Chess: France and US dominate rapid and blitz at Pall Mall Masters

The Chess England event was a rare test of UK skills against strong foreign opposition

Master chess in central London is rare, although the annual ChessFest in Trafalgar Square attracts more than 20,000 visitors.

In London’s clubland in Pall Mall, the RAC clubhouse has hosted the Oxford v Cambridge Varsity match for almost half a century, while the Athenaeum was the venue for a dramatic match in 2023 where the record-breaking prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan defeated the former British champion Peter Lee.