ESPECTACULAR, la segona experiència viscuda per totes les participants d’aquest nou viatge a Hongria, on a més a més de la participació en les activitats pròpies de l’ERASMUS, hi hem pogut sumar la visita a les 45ª Olimpíades d’Escacs, la visita al Global Chess Festival, i la participació per part de les entrenadores i entrenadors a l’Educational Chess Summit.
Comencem el nostre viatge a la bonica població de Györ el dissabte a la tarda, on els nostres socis del club hongarès: Győri Sakk-kör, ens havien preparat una càlida benvinguda. L’endemà al matí vam participar, grecs, hongaresos i catalans, en un torneig amistós que estava dividit en dos grups, un per a nens i nenes i un altre per a adults i nens i nenes de més nivell. Després de dinar plegats, vam tornar a la Széchenyi István University, a què els entrenadors hongaresos ens ensenyessin, com fan ells els seus entrenaments als infants. Allà tots els infants van rebre un regal per part dels hongaresos, una pràctica motxilla amb el logo GAMBIT. Al final de la tarda vam tornar en tren cap a Budapest.
Dilluns al matí, les entrenadores i entrenadors, ens vam desplaçar al Judit Polgar Education Center, per rebre la tercera de les sessions presencials (les dues primeres les vam rebre a Creta), impartides pel MI Armin Juhasz, on vam aprendre interessants estratègies. Mentrestant, les nenes i nens estaven fent una altra activitat, unes simultànies amb la WFM Hanna Ivan-Gal, un cop acabades les dues activitats, en vam tornar a trobar tots per anar als Sports and Conference Centre, per veure les Olimpíades i l’Expo. Vam passar allà tota la tarda, i ens vam poder fotografiar amb Grans jugadors d’arreu del món.
L’endemà al matí, vam anar tots junts al Hungarian National Gallery, on se celebrava el Global Chess Festival, i vam participar en l’Inspiration Chess Tournament, també vam conèixer a Mr. Ernö Rubik, que ens va signar un dels seus cubs de Rubik. També vam tenir oportunitat de conèixer a la Gran GM Judit Polgar i fer-nos unes fotos amb ella. Va ser un moment increïblement màgic per tota la canalla, poder-la tenir tan a prop!! Després d’això vàrem anar a sopar tots plegats i parlar de tot el que havíem viscut i a intercanviar experiències.
En el Global Chess Festival vam presentar el nostre projecte GAMBIT davant de moltíssimes persones, mentre una presentadora feia una petita entrevista a la coordinadora del projecte, la Laura Martin.
Dimecres ens esperava l’Armin de nou per fer-nos una altra sessió d’entrenaments, després de la qual vam assistir a unes xerrades superinteressants sobre educació i escacs en l’Educational Chess Summit. Mentrestant els nens i nenes gaudien d’unes activitats preparades pel club d’escacs hongarès, un minitorneig entre totes elles i ells i una visita a un parc de música que els va agradar molt, mentre anaven enfortint la seva amistat.
En aquest punt, ja ens vam haver d’acomiadar, ja que els nostres camins ja se separaven i no serà fins al juny del 2025, que es tornaran a trobar presencialment a Llinars, on tindrà lloc la finalització del projecte.
SPECTACULAR, the second experience lived by all the participants of this new trip to Hungary, where in addition to the participation in the ERASMUS activities, we were able to add the visit to the 45th Chess Olympiad, the visit to the Global Chess Festival, and the participation of coaches in the Educational Chess Summit.
We started our journey in the beautiful town of Györ on Saturday afternoon, where our Hungarian club partners – Győri Sakk-kör – had prepared a warm welcome for us. The next morning we participated, Greeks, Hungarians and Catalans, in a friendly tournament that was divided into two groups, one for boys and girls and another for adults and boys and girls of a higher level. After lunch together, we returned to Széchenyi István University, where the Hungarian coaches taught us how they train the children. There, all the children received a gift from the Hungarians, a practical backpack with the GAMBIT logo. At the end of the afternoon we took the train back to Budapest.
On Monday morning, the coaches, we went to the Judit Polgar Education Center, to receive the third of the face-to-face sessions (we received the first two in Crete), taught by MI Armin Juhasz, where we learned interesting strategies. Meanwhile, the girls and boys were doing another activity, some simultaneous ones with the WFM Hanna Ivan-Gal, once the two activities were over, we all met again to go to the Sports and Conference Center, to see the Olympics and the Expo. We spent the whole afternoon there, and were able to take pictures with Great players from all over the world.
The next morning, we all went together to the Hungarian National Gallery, where the Global Chess Festival was held, and we participated in the Inspiration Chess Tournament, we also met Mr. Ernö Rubik, who signed one of his Rubik’s Cubes for us. We also had the opportunity to meet Grand GM Judit Polgar and take some photos with her. It was an incredibly magical moment for the whole rascal, to be able to have her so close!! After that we went to dinner together and talked about everything we had experienced and exchanged experiences. At the Global Chess Festival we presented our GAMBIT project in front of many people, while a presenter did a short interview with the project coordinator, Laura Martin.
On Wednesday, Armin was waiting for us again for another training session, after which we attended some super interesting talks about education and chess at the Educational Chess Summit. Meanwhile, the boys and girls enjoyed some activities prepared by the Hungarian chess club, a mini-tournament between them and a visit to a music park that they really liked, while strengthening their friendship. At this point, we already had to say goodbye, as our paths were already parting ways and it will not be until June 2025, that they will meet again in person in Llinars, where the completion of the project will take place.