Who do you travel to open tournaments with?
27 Oct '17 22:55If a weekend or an open tournament isn't near your place, so you travel, then, it adds extra excitement to traveling.
There are several variations regarding your company.
1. old couple
Last time I saw it was when GM Yair Kraidman took part in Malta open. He and his wife were perfect example of almost extinguished feature from old robin tournaments. He is playing deadly serious, and his wife is trying to be invisible. From time to time she just take a peek, holding his old fashioned purse on her chest, dressed in also old fashioned tufted dress in old fashioned shoes, and she reminded me on Petrossian's and Smyslov's and Geller's wives from photos from SSSR vs Rest Of The World match in Belgrade in 1970. Her face is worried, she probably don't have a clue about chess, but she is rooting!
2. odd couple
Middle-aged men with predilection for ripe cherry coloured trousers and pink scarfs and vanilla cigarillos. The uncompeting member of the pair never attends the tournament venue but takes sunbath and goes for long walks.
3. young couple
Very, very rear feature on such tournaments. Girls find chess most boring "sport" and when they show themselves in the venue, they look like half-naked Beatles groupie in the mosque.
4. lonesome weirdos
Suspicious chaps. They carry extensive equipment on every round: spare pencils, termos-holders with coffee, ear plugs, candy bars, bottled water. They go too frequently to the men's room...
5. retired (avid player amateurs)
Always happy no matter of result. They usually consume huge amount of peppermints and always are humming some song.
6. kids
Accompanied by ambitious parents who guard kids' table like watch dogs.
7. Tournament's favourites
(crème de la crème of the tournament)
GMs with professional look - that is with boredom in their eyes. They usually have a tetrapaque of orange juice on the floor next to their table. and they never change their cloths. They smell. Always absent-minded.
There are several variations regarding your company.
1. old couple
Last time I saw it was when GM Yair Kraidman took part in Malta open. He and his wife were perfect example of almost extinguished feature from old robin tournaments. He is playing deadly serious, and his wife is trying to be invisible. From time to time she just take a peek, holding his old fashioned purse on her chest, dressed in also old fashioned tufted dress in old fashioned shoes, and she reminded me on Petrossian's and Smyslov's and Geller's wives from photos from SSSR vs Rest Of The World match in Belgrade in 1970. Her face is worried, she probably don't have a clue about chess, but she is rooting!
2. odd couple
Middle-aged men with predilection for ripe cherry coloured trousers and pink scarfs and vanilla cigarillos. The uncompeting member of the pair never attends the tournament venue but takes sunbath and goes for long walks.
3. young couple
Very, very rear feature on such tournaments. Girls find chess most boring "sport" and when they show themselves in the venue, they look like half-naked Beatles groupie in the mosque.
4. lonesome weirdos
Suspicious chaps. They carry extensive equipment on every round: spare pencils, termos-holders with coffee, ear plugs, candy bars, bottled water. They go too frequently to the men's room...
5. retired (avid player amateurs)
Always happy no matter of result. They usually consume huge amount of peppermints and always are humming some song.
6. kids
Accompanied by ambitious parents who guard kids' table like watch dogs.
7. Tournament's favourites
(crème de la crème of the tournament)
GMs with professional look - that is with boredom in their eyes. They usually have a tetrapaque of orange juice on the floor next to their table. and they never change their cloths. They smell. Always absent-minded.
