Chess showdown ends in check melt

Europe's unseasonably warm winter has almost put paid to a chess match between London and Moscow, using huge pieces carved from ice.

The pieces began melting so quickly that some were almost indistinguishable by the time the match finished.



Huge chessboards had been laid out in the Russian and British capitals, with grandmasters Nigel Short and Anatoly Karpov taking charge of the teams.

The match was held as part of a Russian "Old New Year" festival in London.



The temperature was 12C in London's Trafalgar Square and 5C in Moscow's Pushkinskaya Square - both well above average for the time of year.

With the game an hour old and the pieces dripping litres of water, the Russians offered a draw which the British accepted.

There's video of a news report here. It follows the commercial.