Chessdom photographer visiting Rising Stars and Experience
When Goran asked me if i wanted to take some pictures at the NH Chess Tournament I thought “ugh, I hate Amsterdam!” But since I do not live that far from the tournament, and it was Goran who asked me, I decided to go.
Sunday morning at 11.30 I jumped on my moped and drove to the nearest train station. I took the train to Amsterdam Central Station. I walked from Central Station to “De Dam”, and suddenly remembered why I hated Amsterdam so much. What an ants nest! I found out there was some big cultural festival going on, and combined with nice sunny weather it made a lot of people go to the city.
So I wormed my way through the relaxing, strolling, shopping crowd and managed to find my way to the Krasnapolsky Hotel where the tournament is held. Nice hotel by the way, but very big. I still had to find the chessplayers!
I was very glad to find a familiar face (Dirk-Jan from New in Chess) who was just enjoying a nice buffet. He showed me the way to the room where the tournament was held and showed me the coffee.
I was a bit sad to see his camera was bigger than mine.
Now it was time to do “my thing” and take some pictures!
Predrag Nikolic
Ljubomir Ljubojevic
Aleksander Beliavsky
Sergey Karjakin
Arthur Yussupov
Alexander Khalifman
Now of course I could write something about the games, like a real reporter. But then I would tell you I saw a group of guys staring at a board for hours. I would tell you that one of them, after a long time, suddenly moved something that looked like a horse. I would tell you that I saw people frowning, whispering, walking around…
I think there are other people that would do a much better job at this than I would.
Instead I decided to walk around in Amsterdam a bit, like a “real” tourist, and try to understand why people want to see this place.
Could it be the street musicians?
Or maybe the pigeons?
Or maybe the human statue that will only let you make a picture if you pay them first?
It surely can’t be because they want to see Dutch people, because I did not see them in Amsterdam! Even in a store I was asked to speak English.
After a “real Dutch” hamburger in a “real Dutch” Mac Donalds I went back to the station to go home again. Luckily my moped was still in one piece at the station waiting for me. (well, it is Holland…)
Finally I could take off these new shoes (why oh why did I wear them) and hug my own huppeldepuppies again!
So far my Huppeldepup report!
Carla Amse
Carla has been taking photos at the Dutch chess tournaments for a couple of years already. Visit her website and check out the archives.
