London Classic Expedition Reunion

Photo © Mike Sturman

It was a real pleasure to reunite with the children and parents of our London Chess Classic Expeditionary Force this evening.

Details of our London chess exploits can be found here but tonight it was all about bowling, pizzas and lots of fun.

We started of in Hollywood Bowl, where the challenge was for the adults to beat the scores of the juniors. Naturally, we didn't point out to the juniors that we had six people and they had only five.

Adults vs...

...the Teesside juniors who rocked London back in December.

Well, sorry juniors, but the combined scores of the adults was higher than yours. And you had bumpers!

Bowling concluded, we then headed off to Pizza Express to see if they had remembered our booking. They hadn't, but it would have taken a brave person to deny us access to 11 chairs and a suitable number of tables.

Of course, all our juniors wanted to do was play chess.

Meanwhile, Alice found herself having to practice the art of defying gravity when the trophy we won in London suddenly - and mysteriously - started to fall apart.

While some of us were fixing the trophy, the juniors were proving themselves to be true chess players as they spotted the forks.

Who says all chess players need glasses?

More chess...

It was a shade on the dark side in Pizza Express but look carefully and it should be possible to spot all 11 people.

A clearer shot, © Mike Sturman

More chess...and by this time the parents were joining in too.

Even towards the end of the evening, as some juniors were getting their just desserts, others were still playing chess. Well, that's food for thought, I suppose.

There are times when I can have my cake and eat it! Photo © Mike Sturman

Thank you everyone for a very memorable evening! We must do it all again some time very soon.