Forget the chess, what about the dinners?

NLC Chess is back with a bang. But lovely though the Interclub Blitz competition was, it suffered from a severe drawback: there was no dinner. And without dinner, what’s the point of all the chess?

Such matters needed to be rectified, and quick, before the NLC Chess Circle lost its hard-won reputation as a dining club (with an occasional chess theme).

The burdensome task fell to Mister Widdicombe and Miss ‘Vera’ Widger. Steeling themselves for the arduous test ahead, they headed over to the Oxford and Cambridge Club for the 15th Hamilton Russell Cup Chess Dinner.

The menu was formidable. The wines demanding. Would Widdicombe and Widger make it through?

The O&C had outdone themselves. The room was gorgeous, the table beautiful, and how nice it was to see so many of our friends together in person after so long.

The Hamilton Russell Trophy took centre place at the table. This year it was won by the Oxford and Cambridge after they managed to break the MCC/RAC duopoly.

But let it not be forgotten that this cup was once the property of the NLC, who won this Trophy fully 13 times between 1924 and 1968. NLC was a powerhouse in Clubland chess.

With the dinner over there was port to be drunk. Bottles and bottles appeared from nowhere and the Liberal emissaries didn’t want to appear rude in the face of such generous hospitality. Tables were cleared, and chess boards were broken out. Some blitz, some problem solving, an awful lot of port.

And so the NLC Chess Circle reputation as gluttons of the first class has, one hopes, been restored.

Next stop the MCC annual chess dinner at Lords in mid-October, where a brave few Libs will once again struggle through a heavyweight dinner. There may even be some chess.