The chess players still eat pea soup in Wijk aan Zee, as they did in 1938, in the first edition of the Roland Garros of chess. Now, in the 86th, the atmosphere is formidable and very stimulating: some 2,000 participants think playing in absolute silence and fill hotels and restaurants for two weeks every January. But it hides a sinister reality, supported by several scientific studies cited by the National Institute of Health and Environment of the Netherlands: The risk of cancer reduces life expectancy in the area by 7.5 months (on average), due to the pollution emitted by the chimneys of the Tata steel factory, current sponsor of the chess festival.
Everything indicates that the majority of the local population accepts taking that risk: apart from the comments of the locals, it is very significant that the protest demonstration called by Dutch environmental groups this Saturday had almost zero support among the inhabitants of the region. A dozen activists blocked the entrance road to Wijk aan Zee in a very organized and friendly manner: for three minutes at a time, explaining the meaning of their action through a megaphone to the stopped drivers and apologizing. Nothing else.
Meanwhile, walking around the De Moriaan sports center was, like every year at this time, a great pleasure for those who are convinced that the homo sapiens continues to live up to its name. About 350 people (more than 95% are men, as has always happened in chess, incredible as it may seem) played the different tournaments: from the fourteen stars of the Masters tournament to the small competitions for amateurs of all ages. And many other spectators. Everyone was dead silent, even when they approached the bar to refuel their brain, mostly in the form of coffee or traditional pea soup. This one is very nutritious, and has a nice history: during World War II and the post-war period, players made the journey home from Wijk aan Zee with no guarantee of finding food during the trip; so their hosts gave them pea soup immediately before setting out.
This town in the North Sea of about 2,000 inhabitants (a number similar to that of chess players invaders every January) is very pleasant in summer for its immense beach, the offer of walks among dunes and good restaurants. But in winter it is more of a high-end dormitory town, and therefore the chess festival is as nutritious an injection for the local economy as pea soup is for the players.
Tata Steel is an Indian company. Its vice president for Europe, the Dutchman Henrik Adam, did not avoid the big problem during his speech on Friday at the inauguration ceremony: “Tata Steel aims to be a green, clean and sustainable company, and we are investing in it,” he insisted. repeatedly. What is not clear, according to several Dutch journalists consulted, is how much Tata invests in this and, above all, how many years will pass until modern steel production technologies solve or alleviate the problem.
The general belief in the chess community of the Netherlands is that the tournament is guaranteed to continue for many years, and that it will reach its hundredth edition in 2038. Not so much because of the excellent image that Tata gives, nor because chess is now a mass sport in India—and quite popular in the Netherlands—but because it makes the inhabitants of Wijk aan Zee and surrounding areas accept the risk of living less, but better.
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