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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Fernando Cifuentes

INSANE: Experience i m a world champion pokemon player | Rare Historical Photos

A young man with dark curly hair, wearing a blue sports top with logos on it and holding a Pokémon card with an eye on it over one of his eyes, standing by a zebra crossing in a street with blocks of flats and trees behind him
Fernando Cifuentes in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Photograph: Mariana Eliano/The Guardian

I started playing the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) around 10 years ago, when I was seven. My older brother, Marco, had already been playing with my dad for years. At first, the three of us just played at home. For me, Pokémon TCG is a family activity – it keeps us close. I think that’s important, especially nowadays when everyone is on their phone.

I’m from Iquique, a city in the north of Chile. We have a strong Pokémon community here, and several local shops host tournaments. The game is two-player, and involves each person preparing a deck of 60 cards – each card represents one Pokémon, with different abilities and powers. You then battle your opponent with your cards; whoever has the more powerful combination of cards is the winner.

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