I had an opponent remove his prosthetic arm just as the clocks were started. He proceeded to place it next to the board and then shake my hand with the other arm. It was difficult not to laugh actually (embarrassingly!) It was such an overt attempt to unsettle me right at the start of the game it was hard not to see the whole thing as a bit of a carry on. 😀
Originally posted by MarinkatombBoy, these just seem to get better and better!
I had an opponent remove his prosthetic arm just as the clocks were started. He proceeded to place it next to the board and then shake my hand with the other arm. It was difficult not to laugh actually (embarrassingly!) It was such an overt attempt to unsettle me right at the start of the game it was hard not to see the whole thing as a bit of a carry on. 😀
Sandy Bells for a brief while played their home games in a posh Hotel.
Three weeks in the manager called me in and told me one his barmaids was
in tears due to racists remarks.
Lewd sexists comments yes, my lot are uncouth and uncontrollable but racist?
The two lads involved were two of the quieter types. I could not understand it.
It transpired this barmaid was French and these two were discussing the French Defence
and one of them kept saying the French is crap, naff, hopeless etc...etc...
I explained this to the manager but he was having none of it. We were all banned
I think this was just an excuse to get rid of us, the week before there had been an almighty punch up.
Anway 12-13 of us set off about 9:30 at night carrying all our chess equipment
looking for a place to play in time for the following weeks league matches.
"No discussing chess openings at the bar" was the new club rule.
We found another Hotel 2 blocks away and stayed there for a month or so till
one of the lads took a shine to the barmaid (I had a club full of Casanova's) her
boyfriend objected and the fisticuffs flew yet again.
They were good chess players, we won Divisions 4-1 in four seasons but they
were always scrapping amongst themselves, with other chess teams, non chess
players and the tourists.
From a first team pool of eight players only me and Keith Ruxton were the only ones
who were never barred from Sandy Bells.
Actually I was banned for two weeks but it was not chess related. I got it for singing
all the sweary words in the' Good Ship Venus' That song has 15 verses and I nailed them all.
The Bells Club Champioship was a superb cock-up.
http://www.chessedinburgh.co.uk/chandlerarticle.php?ChandID=244
It ended with me finding someone drinking at bar the bar who looked
a little bit like Ray Keene to presented the prize.