This cartoon by Morten Morland from The Times uses a chess metaphor for the crisis unfolding in Ukraine. A bare-chested Russian President Vladimir Putin is playing a game of chess with western leaders (Catherine Ashton, EU foreign policy chief, President Obama, and UK PM David Cameron). Putin is using tanks rather than chess pieces and one of the tanks has knocked over several of the white pieces on the chessboard. Putin calls 'Check' (see here if you're not familiar with the rules of chess). The western leaders are all stroking their chin, a gesture typically signifying that someone is thinking - or musing - rather than taking action. Putin's arms are folded, body language for defensiveness and resistance.
NOTE
Briain Adcock has a very similar cartoon in today's Independent. As does The Sun's Andy Davey!
