| About the group |
Any astute Member going into the Club Library on the third Wednesday of the month looking carefully at the walls might have noticed a few stains of blood from the previous night. The stringent housekeeping standards are no match to the ravages left by the newly formed RNUC Chess Club on a regular basis. The five current members come together for a gourmet dinner at around 6PM after a few rounds of drinks and harmless and inspiring chit chat. Once the battle commences the atmosphere changes to a more competitive and reflective ambience. Strategies are hatched, battle lines drawn, positional advantages jostled for and deadly blows dealt out. Winners and losers change and find new rivals and it is war all over once again.
The Chess Club was initiated by Steve Bonsor and grew to its current strength of five members who have been meeting for the last 5 months. All members bring their individualistic approaches to the game. Steve Bonsors bishops could be deployed with the purposefulness and ferocity of a dental drill to penetrate the defences of the unwary opponent. Ian Littlejohn could build an impenetrable fortress with his immaculate pawn formation. Izhar Khans cerebral approach is extremely solid except when his emotional heart takes over and marshals an offensive before the time is right. Paddy Gopalas financial acuity is apparent in the careful positional play he displays, but at times a risky investment strategy might put his empire in jeopardy. Satchi Swamis gambits may not always work but they bring in the excitement of expectant possibilities. The outcome of the games could be a draw or a check mate but never a stale one. A heavy reliance is placed on Sicilian, Kings Indian and Queens Indian defence strategies as a shield against the onslaught of the warriors.
The home work that goes into the preparation for the Chess Club evening is a closely guarded secret but I suspect would involve some surfing practice. Whether Steve has a hotline to Nigel Short or Satchi to Vishy Anand are unresolved questions that however nag some of the members persistently.
The evenings finish reluctantly thanks to the addictive nature of the game and the convivial chemistry between the members. The members always look forward to the next round (not only of drinks!). The camaraderie has been sealed recently with a grand dinner to which the spouses were invited (they declined an offer of a special tournament display and an invitation to participate in a game!).
The chess club is a hidden gem in the Clubs calendar of activities but now that the secret is out there could be a further surge in membership! Arrangements for extra chess boards and tournament clocks are in hand.
Our first date for the winter season is Wednesday 16th September at 18.30 so why not come along.
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