HM

Apr 18, 2024

Sergiu flies in to strike at St Albans

Of the seven Luton chess club players who entered the 2024 St Albans Chess Congress, Sergiu Pop must have had the toughest start. Jet lagged, from having flown in the day before on a 14 hour flight, he had no time to prepare. And his round 1 opponent was the much higher rated John McKeon, against whom both Peter Montgomery or I could manage no better than a draw in league matches this season. But despite his fatigue, Sergiu wasn't interested in playing for draw and went all out with a gambit attack. You wouldn't think this was his first season of over the board chess.