Back from Narnia Fairytale

„Have you seen the film The Chronicles of Narnia,” Nahuel’s dad Ivan asks me when I pop the question how did everything go in Turkey, “coming home was like entering another world again,” he adds emotionally.

Although Nahuel’s life in Ciudad Oculta is not as glamorous as it was in Turkey – after all they live in one of the poorest neighbourhoods of Buenos Aires – our 10 year old chess champion is happy. His big brown eyes grow even bigger and start glowing as he speaks how he saw the sea for the first time of his life and even went swimming in it, despite the fact it is already pretty cold in Europe.

According to Ivan Nahuel did not do so great on the championships, collecting just 4 points out of 11, but he also thinks the kid didn’t have the chance to prepare himself properly for the challenge. Especially since them going to Turkey was not sure up to the last minute. “There were a lot of mixed emotions involved,” says Ivan, “Nahuel being on an airplane for the first time in his life, seeing huge snowy mountains and swimming in the sea.”

“But the experience itself was very important,” Ivan adds. “He made some new friends and understood how important it is to learn new languages.”

Nahuel agrees that the trip was worth all the trouble with the money, visas, getting the plane tickets and finally almost missing the opportunity to play. “I liked everything,” Nahuel shrugs his shoulders without knowing what to point out – the Blue Mosque, Taksim square or Grand Bazar in Istanbul or sea and competing with others in Antalya.

“I spoke a little English, made new friends,” is Nahuel kind of shy with words, but agrees that he should try to start sending e-mails in English to all his new friends he made. After all – how often does a 10 year old have the chance to play chess together with 1600 other chess geniuses all around the world?

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If you liked to help us to pay back the debts we’ve made in order to get Nahuel to The World Youth Chess Championships, please do contact Benjamin (boenne at hotmail dot com). We still have 350 USD to pay back and we would like to get that debt off our shoulders as soon as possible.

Read more about Nahuel and how we managed to get him to Turkey.

P.S. the pictures will be uploaded ASAP as Ivan promised to bring us a CD with the photos they made in Turkey.