Last week I wrote about my experience as a commentator at the European Club Cup in Struga, taking a look at a game by Carlsen I didn’t understand. My job was tiring as hell: commentanting requires constant concentration just like a game of chess, but also ability to talk at the same time while trying to understand a position or calculate a variation, ideally interspersed with witty comments and references to chess history or anything that may have a connection to the game in question.
My working day would start when the games would start and it would last until the results of the matches I was commenting on would be final. After the end of the stream I would go to dinner and then the social aspect would begin.
In a way the organisation of the day was similar to when I play at events, except for the absence of the morning preparation. Since I didn't play myself, without the stress of it, I enjoyed the social aspect even more as I didn't have to think about the next game or the preparation. So every night some sort of gathering would happen, whether in the hotel lobby or a bar in Struga and I would enjoy that without worries.
During the last day of the event I had to leave the final party early because I had an important meeting next morning. As I was walking along the River Drim I realised why I liked going to tournaments so much.
When I am at a tournament I am in a bubble. Isolated from the external world with accomodation and food taken care of, I can dedicate my whole energy to the thing I love - playing chess. The hotel, the playing venue, the local bars and the people at the event form the bubble where there is special inner dynamics and atmosphere.
I have experienced two sorts of bubbles. One is when it is only me inside it, with preparation, playing, eating and sleeping the only activities. No social aspects, just chess. The other one is with the social aspect included.
I have enjoyed both bubbles and I have had good (and bad) results in both: tournaments where isolation from everything worked like charm, tournaments where it didn’t, tournaments where too much partying helped me play well, and other times less so.
In Struga it was obviously the social aspect that I enjoyed. There is always something happening at tournaments, hook-ups, friendships, connections, meetings, exchange of ideas, and many other things left to your imagination. Every tournament has a special feeling and atmosphere and it is usually a good one. Struga was no different, perhaps the only difference was drinking and dancing with certain celebrities who normally don't mix with the "common" folk.
As all bubbles the chess bubble bursts when the tournament is over. (Perhaps that is why the months-long summer events were so popular, with the same crowd moving from one tournament to another and the bubble goes on and on.) Coming back to "reality" with the everyday chores is never easy for me, I find it hard to “switch off” from the bubble and adapt to “real life” so I always feel a bit sad when it happens.
I suspect I even may have been addicted to these bubbles in the past when I was playing non-stop. I also suspect that there are still players who are addicted to these bubbles. I wouldn't blame them, they are indeed nice places to be in.
With fewer chess events in my life today, these chess bubbles feel more special when I enter them. Their scarcity means that I appreciate them more, they are a reminder of the “good old days” but also a welcome break from the everyday life. These rare moments may be a nostalgic escape, but also a reminder how much I enjoy chess and its world.
P.S. In this week’s video I explore the modern treatment of the Ruy Lopez with the early 4…Nge7. It’s surprising how in the past few years many new variations have appeared in the Ruy Lopez and they all seem to be fine for Black. Even more, in this particular variation there are only 3 (!) critical lines to know and as far as I can see none of them seems to pose particular problems. Definitely an easy variation to include in one’s repertoire!
Fantastic read, Alex, thank you! 🤩
I miss 'chess bubbles' so much, looking forward to coming back to competitive chess, next year. 😁