Karpov continues to promote chess

England avoids international chess meltdown

POSTED: 12:37 p.m. EST, January 11, 2007

LONDON, England (AP) — Chess is a challenging game at the best of times. But try playing it in Trafalgar Square, with huge pieces carved from ice — on a relatively balmy British day that threatened to turn pawns to puddles.

Organizers of London’s Russian Winter Festival knew players in their ice chess match Thursday would be battling not only each other but the weather. But the match was completed and the sculptures survived, despite a drizzly day and temperatures that reached 55 degrees.

…A second board was set up in Moscow — also experiencing warmer-than-usual temperatures — and the Russian team, led by former world champion Anatoly Karpov, offered a draw to the British squad, captained by grandmaster Nigel Short.

…Last year, a sculpture of St. Basil’s Cathedral in Trafalgar Square disappeared before the end of the event, confounding festival-goers.

“People were asking where the sculpture of St. Basil’s was,” Stubbings said. “We were just laughing and pointing to the nearest puddle.”

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