The setting is a Country House Hotel in Yorkshire.
The hotel has been the venue for the World Chess Championship ending today.
It is also Christmas Eve.
Simply put, the hotel is palatial, the epitome of luxury.
It's best feature is the glorious foyer, with three bars and furnishings of the finest order.
Now the Chess Championship has ended (a banquet and presenting of prizes is due at 8pm.)
But, because it is Christmas Eve, a lot of people have booked in for a huge celebration, a lot of feasting and drinking to be done.
Many people have booked to stay right through until the New Year.
However,the persons involved in the chess tournament are so excited to have achieved their aims that one or two are overly exuberant.
Denied alcohol for a week (Chess requires a sharp, unclouded brain) they tended to go...a little crazy.
They are soon at full volume,bragging and boasting about their achievments in the tournament.
All the usual chess phrases can be heard, En passant, En prise, Fionchetto, Double Attack!
Fools Mate raised a raucous bellowing of laughter!
But there was a fly in the ointment!
Guests arriving for their well deserved Xmas break were being denied access to all but one of the foyers' bars due to the garrulous nature of the chess players.
Words were exchanged.".We have paid good money to be here"..and "This is really not good enough" were just a few exchanges between the new guests and the beleagured staff.
So finally, the General Manager was summonsed (by a junior waitress out of her depth)
The Manager surveyed the scene..it was mayhem...the chess participants were behaving as if they owned the place and were more raucous by the minute!
The Manager decided on his course of action, he walked 5 steps up on the grand stairway that fed the foyer.
Surveying the guests below he bellowed "Ladies and Gentlemen!"
He did this three times!
Finally, subdued, the place settled into silence (apart from the odd hiccup & drunken murmuring)
He continued "We at the Excelsior hotel are honoured to have been the hosts for the World Chess Championship, it was our privilege to have seen the best of the world's players here this week."
"However,there are many people here tonight that have worked hard to pay for this evening, this Christmas Eve, it is special for them too" He continued:
"Personally, I cannot abide chess nuts boasting round an open foyer"

Sorry!