Short heads to Antarctica chasing seven-continent chess record

Nigel Short is set to play a chess tournament at the South Pole, according to Guardian Sport, as the former world title challenger pursues an unusual personal milestone.

The 61-year-old, who grew up in Bolton but has lived in Greece for decades, will face representatives from five other continents in the Antarctic event, which is rated by the global chess body Fide.

A win would make Short the first player to have won tournaments on all seven continents, according to the report.

The trip has drawn criticism over its climate impact, Guardian Sport reports, though staging chess in extreme or remote locations is not new to the sport's competitive fringes.

Short's own history at the board stretches back to his 1993 challenge for the world title, and he remains one of the game's most recognisable British figures even in the later stages of his playing career.

History offers plenty of precedent for elite players performing well into older age. Emanuel Lasker was in his mid-60s when he competed at Moscow in 1935 and again in 1936, according to the report.

Viktor Korchnoi continued playing at the highest level into his seventies, while Vasily Smyslov's achievement stands out as the most remarkable of all: he reached the 1984 Candidates final against Garry Kasparov at the age of 63, Guardian Sport notes.

Short's Antarctic assignment fits into that same tradition of veteran players seeking out fresh challenges rather than retreating from the board as they age.

No date or further detail on the format of the South Pole tournament was given in the report, though its Fide rating means results will count towards Short's official standing.

Whether Short adds the seventh continent to his list will become clear once the event takes place, with his attempt drawing attention both for its sporting ambition and the environmental questions it has raised.