Chess is an exhilarating game on occasion, and in equal measure, an exasperating one. I met both aspects of our game at the Leek Open weekend before last.
My opponent in Round One was a familiar one – Robert Shaw, rated number 2 in the entrants for the Leek Open.
In the last round, I met the other type of fortune – in a winning game, I blundered into a mate. Hey ho – fortune passes everywhere …