Last week saw chess Grandmaster David Smerdon play 20 opponents at once in a simultaneous game. This was an opportunity for amateurs to get a rare chance to play against a master.
‘Each player has as long as it takes me to complete a circuit to think about their move, with me moving pretty much instantly on each board,’ Grandmaster Smeardon told The Echo.
‘With 20+ boards, that seems like a big advantage, but it quickly gets tricky for the amateurs as I start winning some games and some of their co-competitors start dropping out of the race!’
The Echo asked, ‘how did you go? David modestly replied, ‘I didn’t lose any games. Both my boys had enjoyable and successful games.’
Great games
‘We had never visited the Byron Chess Club before and I found them all extremely welcoming, and not just of me, but of my whole family. Pretty well everyone in the club played at least one game against each of my sons, and they were good sports, regardless of the results! I especially like how the club sets up at Apex Park every Saturday and invites all passersby to join. The club is really growing the game and opening the chess club experience to the average person’
David mentioned he had played, Echo founder, David Lovejoy, a previous Queensland Chess Champion, of whom he said, ‘David was one of the most interesting chess players I’ve ever met. When I was a kid playing him in Queensland tournaments, I just knew David as this strong, slightly mysterious chess player. Then later I realised he was also a writer, activist, newspaper founder, and spiritual seeker, among other things. I read his memoir several times. What a life he had.’
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