from 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday at the Antelope Valley Mall.

``It's fun,'' said Brian. ``I think I'll win all 20 games.''

Mary Havey, Brian's mother, said it worries her sometimes to send her son across the country for tournaments, but she is glad he has found something he wants to do.

``We're so far away from everything, he could never get involved in sports,'' said Havey.

Neither she nor her husband, a car wholesaler, has ever played chess, but Brian - whom she teaches at home, along with three of his siblings - always has been bright, she said.

``He started to read when he was four,'' she said.

Brian actually got his first chess set - a foldable board with small plastic pieces - for Christmas in 1993, before he saw ``Waiting for Bobby Fischer.''

Brian was curious about the game but didn't pay too much attention to it.

``They didn't have all the rules,'' said Brian. ``They only listed the basic rules and we didn't play properly.''

Now the house has three chess sets, and in Brian's room are 30 large books about chess, along with trophies he's won at tournaments.

He continues to play video games, but spends much of his time playing chess on the Internet with players from around the world.

``I think I'll play chess all my life,'' said Brian, adding: ``although once you're world champion it's not fun to play anymore.''

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Photo: (Color) Brian Havey, who developed a talent for ches s after watching the film ``Searching for Bobby Fischer,'' will give an exhibition Saturday.

Shaun Dyer/Special to the Daily News