Rugby Festival of Culture - Open Air Chess (30 June, 7th & 14th June)

Chess in the sunshine - what could be better? On Saturday 30th June the Rugby Chess Club held what may have been its first open air chess event. Thank you to everyone who volunteered to help and came along to play. We had eight Rugby Chess members and the event was so well attended that Phill had to hot foot it to the Rugby Workers Club to bring back some extra chess sets.

Bob poised to teach the Mayor a chess move or two
(Picture source: https://twitter.com/therugbytown)

One of the first on the scene was Rugby Lord Mayor Tom Mahoney pictured below with Bob Wildig our President. We had many more visitors after this, both juniors and adults. One adult (who was not a chess player but had taught chess at Ernesford Grange School many years ago) was so taken by the scene that she set about sketching the players.

Portrait of RCC players by an unknown artist.
Click picture to enlarge.

We will be meeting for more open air chess at John Lees Memorial Gardens from 11-2 on Saturday 7th July and then back to our original spot outside St Andrews Church on 14th July (same time). Come and join us and enjoy some open air chess.

Thank you to the Rugby Festival of Culture organisers (especially Chris, Emma and Aftab) for offering us these spots, and also thank you to the very helpful people at St Andrews and John Lees Hall (particularly Amber, Pauline and the man with the duct tape). Here's hoping the glorious weather continues.

https://www.therugbytown.co.uk/festivalofculture