As the lockdown rumbles on, we're all filling our time with whatever we can come up with. Sometimes it's chess. Sometimes it's a less sophisticated version of the Getty Museum Challenge. (Click the photos for the answers.)
Keep those hands clean!
Fight Club
Wood Green Youth 1 3.5 - 0.5 Downend 1
de Verdier, Michael vs Savory, Richard
Richard was under pressure early on as the black king was harassed by menacing looking pieces. A rare slip from the titled player offered black an immediate win, but black, with an even rarer slip returned the favour.
Meadows, Michael vs Guha, Chirag
My result had something to do with my terrible opening play, but also my opponent's ruthless accuracy. There's only so much swindling potential when you blunder a piece that early.
My playing set up may have something to do with it too.
Mission Impossible
Woodhouse, Stephen vs Conterno, Dominique
Dominique had a tough night with an unnoticed disconnection costing a huge amount of the time advantage. In the end, a draw was grabbed at from a good position.
Williams, Stephen vs Lazarevic, Ljubica
Steve raced to an endgame, and won an exchange. Unfortunately, black was able to take more pawns and the kingside pawn roller became uncontainable.
Lawrence, Simon vs Stubbs, Oliver
Oli's position was locked quite early on, but with the advantage of not having the bishop pair. Thanks to some excellent knight work, when the pawns cleared it was the black ones that forced a promotion much quicker.
Just another excellent showing from Max. Take space in the centre, rip it open for an exchange, convert the endgame professionally.
Watkins, Mark vs Brigden, Michael
New club junior Michael had an excellent manoeuvring game where a piece was picked up in the midgame and the rest was very smooth.
Bradley, Michael vs Saunders, Aron
Aron continues to dazzle with both play and transpositional skill as an Alapin Sicilian turned into a reversed Modern Benoni. A game of chess was played and then Aron mopped up the pawns in the endgame.
The general public desperate to break lockdown.