Level 14 of the Tower doesn't usually see this much quiet concentration broken up by the odd triumphant grin, but last week it played host to one of the biggest inter-university chess competitions London's seen in a while.

Chess societies from KCL, LSE, UCL, Birkbeck, Imperial, SOAS, RHUL, QMUL and UAL all sent players, turning the top floor into a proper battlefield of boards, clocks and furrowed brows. Nine universities under one roof is no small logistical feat, let alone nine chess societies, but somehow it came together without a single piece out of place.

Competitive, yes, but sociable too. Students who'd normally only cross paths online or across a league table were trading openings and post-match debriefs well after the final move, proof that a good chess match doesn't need to end when the king falls.

Keep your eyes peeled for more chess events at Space House in the coming months.