Grand Swiss Gambit

Large chess tournaments are usually played according to the ‘Swiss’ pairing system. In each round, players are grouped according to their total points amassed so far, and match-ups for the next round take place between players in the same score-group. Even in a large field of diverse abilities, the potential winners tend to encounter their toughest competitors, and the lower seeded players are not forever overwhelmed by the strength of their opposition.

The ‘Swiss Gambit’, an obscure piece of chess lingo, refers to the idea that a savvy competitor might ‘gambit’ a draw or loss in an early round, so as to face easier games in the middle of the tournament and recover lost ground just in time for a high final placing. In truth, a player boasting of their Swiss Gambit usually has their tongue in their cheek – presenting their cock-up as a masterful ruse.

A formidable assembly gathered in the Isle of Man for the Fide Grand Swiss event, which concluded last Sunday.