Checkmate in game of love

THE universal language of chess has been connecting newcomers across Manchester for centuries.

The checkered board and its 32 small wooden pieces are all players need to communicate. Opponents can spend hours together without uttering a word.

It’s that mentality that has brought players from across Greater Manchester’s varied communities together for the past 200 years.

And it has led to a very special relationship for one couple, who fell in love when their eyes met over the board.

Yaoyao Zhu and Adam Ashton are both coaches and seasoned players with Oldham’s Childrens’ Chess Club – known as the ‘3Cs.’

The couple met during a match between their rival clubs and now have three chess-playing children together – Alannah, six, Savannah, four, and 18-month-old Vanessa.

Yaoyao came to the UK from China to study at Swansea University. Her first few months in the UK were lonely – until she found chess. Though she had started playing at the age of four, she hadn’t played since her teenage years.

“I came to Wales when I was 22 and my language was not very good,” she said. “I got a job at Tesco and was told I was slow and a ‘dummy.’ I couldn’t understand the accent. I was really lonely so I started playing chess again and got quite good.

“After my first year I was ranked number 12 in Great Britain for women.

“My language was not that great but all you need to do is understand chess. I started making more and more chess friends until I met my husband.”

Yaoyao started a PhD in Manchester and met Adam while playing competitions in the Manchester League.

“I was with the Urmston club and we played the 3Cs,” she said. “My captain said, ‘You’ve always had a crush on him so I put you on top board.’ So I played Adam and was beating him. In the end it was a draw.”

Players with Indian, Brazilian, Chinese, Pakistani and Russian heritages all play at Oldham’s 3Cs.

Fan Ye, from Hong Kong, passed on the chess bug to his two sons Kevin and Tim, who both play regularly at the 3Cs.

He said: “Kevin plays regularly in the