Chess Meltdown in London, Moscow

To the list of human endeavors that have been affected by global warming, you can now add chess. A cross-continental match this week between a team in London, led by Grandmaster Nigel Short, and another in Moscow headed by former world champion Anatoly Karpov, had to be rushed because the temperatures in both cities were unseasonably warm.

What did the temperatures have to do with it? The game was enacted outdoors in both cities, with huge chess pieces made of ice. With the mercury at 55 degrees Fahrenheit in Britain and 41 in Russia, it was a race against the clock—and not just the chess clock—to complete the game before the pawns disappeared. The contestants succeeded in finishing with the pieces intact, and the game ended in a draw. Details from the Seattle Times and Chessbase. See the game here.

photo: Chessbase