Foreign chess players in delight from Khanty-Mansiysk
Chess players from the different countries of the world which have arrived on 39th World Chess Olympic Games in Jugru have agreed in opinion that from the point of view of the organization it is the best Olympic Games which were ever spent. And Khanty-Mansiysk, according to players, – a fine city.
Iran, Hadi Karimi: I am happy to come finally to Khanty-Mansiysk, moreover this is the city that I voted for at the Chess Olympiad in Torino 4 years ago. I am happy with organization. In fact I have never been to the places situated higher than 60 degrees of latitude north of the equator. We are southern people and to visit the country with the temperature of 50 degrees below 0 is rather a rare experience. However, so far my worries are groundless – the autumn is mild and I hope that the weather will remain the same till the end of the tournament. I would like to express my gratitude to the Organizing Committee for the perfect organizational level of the tournament. This Olympiad is a record breaker as far as the number of the participants is concerned for the history of “Nations Tournaments”.
Jamaica, Ian Wilkinson: We went for a walk on the first rest day and did some shopping. We climbed the stairs of the first innovators of Ugra – it was magnificent! And also we liked your DJs at “Bermuda Party”.
Bermuda, Nigel Freeman: It is perfect! I think that this Olympiad is almost the best one in the chess history. No matter whom I talk to about the organizational level – I hear only positive impressions. Personally I am very happy about the attitude of accompanying persons towards their teams. For the past two weeks people in Khanty-Mansiysk made friends with participants from 160 countries worldwide!
Israel, Alon Greenfeld: I have only positive ones: the city is clean and beautiful. Unfortunately, we managed to visit only its central part.
America, Varuzhan Hakobyan: If I am not mistaken, it is my 15th time in Ugra and every time I was here only in winter. I like the city very much and I am observing its dynamic development very carefully. As for the organization of the Olympiad I would give it 5 points out of 5!
French, Maxime Vachier¬-Lagrave: It was too cold during the World Cup 2009, so I just stayed in the hotel and did not see the place. Now I can say that Khanty-¬Mansiysk is a nice city, as the weather allows me to do sightseeing without risk for my health (laughs)!
Botsvana, Kelathilwe Kelapile: Khanty is an amazing city! Especially its mammoths!” At home it’s just too hot right now. Therefore, we even like the climate of the Khanty-Mansiysk. That’s right. I prefer Siberian morning frost to African heat.
China , Wang HAO: I live in Beijing, and the air here is much cleaner than in my city. Also Russian people are wonderful and very friendly. In addition, I admire Russian culture!
Is it cold yet?