FOOD AT THE
WORLD CHESS OLYMPIADS
(2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016)
At the arrival in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia 2010 World Chess Olympiad.
I’ve been to 4 World Chess Olympiads (2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016) and I noticed since the first Olympiad that I’ve been, 2010 Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, that foods are all the same from the first day to the last! There are only minor changes of main course where practically everything is the same.
In the 2010 WCO, there are watermelons even in the breakfast. Asian Chess Federation Deputy President Toti Abundo likes watermelon even at breakfast. One morning, we ate together and after meal, he lifted his shirt and took a shot of insulin on his belly. He said he spent $500.00/month for insulin which I said is already a one-month salary of ordinary worker. My teammate in this Olympiad Tito Cabunagan has a share of his story about watermelons, this time with its seeds…
There are no grapes in this Olympiad but lots of cakes and pastries as well as green apples, grapefruits and oranges. Coffee, tea, bottled water and juices are abundant. Main dishes are not that well but the veggies are enough to compensate for lack of good meat. The fish soup served during our excursion on the rest day was the best fish soup I’ve ever had. The clay oven-baked bread is also excellent.
In the 2012 WCO in Istanbul, Turkey, there are 2 kinds of grapes (green and brown) being served from breakfast—dinner. That’s why I have eaten about 50 grapes a day for 15 days! On the last day of the event, I asked the medical people to check my blood sugar and it is 321! I realized later from a doctor in Philippines that grapes and ripe mangoes have the highest sugar (glucose) among fruits. I am diabetic and the 321 blood sugar level is very high but I have eaten breakfast and lunch already. My younger brother Jerry is not diabetic but he’s got a 198 blood sugar when he was tested by my younger brother Romeo, who is also diabetic as well as my sister Elena.
There’s no pork served in all those Olympiads because there are many Muslim countries participating. Fish are plentiful in Istanbul Olympiad but the main dishes are not so well again.
The best food I ever had at the Olympiad was at the 2014 WCO in Tromso, Norway. During the first few days, we are having breakfast with GM Eugene Torre, his wife Marilyn and the rest of Philippine team. Later, we dine at Radisson Blu Hotel and in the last week of the Olympiad, at the Clarion Hotel, where I always consume 8 small croissants every breakfast. The fruits are excellent—bananas, pears, pineapple, honeydew melon, apples, oranges, watermelon, green grapes, strawberries, even canned fruits, etc. I even saw a male player got a whole big mango. When I check all the areas of the fruit section, I can’t find anymore. I think there is only one there or I may be too late at that time.
There are also times that there are a lot of nuts being served within the veggies section. FIDE C. E. O. and FM Geoffrey Borg suggested to us that the 2 foods that enhance brain memory is banana and dark chocolate that is why we have a budget of $75.00 each (Open and Women Team) for this food for the duration of this Olympiad.
Although there are variations of food, still we are craving for local Filipino food and Joy Flores Whipps, the wife of Palau Chess Federation President Eric Ksau Whipps, cooked some Filipino food in the last few days of the Olympiad to satisfy our craving.
At the 2016 Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan, there are lots of fruits (honeydew melon, pears, plums, apples and veggies. Only one time that they serve fish fingers and in seconds, they’re gone! All I’ve got are those that fell on the table from the chafing dish. You can choose also with different kinds of bread. No grapes again. One time there are very small grapes included in the vegetables. When we go to Qasar province during the rest day, we bought pears and plums from women vendors at the street on our way back to the hotel.
2012 WORLD CHESS OLYMPIAD
ISTANBUL, TURKEY
2014 WORLD CHESS OLYMPIAD
TROMSO, NORWAY
2016 WORLD CHESS OLYMPIAD
BAKU, AZERBAIJAN
Sources: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
December 29, 2002 -- September 13, 2017
Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
The Beginning of Chess in Palau
By Roberto Hernandez
Soon to be published as a book
Music and Me by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
March 15, 2012 -- April 18, 2013
http://palau-chess.blogspot.com
April 25, 2013 -- September 13, 2017
The History of Chess in Palau
By Roberto Hernandez
June 09, 2002 -- September 13, 2017
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