Monday 29 July 2013

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




 

Wednesday 24 July 2013

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! ;)

   

Sunday 21 July 2013

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.Имякод FIDEФЕД.Рейт.Межд.пол
1
GMMuzychuk Anna14111330SLO2594w
2
GMDzagnidze Nana13601903GEO2558w
3
GMLagno Kateryna14109336UKR2542w
4
GMKosintseva Tatiana4133471RUS2528w
5
GMCramling Pia1700030SWE2524w
6
IMKhotenashvili Bela13602640GEO2512w
7
GMGunina Valentina4167570RUS2507w
8
GMCmilyte Viktorija12801259LTU2497w
9
GMStefanova Antoaneta2902257BUL2497w
10
GMKosteniuk Alexandra4128125RUS2489w
11
IMMuzychuk Mariya14114550UKR2484w
12
WGMPogonina Natalija4147855RUS2478w
13
GMZhukova Natalia14101513UKR2471w
14
GMHoang Thanh Trang12400149HUN2467w
15
IMJavakhishvili Lela13601458GEO2465w
16
IMMkrtchian Lilit13300601ARM2454w
17
IMPaehtz Elisabeth4641833GER2454w
18
IMKhurtsidze Nino13600320GEO2443w
19
IMBodnaruk Anastasia4181751RUS2440w
20
IMPeptan Corina-Isabela1201930ROU2439w
21
WGMGirya Olga4195752RUS2437w
22
GMSocko Monika1106619POL2436w
23
IMAtalik Ekaterina4130189EUR2430w
24
IMMelia Salome13602446GEO2428w
25
IMGuramishvili Sopiko13602888GEO2421w
26
IMMatnadze Ana13601377ESP2412w
27
IMKovalevskaya Ekaterina4116704RUS2407w
28
WGMBatsiashvili Nino13602993GEO2405w
29
WGMBulmaga Irina13903063ROU2403w
30
IMVega Gutierrez Sabrina2219026ESP2402w

     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:
20IMPeptan Corina-Isabela1201930ROU2439
29WGMBulmaga Irina13903063ROU2403
35IMFoisor Cristina-Adela1200496ROU2387
53WGMCosma Elena-Luminita1201590ROU2329
68WGMVoicu-Jagodzinsky Carmen1206729ROU2296
87WGMSandu Mihaela1204327ROU2237
131WFMVisanescu Daria-Ioana1200518ROU2061
152Olea Liliana1202138ROU1905
     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!

Saturday 20 July 2013

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.

Tuesday 16 July 2013

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 ;)


Saturday 13 July 2013

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 ;)


Thursday 11 July 2013

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

Tuesday 9 July 2013

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 ;)