Getting hotter

     Six rounds have already passed at the EIWCC in Belgrade.
     There's no one with a perfect score- Nino Khurtsidze is leading the tournament with 5,5p/6, followed by 5 players with 5p- Valentina Gunina, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Salome Melia, Hoang Thanh Trang and Deimante Daulyte.
     I am on a "mighty" +1... :P I managed to win yesterday after losing 2 games in a row. You can follow the live games here: http://belgrade2013.liveschach.net/
     It's unbelievable how many blunders happen in each game here! Everyone blunders- no matter of the level- I guess that the Serbian heat is to blame :D It's not my fault that I blundered a piece, right?
     Well, and now seriously- it's a tough tournament- there's no "weak" player- everyone is motivated- everyone prepares and everyone tries to show his best.
     It is the last round before the free day today and I really hope to be in a good mood for visiting the city!
     Here are some photos:

Carmen Voicu-Jagodzinsky, me and Luminita Cosma

WFM Daria Visanescu

The playing hall

 

Belgrad's Soul

     Here I am in Belgrad. It is my first time here and I'm already in love with this city! I hope to have more time to explore it during the free day! Like a friend told me- Belgrad has a soul ;)
     As about the tournament- it is organized on a very high level- as it was expected, there's live commentary of the live games every day- the playing hall is also nice- there's nothing to complain about.
      I've got 2p/2 so far, winning as a favourite. You can follow the results here: http://chess-results.com/tnr106978.aspx?art=2&rd=3&lan=11&turdet=YES&flag=30&wi=984
     Here are some photos:

With Daria Visanescu

WGM Carmen Voicu-Jagodzinsky

   

WFM Daria Visanescu

With Luminita Cosma

     All the best from Belgrad! ;)

   

EIWCC-2013

     There are 2 more days until the start of the European Individual Women's Chess Championship in Belgrad, Serbia.
     It will be the first EIWCC where I'm going to start as a favourite- I was in the 2nd half of the starting ranking list all the previous years. I am nr. 29 out of 168 this time.

Ном.			Имя	код FIDE	ФЕД.	Рейт.Межд.	пол
1		GM	Muzychuk Anna	14111330	SLO	2594	w
2		GM	Dzagnidze Nana	13601903	GEO	2558	w
3		GM	Lagno Kateryna	14109336	UKR	2542	w
4		GM	Kosintseva Tatiana	4133471	RUS	2528	w
5		GM	Cramling Pia	1700030	SWE	2524	w
6		IM	Khotenashvili Bela	13602640	GEO	2512	w
7		GM	Gunina Valentina	4167570	RUS	2507	w
8		GM	Cmilyte Viktorija	12801259	LTU	2497	w
9		GM	Stefanova Antoaneta	2902257	BUL	2497	w
10		GM	Kosteniuk Alexandra	4128125	RUS	2489	w
11		IM	Muzychuk Mariya	14114550	UKR	2484	w
12		WGM	Pogonina Natalija	4147855	RUS	2478	w
13		GM	Zhukova Natalia	14101513	UKR	2471	w
14		GM	Hoang Thanh Trang	12400149	HUN	2467	w
15		IM	Javakhishvili Lela	13601458	GEO	2465	w
16		IM	Mkrtchian Lilit	13300601	ARM	2454	w
17		IM	Paehtz Elisabeth	4641833	GER	2454	w
18		IM	Khurtsidze Nino	13600320	GEO	2443	w
19		IM	Bodnaruk Anastasia	4181751	RUS	2440	w
20		IM	Peptan Corina-Isabela	1201930	ROU	2439	w
21		WGM	Girya Olga	4195752	RUS	2437	w
22		GM	Socko Monika	1106619	POL	2436	w
23		IM	Atalik Ekaterina	4130189	EUR	2430	w
24		IM	Melia Salome	13602446	GEO	2428	w
25		IM	Guramishvili Sopiko	13602888	GEO	2421	w
26		IM	Matnadze Ana	13601377	ESP	2412	w
27		IM	Kovalevskaya Ekaterina	4116704	RUS	2407	w
28		WGM	Batsiashvili Nino	13602993	GEO	2405	w
29		WGM	Bulmaga Irina	13903063	ROU	2403	w
30		IM	Vega Gutierrez Sabrina	2219026	ESP	2402	w

     You can find the full list of participants here: http://chess-results.com/tnr98226.aspx?lan=11&zeilen=99999

     Romania will be represented by 8 players:

20	IM	Peptan Corina-Isabela	1201930	ROU	2439
29	WGM	Bulmaga Irina	13903063	ROU	2403
35	IM	Foisor Cristina-Adela	1200496	ROU	2387
53	WGM	Cosma Elena-Luminita	1201590	ROU	2329
68	WGM	Voicu-Jagodzinsky Carmen	1206729	ROU	2296
87	WGM	Sandu Mihaela	1204327	ROU	2237
131	WFM	Visanescu Daria-Ioana	1200518	ROU	2061
152		Olea Liliana	1202138	ROU	1905

     More information about the tournament can be found on the official site of the event: http://belgrade2013.org/index.php/en/

     It is going to be my first time in Serbia, I've been only to Montenegro before. I am very curious to see it and I hope to like it there.

     As about the tournament, it is going to be a very tough one, so I don't know what to expect- everything can happen- I just want to enjoy myself there and to play some quality chess.

Will keep you posted!

Slovenian WIM Vesna Rozic

     It is a very sad feeling when reading  yet another article about a chess player who needs our help because of a serious disease... I am talking about the Slovenian WIM Vesna Rozic now, who's fighting against cancer.

Vesna Rozic

Donations should be addressed to the Regional Association of the Red Cross Maribor, IBAN: SI56 0451 5000 0397 432, Ref: 50751, purpose: Vesna Rožic (Bank details: Nova Kreditna Banka Maribor, Vita Kraigherja 4, 2505 Maribor, BIC/Swift code: KBMASI2XXXX). All funds received will be reserved exclusively for the payment of expenses for Vesna's treatment in Germany. In the event that more funds than necessary will be raised the remaining money will be allocated to the development of young chess players and chess activities of the Slovenia Chess Federation. – Primoz Kokalj, Secretary of the Slovenian Chess Federation..

      You can find more details on this  here:  http://chessbase.com/Home/TabId/211/PostId/4010499/slovenian-wim-vesna-rozic-in-distress-190713.aspx

     Here's one of the many good games which Vesna has played:


   

     We win so many times on the chess board and it makes me think if it makes us better fighters in life too... Maybe all the won games can be traded for just one win in a battle for life.

Polo

     The tournament is over, but not our stay in Kazan. We've got 2 extra days to visit the city and to have some fun ;)
     I lost in the last round against the Chinese Tan Zhongyi (2478) like a kid, blundering a piece at some point. I don't remember when was the last time when I did it... I guess I was too tired- so many double rounds immediatly after the Turkish League were too much. All in all, I've finished the tournament decently, on a +3 Elo points. You can find the final standings here: http://chess-results.com/tnr106012.aspx?art=1&rd=9&lan=11&flag=30&wi=821
     I hope to have a good rest until the European Individual Women's Chess Championship, which will start on the 23rd of July in Belgrad and to play some good games there.
     Trying to forget about the "not very pleasent" loss yesterday- we went to a polo match- which was quite a delight for our eyes :P Here are some photos:

Raluca Sgircea

Teodora Vasile and me

With our Serbian friends

Teodora,Raluca and me :)

Universiade is about making new friends,right?

     xoxo from Kazan ;)

Life miniature

     I am so lucky that I have chess...

     Whenever I am disappointed of myself I just think- "Tomorrow's gonna' be a new round".

     Every game is a little life miniature. You can start from zero again and again; you can try a new variation; you can see what's going to happen if you make a move you were always afraid to do; you can risk- there's no place for fear in chess- it's not like everything summs to one game- unlike in life- where you don't get the chance to improve a bad move you made in your previous game.

     It is a free day today in Kazan and it's going to be a double round again tomorrow. It was good to have some rest- I had a fantastic 12h sleep :))) 

     Anastasia Bodnaruk is leading the tournament after 6 rounds, with 5,5p, being followed by 3 players with 5p- Ju Wenjun, Zhao Xue and Rogule Laura. I've got 4,5p, as well as Sopiko Guramishvili, Anastasia Savina and Alina Kashlinskaya.

     I play against Sopiko tomorrow. It is quite funny-we play for the 2nd time against each other in the last 10 days :))) 

     Here are some more photos we took these days:

Raluca Sgircea and Tiberiu Georgescu

Tiberiu Georgescu

Teodor Anton

Raluca Sgircea

Raluca vs Olga Girya

     Wish you all to have a great weekend!

xoxo from Kazan ;)

Kazan

     The Universiade goes great for me so far! I've got 4p/4 and I feel just amazing.
     The tournament is organized on a very high level- it is a pleasure for me to go to the playing hall and to play every game.
     Here are some photos:

Alexandru Stanciu, Mariana Ionita, Madalina Anusca, Tibiu Georgescu and Teodora Vasile ( from left to right)

Teodor Anton and Robert Hajbok

Raluca Sgircea and me 

Madalina Anusca

Madalina and Teodora 

Alexandru and Teodor

     You can follow the results here: http://chess-results.com/tnr106012.aspx?lan=11 and the live games here: http://www.tat-chess.ru/

     I won a nice game today, here it is:

     We're going to have a double round again tomorrow. Normally, I'd say "Ufff, so difficult...", but I get a great pleasure from playing chess in this tournament!

     Today is the birthday of my teammate- Raluca Sgircea and I'd like to wish her lots of success, love and happiness! Stay the same amazing young lady we all know you as!

Raluca Sgircea

Universiade

     Here I am in Kazan! I arrived this night and there's nothing to say but that I'm amazed!
     The Universiade Village is simply fantastic! I've felt like I'm in a cool movie. The atmosphere is so nice! I like it here a lot! I wish chess would become an Olympic Sport...
     The schedule is kind of tough- we have 3 double rounds. The first round is today, at 4pm local time. I still haven't seen the link with the starting ranking list, but I'll keep you posted.
     Here are some photos we took today:

Teodora Vasile, Raluca Sgircea and Madalina Anusca

Raluca Sgircea and Madalina Anusca

Already 've made some friends :P

Should I comment this photo?

Spying on "chess players"

:D

Raluca and me 

     Will keep you posted!

xoxo from Kazan ;)