BBC Radio program “Across the Board” has started

As previously announced mid-December, the BBC Radio program “Across the Board” has started, featuring Dominic Lawson, the Sunday Times and Daily Mail columnist, and also club player, who interviews five personalities whom chess has touched in its own way.

The games are played at 30 minutes per player for all moves, after which Lawson reviews the game with the player, asking questions pertaining to life, politics, work, and anything and everything that chess is reflected in. The shows last 15 minutes and are edited so as to be palatable for audiences.

The first three episodes are up and can be listened to at your convenience. We provide links and the games in javascript replayable boards.

Episode one - John Healy

John Healy is a British writer and former tournament chess player. He was born in London in 1943 to Irish immigrant parents in London's Kentish Town. Leaving school at the age of 14, he spent his formative years in the army, where he had a successful boxing career. Having been dishonourably discharged for drunkenness and going absent without leave, Healy started on a downward spiral that brought him into the subculture of London's homeless street drinkers. He spent fifteen years as a homeless alcoholic and was convicted of many petty crimes during this time.

During one of his prison stretches he learned the game of chess from a fellow cellmate, Harry 'the Fox'. Finding that he had a special aptitude for the game, he decided to give up drinking and with the help of his Probation Officer, Clive Soley (now Clive Soley, Baron Soley), he made his first moves back into normal life. Healy retired from tournament chess after ten years, and began to write his life story, which was published in 1988 by Faber and Faber. 'The Grass Arena' was instantly recognised as a classic of the memoir genre, and won many awards including the J R Ackerley Award for Literary Autobiography. (source: Wikipedia)

The full fifteen-minute broadcast can be viewed at the official site

For anyone wondering, yes, Healy was dead won in the final position.

Episode two - Rachel Reeves

Rachel Jane Reeves is a British economist and a Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Leeds West since 2010 and the Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions since 2013. She previously served as Shadow Pensions Minister and Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury. She always had an aptitude for maths and was United Kingdom Under-14 girls chess champion. (Source: Wikipedia)

The full fifteen-minute broadcast can be viewed at the official site

Episode three - Lennox Lewis

Lennox Lewis is regarded by many as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. He became the Lineal Champion, an unofficial title denominating the fighter as 'the man to beat', when he beat Shannon Briggs by knockout in 1998. He became undisputed champion when he defeated Evander Holyfield in November 1999, and was recognized as the world champion by all the organizations. After defeating Mike Tyson by knockout in 2002 and stopping Vitali Klitschko in 2003, who required 60 stitches after then fight, Lennox Lewis retired from boxing in 2004.

Lewis is an avid amateur chess player, and funded an after-school chess program for disadvantaged youths, one of whom earned a university chess scholarship at Tennessee Tech. (source: Wikipedia)

The full fifteen-minute broadcast can be viewed at the official site

Dominic Lawson: What do you like about chess?

Lennox Lewis: I love the mental war. I love the discipline of it. I love the quietness and the poise of it. I love the fact that you can play in any condition. You know: winter, snow, Fall (autumn), night, on the beach, on a boat, everywhere.