Chess Olympiad in Budapest - Where Chess Dreams Come Alive
Last week I had the unique opportunity to attend the Chess Olympiad in Budapest. How was it? Read further!
Last week I had the unique opportunity to attend the Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary. And since it only takes me a few hours to get to this beautiful city, there was no hesitation.
The Chess Olympiad is something that every chess enthusiast must experience at least once in their lifetime - and I decided to be no exception 😊
In the BOK complex where the Olympiad was held, there was not only the playing hall, but also many other places that were worth a visit. And I started with those.
Of course, there was a room for game analysis with commentators, such as Hungarian GM Peter Gaal. In the same room there were also simul sessions.
But spectators could also play among themselves - there were countless chess boards around. Some even played with Olympic participants, like the gentlemen in this photo.
There was also a photo booth where I took a great photo 😊
And a chess exhibition. For example with Max Euwe's set or samples of old chess books.
And of course there was also the opportunity to buy chess books. So I took two of them from Budapest. "Perpetual Chess Improvements" by
and "100 Endgames You Must Know" by Jesus de la Villa.
But the main thing happens when you walk out into the playing field.
Although it was impossible to move directly among the players - we had to watch them from high up in the stands, but still... As soon as I entered the hall, the atmosphere surrounded me... How to describe it?
“Chess sanctuary” is probably the right term.
Imagine a room with (I don’t know) 1500 chess players - from the world's best grandmasters to players who are definitely not part of the world's top players, but whose love for the game is just as strong. Here I really felt that "Gens Una Sumus".
The feeling of being part of something so great, at least as a spectator, was absolutely beautiful and I must say energizing.
One of the most powerful moments for me was watching the teams that were not among the favourites and were not fighting for medals, but when they won, their joy was absolutely contagious (yes, I'm talking about you - team of Cayman Islands!).
Chess really does bring people from all over the world together here, regardless of their skill level.
And that's the beauty of the game.
I came back from Budapest with a renewed energy to take up chess more, to practice more, and to enjoy it more. Because this game is worth it.
But you know that, right?