Robert Plant made an unannounced appearance at a town chess contest in England – and lost a game to a 17-year-old. READ MORE: Robert Plant Didn’t Want to Make a New AlbumWalker, a Led Zep fan, told the BBC he hadn’t recognized Plant at first, and was shocked when he identified his opposition. Is Robert Plant Good at Chess? “Some of the youngsters – remember this was an under-18 chess tournament – they thought, 'Robert who?' Asked to comment on Plant’s chess skills, Wrench replied: “I think he has the potential to be [good], with a bit of practice.”