Shropshire chess is beating the coronavirus crisis by playing matches online, and work is continuing to set up the county’s first online league.
County players took on Greater Manchester in a match played on the Lichess internet platform over 13 virtual boards, but went down 9.5-3.5 to strong opponents. Shropshire winners were Kate Walker and Steve Tarr with draws from Matt Clark, Andrew Grillage and Robert Nield.
Meanwhile the five Shropshire teams which play in the online Four Nations Chess League face a nailbiting final few matches. Next round is on November 3 and the county’s first, second and fourth teams must win to avoid relegation, while the third team can probably seal promotion if they win.