FLASHING lights and the whirr of the roulette wheel were unusual accompaniments to Huddersfield’s latest chess tournament.
Normally this most cerebral of ‘sports’ is played in monk-like silence with organisers even being known to reprimand players for chomping on mints too hard and distracting opponents.
But Grosvenor Casino kindly agreed to help sponsor Huddersfield Chess Club’s Rapidplay six round tournament on Sunday and most players seemed to cope well with the unusual environment.
It’s not the first time the casino at Folly Hall Mills, St Thomas’ Road, has hosted the event.
In April 2012 the club held its first such tournament there with a stunning first prize of £1,000 which attracted Grand Masters from all over the country.
This year the tournament was divided into three sections and the prize money was not as generous.
With other major chess competitions taking place across the country there were half the number of competitors from last year with just 40 players turning up.
Winner of the Open event and a first prize of £350 was the event’s highest graded player, Alex Longson, of Stockport, with a score of 5/6.
Former Huddersfield player Matthew Parsons came second with 4.5/6.
Jose Lopez, from Mexico who is studying at university in Manchester, won the Major and £150 with 5/6 and Asid Siddiq won the Minor event and £150 with 5/6.
Tournament organiser Nigel Hepworth, said he was pleased with the response and said the chess club had only made a small loss on the event.
