On Monday 11th September local chess legend Allan Pleasants sportingly took up the challenge of playing a simultaneous chess match against 14 local members of the recently formed social (mainly juniors) chess club at Wyke Regis Library in Weymouth.

The club is promoting chess in the community with a special focus on engaging with pupils at a couple of local schools… of the 14 players 8 were juniors, and of the other 6 players two were parents of a couple of the players, and the other four were adults who just fancied their chances of cutting Allan down to size!!

After a big build up, including a brief history of Allan’s chess achievements to date, the challenge started and it wasn’t long before Allan had one of the juniors in tears… t wasn’t that Allan had beaten him… it was because he couldn’t wait for Allan to come round to make his next move… he just wanted to get on with it!!

It wasn’t long before the first casualty… one of the youngest players succumbed… and it was obvious that Allan was taking this seriously.

Before long casualties were mounting… but there were a few players who were hanging in there, even if they were materially or positionally down.

After about an hour there were three or four players still gamely soldiering on in the hope that Allan would collapse with exhaustion… or accidentally knock his king over.

He did neither, and finally the last man (boy) standing was dispatched, and Allan’s reputation was maintained… 14 wins out of 14 games!!!

Prizes were duly presented by Allan for:

• the first person to sacrifice (or lose) their queen (Eden)
• the best game (Arthur)
• last mum standing (Lucy) and
• last man or boy standing (John).

The participants enjoyed the event so much that they have agreed with Allan to play a return match at the latter end of the season.

Long live the King!!