Russians play chess in icy water to test their stamina
Swimmers plunged into water of around 5 degrees Celsius to play the classic board game
It’s icy water chess. Russian winter swimmers are trying to build up their mental and physical strength by playing in freezing conditions.
Swimmers plunged into water of around 5 degrees Celsius to play the classic board game.
Roman, winter swimmer and chess player: “(Playing in icy cold water,) it helps to concentrate. One can even work out a technique to enable one to stay in the water for longer, this is a big benefit of chess. When you get in, you face a certain fear barrier, but once you get past it, you just test your tolerance, stamina.”
The sub-zero temperature encourages players to make their moves within seconds. Each game lasts about 10 minutes.
Vasily, winter swimmer and chess player: “The idea for this competition came very much out of nowhere. We found some files on winter swimmers who played chess in Soviet times, we had it on our minds for a bit, someone voiced it, we supported the idea and decided to start playing.”
The one-off icy water chess tournament was held in Lake Shartash in eastern Yekaterinburg.
Source: http://uatoday.tv
