I played two chess tournaments, and this post is about the Cannes Open, which was the second tournament. Read the previous blog by clicking here.
From Graz, we took a bus to Vienna, then a flight to Nice, and then a cab to Cannes. It was a very long travel. But man! What a beautiful city Cannes is. The Cannes Film Festival is something every Indian knows about. Bollywood actors and actresses visit there. Surprisingly, the playing venue was the same as the Film Festival. Cannes A category witnessed 147 participants from different countries, and more than 5 GMs participated in the event.
Organization
The organization was very good. From the tournament hall, there was a very beautiful view outside. Many yachts and the coastal side were visible. Probably one of the best chess venues I have ever played in. I can relate this venue to the Sunway Sitges one, but this was more beautiful.
There was a big queue for security, as the venue was very famous and probably one of the most prestigious in Cannes City (not for fair play). Organizers provided water for free, and the washrooms were neat and clean.
There was also a little coffee bar where they sold coffee, tea, and water. Fair play was not strictly followed, as players could bring mobile phones into the tournament hall, and some used to keep them at the side of the table and in their bags. This was not highly monitored by anyone, as I played with someone who, after the game, immediately pulled out their phone from their jacket.
About the Apartment
We booked through Airbnb, and we found a very nice apartment located at the city center. The apartment was literally a 5-6 minute walk from the tournament hall, and the host provided everything. The host even gave us a wine bottle as a welcome gift. We stayed from February 23rd to March 2nd, and we paid 82,000 INR (around 900 Euros). I was traveling and sharing an apartment with IM Moksh Doshi and FM Anniruddha Deshpande. The following apartment photo was taken from Airbnb, and I have also attached a link in the image caption.
About Cannes
As I mentioned, Cannes City is extremely popular in India due to the Cannes Film Festival. The city looks very rich. It’s a small city, and fortunately, we were staying at the city center. We roamed around and found very nice views. You can see almost all luxury shops and a lot of security personnel nearby. I haven’t faced any issues in those days. The city feels very safe.
We really wanted to visit Monaco, but unfortunately, we didn’t get much time.
We tried different cafes and also ate the first mango of this season.
Ratings
- Organization: 9/10 (Only because of not following fair play measures effectively)
- Hotel: 10/10
- Food: 9.5/10 (We haven’t tried much food)
- Safety: 10/10
Expense Breakdown
In the last blog, some expenses are already covered (the Euro has surged a lot compared to the INR this week. Rates will differ by 5-8%).
- Expenses from the last blog – 72,200 INR / 760 euros
- Austria to France flight – 6,000 INR / 65 euros
- Schengen Visa + Insurance – 10,000 INR / 105 euros
- Cannes Open entry fee – 6,000 INR / 65 euros
- Cannes Stay – 27,500 INR / 290 euros
- Food, Cafes, and grocery – 15,000 INR
- Miscellaneous expenses for the tour – 10,000 INR / 105 euros
Total cost to play 2 tournaments – 146,700 INR / 1550 Euros
Thanks for reading! Following are some of the photos I captured during the France tour.
