Tuesday, April 26, 2016

2016 Gibraltar Congress - the flatmates

As I mentioned in a previous post - I shared a flat with four people I did not know previously. Well, as it turned out, I had met one of them before!    My flatmates were Padmini Rout, and Nisha Mohota of India, and father/daughter from Iceland, Magnus Kristinsson and Veronika Magnusdottir.  We all got along very well, and I am happy to have 4 new friends.

Magnus and Veronika squinting into the sun, waiting for the bus at Casemates.

Nisha Mohota and Padmini Rout en route to the playing site.  To Nisha's right is Yasser Saber of Morocco, who defeated GM Bellon Lopez in Round 9.  Waiting for and taking the bus was a great way to meet fellow players.   


 I had met Nisha at the 2005 Canadian Open during the post mortem with Jonathan Zaczek. http://www.365chess.com/view_game.php?g=3190808.  She became an IM in 2011.  Padmini is also an IM, and notched a GM norm at the 2015 Gibraltar Masters.

Another new friend is John Zachariassen.  We were paired near each other for most rounds in the Masters.  He was staying at the Cannon Inn, near my flat, so we stopped for dinner one night at the Star Bar, Gibraltar's oldest bar.

Fish and chips for me  ! and a pint of course.


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