A quirky group of enthusiasts took part in a bizarre competition on Saturday which saw them dive to the bottom of a swimming pool in London for a game of chess.

The Dive Chess World Championships, now in their 7th year, are the creation of American Etan Ilfeld.

Ilfeld is a chess master and came up with the idea of Dive Chess because he thought it would be interesting to incorporate a physical element to make chess a little more challenging, cool and quirky.

Dive Chess is like normal chess but played in a swimming pool with a submerged chess board that uses strong magnetic pieces.

Each player can only think, submerged, as long as they are able to hold their breath.

Once you’ve made a move and come up for air, your opponent must dive and cannot come back up until they’ve played a move, and then it’s their opponents turn to dive again.

Thirteen competitors took to the water in Islington, North London.

After several rounds there was a dead heat in the finals with three players sharing the top slot with equal points; Rajko Vujatovic, James Heppell and Will Taylor.

The unusual championships, now in their 7th year, are the creation of American Etan Ilfeld. Ilfeld is a chess master and came up with the idea of Dive Chess because he thought it would be interesting to incorporate a physical element to make chess a little more challenging, cool and quirky.

Anybody who can hold theirr breath under water and is able to play chess can do it. Dive Chess is like normal chess but played in a swimming pool with a submerged chessboard that uses strong magnetic pieces. Each player can only think, submerged, as long as they are able to hold their breath. Once you’ve made a move and come up for air, your opponent must dive and cannot come back up until they’ve played a move, and then it’s their opponents turn to dive again.

13 competitors took to the water in Islington, North London. After several rounds there was a dead heat in the finals with 3 players sharing the top slot with equal points; Rajko Vujatovic, James Heppell and Will Taylor.