TRUDGING through Washington Square Park at 6.30am, the Oscar-nominated actor was almost indistinguishable from the other chess enthusiasts who had gathered there to play.

Despite his celebrity status, it was only after his passing on January 22 that the extent of Heath Ledger's passion for the game - and his habit of dropping by the park - became apparent.

Now it has been revealed that the 28-year-old planned to combine his career and favourite pastime, making his directorial debut on the film adaption of Walter Tevis's 1983 novel The Queen's Gambit.

Tevis was also resonsible for books which were made into The Colour of Money, The Hustler and The Man Who Fell To Earth.

The chess screenplay, written by Alan Scott, chronicled the career of Beth Harmon, a troubled chess prodigy who battled an addiction to prescription drugs.

In the wake of Ledger's death, Scott said the actor had been involved in the project for the past 12 months. In addition to directing, he was also to have starred in it alongside Oscar-nominated actress Ellen Page from the surprise indy hit Juno.

It was an opportunity tailor-made for Ledger, Scott said.

"The movie is about chess, and what is a little known fact is Heath was very close to being on the grandmaster level.

"He was a chess whiz, and he intended to get his grandmaster rating before he started shooting the picture."

Ledger, who reportedly had trouble sleeping in the lead-up to his passing, would stave off insomnia with regular trips to Washington Square Park, where accounts of his ability varied among the players.

"I saw him a few times, mostly last summer. He seemed like a nice guy," 63-year-old Earl Biggs said.

"He'd usually lose. We played for a couple of dollars and he'd lose a few dollars. He just had fun, he loved it. We'd talk trash talk at the chess table . . . we'd say things to him like, 'How can you make that move! How can you make a move like that!' And he'd just laugh."