40th World Chess Olympiad

   Here it is-the most awaited tournament of the last two years-the World Chess Olympiad. It's held in Istanbul.
   This tournament is so amazing not only because of the possibility of becoming an Olympic Champion,but also because of all the people that come from every country of the World. We see friends from the other side of the globe, we chat,remember and make new memories-memories to last a life!
   It's my 3rd Olympiad,well the 1st one I played in Dresden,in 2008, when still being a member of the Moldavian team. I remember how eager I was to go there-I was only 15 years old and playing at the Olympiad had been my dream for years.I played at the 4th board and I managed to score a very good 8 points out of 11. My 2nd Olympiad I played in Khanty-Mansyisk-but this time representing Romania.I was the reserve player,so I played only 4 games,scoring a mere 2,5 points.
    This year I'm playing on the 2nd board-which I am both proud of and worried. It's a big responsibility and I will try to do my best.Our coach and captain is Gergely Szabo. The team is composed of:
                                                                            1.IM Foisor Cristina-Adela 2402
                                                                            2.WIM Bulmaga Irina 2380
                                                                            3.WGM Cosma Elena-Luminita 2352
                                                                            4.WGM l'Ami Alina 2372
                                                                            5.WGM Sandu Mihaela 2246
   We are number 10 on the starting rank list and I believe we have real chances for a place in the Top5!
   I think that Team Spirit is the most important thing in a Women Team Championship and we've got a very friendly one! It's also important to feel comfortable-so having a room-mate with whom to get along really well (as in my case-Alina) is vital.
   We play with Luxembourg in the 1st round.I've got a rest day today,so I'll be supporting the girls from the tribunes (or just virtually,from our fancy hotel room).
   The Opening Ceremony was well organized,but quite boring. The only joyfull thing about it was meeting my friends! This can be also a big problem-when connecting with too many people-which is kind of unavoidable at the Olympiad- one can have a very hard time focusing on chess. Too many people,even if they're friends may not have such a good influence on the quality of your chess.That's why I've decided to detach from all the "outside" factors and to be all in playing chess!
   I will keep you updated and the photos from the R1 will follow soon!
 

   Good luck,Romania!