The World Schools 2016 kicked off in Sochi, Russia from the 3rd of December 2016. Players from 30 countries have participated in this mammoth event. Niklesh Jain, head of Indian contingent, brings us impressions from the opening ceremony and tells us about the excellent arrangements made by the organizers. Illustrated report from Sochi.
World Schools Opening ceremony
Report by Niklesh Jain from Sochi, Russia
The opening ceremony of the World Schools 2016 took place in Sochi, Russia on the 3rd of December 2016. A total of 30 countries are taking part in the event. FIDE President Kirsan Illyumzhinov was present at the ceremony which saw some amazing juggling by the performers. India has a contingent of 18 players.
It all began with a magic show
The steel spoon was bent by the magician without applying any pressure!
Standing up for the National AnthemThe tournament director reads out the message sent by RUssian President Vladimir Putin
The World Schools is one of the main projects of FIDE, with these words FIDE President inaugurated the event
FIDE President speaks about the importance of World Schools and congratulates Magnus Carlsen on becoming the World Champion
The drawing of lots
The world famous Russian circus performers made our day
That was truly impressive!
A video glimpse of the opening ceremony
The long thread coming out of the magician's mouth
FIDE President Kirsan Illyumzhinov is nothing short of a superstar, as he mobbed by the kids
G.Balaji takes a selfie with Ilyumzhinov
The chief arbiter explaining the rules
In charge of security told us about the rules that we must observe during the event
The food arrangements!
Many players in the Indian contingent are vegetarians. In such a situation the Russian organizers did not disappoint us.
The dining hall was nearly as big as the tournament hall and had some great arrangements made
Everyone had a place to sit and enjoy the food
The vegetarians had plenty of choice!
The taste might not be the same...
...but we are very happy with the variety that we are treated to!
This is what the dish usually looks like in the absence of Indian staple food!
The breakfast helped us to keep our energy levels high throughout the day
Indian players from Madhya Pradesh and Delhi during breakfast
The beautiful city of Sochi situated near the Black Sea
It's breathtaking!
The view from my room!
ChessBase India will keep bringing you regular updates from the World School 2016.
The tournament director reads out the message sent by RUssian President Vladimir Putin
