Tata Steel: Impressions by Fred Lucas

This event took place from January 14th to 30th, 2011 in the traditional De Moriaan Center in Wijk aan Zee. There were three Grandmaster Groups, with 14 players each and each competitor playing against every other. The rate of play was 100 minutes for 40 moves, then 50 minutes for 20 moves and finally 15 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30 seconds/move increment starting with the first move of the game.

Wijk 2011 impressions

By Fred Lucas

Blow karting is a great adventure in a wind-swept sea resort like Wijk aan Zee. The many miles of firm beach sand is perfect for windsurfing on land, using a go-kart instead of a board.

However, January in Wijk is a terribly cold month, and so the blow-karting excursion wasn't attended by a large group of players. Fred Lucas didn't photograph very much either, it was "too cold, even with gloves."

Feeling the cold: Anish Giri, the youngest participant of Group A

But of course he has to try the blow karting thing...

...and has a close encounter with a beach puddle

Here's a really big tidal stream – what do I do now?

Arlette van Weersel, who organized the outing, rushes to assist any player in need

I did it! Anish jubilant after the excursion to the beach

Tania Sachdev on the beach in Wijk, where it is colder than her native Delhi

But the poster girl of Indian chess makes the most of it anyway

The obligatory soccer match, with the usual addicts

Anish Giri and Magnus Carlsen, the two young stars of Group A

Jan Smeets, a virtuoso with the ball

Magnus using a still somewhat controversial technique of defence in soccer

Thank you, thank you, that worked very well indeed

Wait a minute, you were not supposed to document it!

Back in the hotel Magnus relaxes in his G-Star get-up

"My relation with chess is simple," says Fred Lucas. "I'm a photographer who is very fond of the game, loves the atmosphere at tournaments – it's if you can really feel all the ideas coming up on all those boards – and I love to make pictures, especially with available light. What I like most when photographing chess players is to get their emotions that are otherwise hard to see, because life immediately proceeds to the next moment. Before the start of a game most players are busy with themselves, concentrating and some give you the impression that they really don't want to pay attention to anything else than the game to come."

Links

The games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download the free PGN reader ChessBase Light, which gives you immediate access. You can also use the program to read, replay and analyse PGN games. New and enhanced: CB Light 2009!