Last Thursday, the turnout for the Chess Challenge was huge – students of all ages flocked to the Main Hall to witness the clash between two titans – Mr Marande and Year 7’s Henri Blin.
The first game was deadly – Blin began his assault by commanding the centre of the battlefield, refusing Marande any space nor time to develop his own army. Marande responded appropriately, reacting to this barrage by blockading his king and attempting to control the flanks, but to no avail – the pressure was too much and Marande’s stronghold had been stormed –Blin finished the first game with a spectacular checkmate delivered by both his queen and rook. The checkmate was bloody; Marande had managed to evade the final blow but the elegance of the queenhad proved too much.
Marande came back fighting and began the second game with his knights dominating both the flanks and forcing Blin to attack the centre, attempting the infamous pincer movement that has won many battles before. Blin responded to the challenge. Cautiously, he met Marande’s threat head-on and the battle began. After a tireless to-and-fro, Blin saw an opportunity and, following a beautiful development, threatened both Marande’s king and queen. This fork was venomous; the siege was crushing – fortune truly favours the bold! Was there a man dismay’d?! Marande fought on! After losing the queen he resorted to the strength of his rooks. The battle was long and arduous: both sides suffered casualties with Blin’s attempts to checkmate Marande futile until the decisive moment – Blin’s queen sacrifice (!!) to force Marande’s king into the corner of the battlefield trapped by his own pawns. How poetic – destroyed by the very thing he sought to protect.
Congratulations to Henri – both he and Mr Marande were excellent sports and Mr Marande has issued a yearly challenge to the Chess Club.
If you would like to be the next contender against Mr Marande or try and usurp the current Chess Club Champion, please come along to the Library after school on Thursdays 3.30-4.30pm. Open to players of all skills.
If you have any questions, please see Mr Jennings in E6.
