Miss Gibraltar opens Chess Festival

INTERNATIONAL grandmasters had something other than their chess boards to ‘check out’ at this year’s Chess Festival.

Posing for pictures with chess world celebrities, Miss Gibraltar Shyanne Azzopardi added some unexpected glamour to the competition.

Getting the tournament underway, Azzopardi was all smiles as she helped draw out the first round ties.

The first round went largely as expected, with 19 of the 20 grandmasters sailing through to the next leg of the competition.

With more than 300 players taking part, top prize for the men’s competition is £20,000 while the women’s champ net £15,000. The final takes place on February 5.