Chess in Guadeloupe: the butterfly effect (part two)
7/30/2017 – In this second part of the report on the Guadeloupe Open, you will be treated to more gorgeous scenery, all captured in large high-res imagery, together with instructive chess analysis, including one game that brought up memories of.... Bogoljubow against Lasker. It is just one more example of why knowing one's classics can never be repeated enough. Enjoy this scenic chess lesson!
Continued from part one
Change one thing
Change everything
It has been said that something as small as the flutter of a butterfly's wing can ultimately cause a typhoon halfway around the world - Chaos Theory.
It might be said that something as small as the flutter of a chess board in Guadeloupe can ultimately cause a chess revolution halfway around the world - Chess Theory?!
Quite a lucky coincidence: Cynthia is wearing a dress with butterflies motifs
Maybe a small event in the 'middle of nowhere' will not rock your world, but it is the little details that are vital, both on and off the board. Little things make big things happen.
The hardships a player must endure: walking around the hotel premises, sipping a cocktail and thinking about...how great life is?
This tournament and how it was organized deserves no less ovations than some of the most prominent chess events out there. What it meant for the community and how everyone got involved is remarkable. And they should take credit for that.
People were given a chance to:
...give it all on the chess board.
The GM Darko Anic always on duty: when not teaching or pointing out the errors – awarding the prizes. (it is refreshing to see that not only the winners attended the closing ceremony)
A small example which could go straight into Darko's (or yours, dear reader) next lecture:
Jean Marie Molia – Alina l'Ami
Now compare that with the well-known classic:
Bogoljubow – Lasker
In addition, the organizers immediately got me hooked with just one gesture: a fully packed fridge and dinner on the commode, even though they knew I would arrive past midnight. May sound trivial but a can of soft drink does wonders when you are thirsty (and not when you are not).
Guadeloupe is a wild discovery
I got this travel bug long before I can remember and no cure has yet been found. Lucky me:) But when on the butterfly island...I had to play by its volatile rules.
Guess where the BBC series “Death in Paradise” was filmed?
Right here, in the Guadeloupean Deshaies! I had to trespass private properties to bring you this view though. Fortunately, I didn't end up in the murder mystery tv show mentioned above.
Living on the edge continues: strong winds, giant abyss, no fences – there is not much that can stop me from taking the shot I need.
But all that comes with a price. Energy got out of stock and then this is what happens:
Alina l'Ami – Romain Cristophe Hayot
Being a city person doesn't automatically make me an expert on the tropics either. So one day I opened a pack of biscuits, took one out, sealed it back to what I thought would be watertight and went to sleep. Next day in the morning...surprise surprise: hundreds (or was it thousands?!) of little ants marching down my luggage, including camera, lenses and laptop. Oooops! To complete the picture, when I was fighting the unleashed mother nature in my own room, lizards started showing their tails:)) Unfortunately, I met only some little ones and not the iguanas I was hoping for... maybe next time.
But the mosquitoes were always on duty
The Caribbean butterfly...
...is like an attractive girl: pretty to see, hard to catch.
The less touristy and relatively untouched land was a true joy to discover but also a tough nut to crack. Going from A to B looks rather easy on the paper. Then why did I spend a whole day, hoping on and off, from one village to another, from one bus and ferry to another, just to bring you one single photo?!
It was worth the effort though
Causing geographical confusion to my brain as well: the westerly wing, Basse-Terre (low land) region actually rises to 1,500m topped by a dormant volcano, while the easterly one, Grande-Terre (high land) is basically flat! Not to mention that the neighbouring 'Saints' are far too pretty to be saintly. Maybe here is the moment to mention the Guadeloupean unique rums?!
If you are not into intoxicating liquids, the bottles alone will make for great souvenirs.
Everything was different in Guadeloupe:
The weather
The mentality
And the tournament too. The island's chess ambitions - awaken and stimulated.
I can only wish that more events will follow the lepidoptera course and have a metamorphosis. This little tournament made a beautiful difference.
At least to me.
Final standings
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