Blair Connell struck gold as put in a dominant performance on Tuesday to win the first Battersea Variants competition named “Idiot King”.
There was little suspense as the grizzly streamer, who goes by the name of Ushkothebear online, secured the win well before the final round.
But it was the race for second between Stephen Welch and Battersea’s young talent Denis Dupuis that set pulses racing.
In the end, Stephen – far lower-rated than his teenage opponent – came out on top in a tight tiebreaker. Playing chess variants where there is little or no theory is, after all, a great leveler.
Stephen took home a well-deserved silver and Denis had to be content with bronze.
The Battersea Variants will return again next week – details to be announced soon.
