Stroud Probus: Peter Petrie, a member of Cheltenham Probus, gives an illustrated presentation entitled ‘Lewis, a rare find’

THE latest meeting saw a welcome return of Peter Petrie, a member of Cheltenham Probus, who gave an illustrated presentation entitled ‘Lewis, A rare find’.

The title was intriguing and it became even more curious when Peter explained the ‘Lewis’ referred to the Isle of Lewis in the Hebrides, and the rare find related to chess pieces.

He said that in 1831 a farmer was driving his cattle when one strayed on to the nearby beach and when the farmer went to get him to re-join the herd he discovered a box and on opening it found it contained 78 chess pieces.

He took possession of the box and handed it to the authorities who were puzzled as to the origin of the chess pieces and thought they may have been hidden many years previously when the Hebrides belonged to Norway.

Members were told the game of chess was developed in India about fifteen hundred years ago, and the number of possible moves runs into thousands.

It involves a series of strategies used to outwit your opponent and has been used in the past by the military to plan operations.

Peter explained the meaning of each piece by using replicas, the originals are now in the British Museum.

In 1972 a chess match for the world championship took place in Iceland in between Bobby Fischer, an American and Boris Spassky, a Russian.

The match lasted several days with Fischer eventually overcoming his opponent.

The musical ‘Chess’ is based on this match.

This was a most interesting presentation and he was thanked on behalf of an appreciative audience.

Probus meets at 10.15am, on the second and fourth Wednesday each month at the Cotswold Indoor Bowling Centre, Dudbridge, Stroud, where ample free parking is available and is open to all retired men.