Time trouble

Eddie Davis (left, wearing glasses) versus Andrew McClement (right, stopping the clock) at the 2009 Glasgow Chess Congress, held in the Kelvingrove Art Gallery.

At big tournaments like this, especially if you're on one of the top tables (this was board 6 out of 75+), you're likely to attract a crowd if your match goes to the wire. I wanted to try and capture that drama, and this looked like the most likely site of a climactic battle, so I got in position ten minutes in advance, armed with my ultra-wide Tokina. Sure enough, as the clock ticked down to the frantic last few seconds, there were 20+ spectators all casting their shadow over the board.

Eddie is just a couple of moves away from victory at this point. However, his opponent is only a fourteen-year old junior who's already rated almost as highly, so I expect he'll have ample opportunity for revenge in the coming years.