ChessMates International Tournament in The Guildhall

ChessMates International Tournament reaches these shores for the first time in its 12 editions, with The Guildhall in York playing host to the three days of competition from March 21 to March 23.

Juniors from the Yorkshire team playing the side from Rotterdam (Image: Kevin Glenton) Competitors from junior chess teams including a dedicated Yorkshire team join opponents from Iceland, the Republic of Ireland, Monaco, Rotterdam, England, and Sachsen-Anhalt in Germany.

A special event – a Giant Chess Showdown – took place yesterday (March 21) between a Grandmaster and former York junior, Gawain Jones and Labour’s York Central MP Rachael Maskell.

Ms Maskell, York Central MP took on Grandmaster Gawain Jones in St Helen's Square (Image: Kevin Glenton) Gawain grew up in Gilling and was educated in North Yorkshire from the ages of seven to 13.

He said: “The Guildhall is a fantastic venue for chess, a beautiful arena.

“I haven’t played in such a venue myself”

The champion player said the key component for success was practice, and that achieving high levels of performance stemmed from the value of loving the game.

The international tournament takes place over three days until March 23 (Image: Kevin Glenton) Ben Rich, tournament director and official at York Chess Club, said: “Our club is growing and growing.

“Chess is going on in five different schools in York and has still got that appeal to juniors."

He said the understanding of the game has changed beyond belief, in part because of the number of chess engines - intricate pieces of software - which can analyse thousands of moves, positions and strategies in gameplay scenarios.

Ben said: “What's amazing though, is the love people have for playing the game face-to face.”

Ms Maskell, a former top school player, took on Gawain Jones in St Helen’s Square on an oversized board watched by dozens of spectators.

The "giant chess showdown" soon brought dozens of spectators to St Helen's Square (Image: Kevin Glenton) Mr Rich, former chief of staff in the office of former Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron, said: “Understanding how to think strategy and tactics, and knowing the difference between the two is at the core of chess - and politics."