Chess kings and queens check out Telford
Some of Britain's top chess players will be descending on Telford in the New Year to battle it out for a prize fund of over £3,000 in the biggest event in Shropshire's chess calendar.
Nearly 100 players of all ages and abilities are already signed up to take part in Shropshire Chess Congress, which runs from January 4 to 6 at the Wrekin Housing Trust offices.
They include three Grandmasters, and three International Masters, taking part in the strongest section, the Open, where the first prize is £1,000. There are three other sections catering for less strong players, and a total of around 140 players are expected to compete.
Players all play five games over the weekend – unless they opt for a bye in any round – and in each round are paired against opponents who have the same running score, meaning by the final round the leading contenders for the big prizes are going head-to-head.
And as well as finding the best moves on the board, they also have to keep an eye on the clock, as each player has to complete all the moves of the game in 90 minutes, but are given an extra 30 seconds on top of that for each move they make.
Players are given a point for a win, and half a point for a draw.
