The Star's Pete picks his moves and takes on Britain'??s number one chess player

Getting a crack at one of the best players in the world is a real highlight for any chess enthusiast -?? but it is an intimidating experience when you are sat at the board.

As much as you want to have a go and take the game to your opponent, you know that one minor slip could prove costly.

It'??s what happened to me when I played Nigel Short in 2011 - by move 12 I was effectively lost and had to suffer for six hours while the former world championship challenger ground me into the dust.

On Saturday I was determined to at least do myself justice, even though I was playing an even stronger player.

Michael Adams is Britain'??s number one. Six months ago he managed the best results of his career by winning the super-grandmaster tournament in Dortmund. And here he was spending a Saturday afternoon in Telford playing against 36 of the county'??s best players.

And he was playing all of them at the same time at the Wrekin Housing Trust'??s Telford headquarters.

That'??s one man making his way around 36 separate chess boards -?? quite a challenge, even for a player who was once ranked number four in the world. And among those opponents was me.

I'??ve been playing since I was seven and first joined a club aged nine.

But despite more than 20 years of playing I still found myself nervous when I sat down to take on Michael Adams

But Adams played exactly the same opening variation as international master Andrew Martin had against me during a simultaneous display in Ford, near Shrewsbury, four-and-a-half years ago. Back then I managed to win the game. I had not faced the opening since -?? but at least I knew what I was doing for the first few moves and could play them with confidence.

But Adams quickly gained the upper hand. My king was stuck in the middle of the board and there were several tricks I had to watch out for which could have spelled instant doom for me.

This time I managed to hold things together.

But although I managed to make life difficult for Adams we were soon heading for an endgame where he looked somewhat better. But suddenly he made a mistake - and I could break out. My two rooks on the seventh rank were suddenly posing threats to his king -?? and I could force perpetual check, which means the game is drawn.

One of the spectators whispered: "??You'??ve got at least a draw there."?

And he was right.

Scarcely able to believe it, I waited for Adams to reach my board, played my move and offered him a draw - one of only three that afternoon.

He shook my hand and was off to the next board.

Adams won 31 of his games and lost just one.

I was absolutely buzzing -?? yes I had a bit of luck along the way but it was a great result.

It may seem hard for non-chess players to believe, but the adrenaline really was pumping through me. That'??s how the game gets you.

Adams was generous afterwards when he signed my scoresheet and I brought up our game: "??Ah yes, I played Nxa5 which was pretty stupid. But I don'??t think you were particularly worse anyway."

?I'??m now fortunate enough to have played Britain'??s two strongest players over the past 25 years -?? and they are occasions I will not forget in a hurry.