The Grand Batumi Experience

In the land of ancient wine-making tradition, unique cuisine and stunning landscapes, let me take you along on an alternative trip, one spiced up with dirty tricks, food poisonings and memorable commutations between toilets, doctors and hospitals. 

European Team Chess Championships. Events where you represent your country are always special. They are characterized by a heightened sense of responsibility, but also a distinctive team atmosphere. The individual moves on the second place and one tries to inspire and support the whole. It is such that when you see your colleague in trouble, you in a sense stop being objective and try to compensate by maximizing your chances on your own board. This strategy worked well for us here, allowing us to finish 8^th when being seeded 17^th in the starting ranking list. But let’s not jump ahead and take it step by step.

I have noticed that the trend in traveling has changed lately. More people are trying to choose unusual destinations and authentic experiences rather than well-known all-inclusive resorts. Chess organizers seem to follow this tendency closely, bringing us to Batumi, Georgia, only for the 2^nd time this year and the 4^th time in the last 6, with another 2 to follow in 2026. I was so thrilled when learning it! The 2018 Olympiad in Batumi is still vivid in my memory! While playing there , I managed to lose 5 games in a row when failing to cope with what a professional chess player should excel at- having a stomach made of steel. If you can’t eat the same meat- freshly unfrozen on the 1^st day, with spices on the 2^nd one and with some sauce on the 3^rd- you are lacking essential skills. How lucky to be able to work on them! 

Earlier this year I missed on it, as it was not compulsory to stay at the official hotel during the Women’s World Cup and I rented an apartment. It was such a disappointment to have fresh salads, fantastic meats and heavenly tasting bakes… Who knew I’d get a 2^nd chance just a few months later! The 5 star Grand Bellagio Hotel, which was the official venue, looked very promising. It was boasting a 6,4 mark on Booking and promising rooms where there was almost no mold, very few broken appliances, a nearly clean carpet and a soon to be functional gym and spa. Add up the intel acquired from some players who stayed there at the above-mentioned Women’s World Cup, which indicated a high chance of our stomachs being seriously tested at the hotel’s restaurant, how could one not look forward to it?

Romanian Women's Team

I came prepared. With a bag full of pills and some extra hundred euros in the wallet, the plan was to indulge on the restaurant’s food only for the occasional lunch. It worked well. Sparing an extra 20 minutes on urgent toilet trips immediately after the midday food intake once in a few days could only make me stronger. However, there were players who wanted to enjoy the full experience. Eating 2 or sometimes even 3 times a day at the hotel’s restaurant sent several players to the tournament’s doctor with severe fever, chills, vomiting and other such symptoms. Sometimes they would get some medicine, other times- the chance to visit a Georgian hospital to get some IVs. I envy them. When else would I get such a chance? Ah, wait, I forgot- next year!

So, if you wondered why you wouldn’t see your favourite players paired for a few days in a row- here’s the most likely answer- they were getting the all-inclusive experience.

Batumi promenade

Now switching to the chess part. The 8^th place in the final rankings is a very good result for our 17th seeded team. We had chances for more, but I guess there always are. Personally, I didn’t have a stellar performance. But how else would my character get tested if not by missing out on some winning positions? By getting a dose of disrespect from the opponents. Why not indeed. As a friend told me- it only shows that they wanted a good result by any means. Offering a draw to your opponent when knowing that the only satisfying result for their team is a win on your board is not forbidden by rules- maybe they would lose a few minutes on their clock by consulting their captain… Offering a draw 2 minutes after making your move, realising you blundered and found yourself in a lost position while your opponent is in a deep think, why not disturb them? This one is actually forbidden by rules, but you have a good personal relationship-they would definitely not mind it. It can only strengthen your connection.

Concluding it- this European Championship even exceeded my expectations- body and spirit tested and strengthened like never before! Can’t wait for the next time!

 

(Photo credits: etcc2025.com)

The Wonderful Everyday Life of a (Woman!) Chess Player

(Photo by Anna Shtourman)

Here I am, back home after what feels like an eternity I spent in Batumi at the Women’s World Cup. An eternity would have actually been nice, but fortunately or not- we’re talking about 10 days.

These 10 days were like a life miniature- hard work, tension, emotions, thrill, loss of appetite, existential questions, revelations, more pressing opening dilemmas, long walks, disappointments, hope… I am not even sure what wasn’t there. In the moment I lost, and I realised it was all over, I felt empty and, in some way, relieved. I could finally go home to check if my cat was alive. The good news is that she is, and it even feels like she’s been thriving in my absence. That’s the vibe lately, that the world is thriving- with or without me.

At some point, while having a walk along the never-ending promenade in Batumi, I was looking at the skyscrapers they built- all residential buildings- all with huge open balconies. I couldn’t help wondering- what about the safety issues? Aren’t there people who’d want to jump to such nice views every other day? There were definitely moments when I’d consider becoming one with the sunset. Too much drama? Too much existentialism? Nothing is too much at such a tournament. Good that it only happens every two years. I was asking myself how come that it was only the 3^rd time I played it at the respected age of 31. Well, I think God, or some higher power out there simply looked out for me. Now is the time I can deal with it. If God judged it so, who am I to question it, right? Probably Georgian people see it the same way- if He saw us having coffee on an open terrace on the 27^th floor, why should there be any doubts? Only that those companies building real estate like crazy are anything but Georgian. Here we have smoothly come to one of my existential questions- am I sure that the life I live is the one I wanted, or was it the seed planted by some foreign architect?

Seeping from a bottle of Belgian white beer with coriander on my safe terrace on the ground floor, I can enjoy the moment without worrying that in God I must trust to ensure my long living.

Unlike the flight to Batumi, the trip back home was surprisingly fast and enjoyable- a ten minutes drive to the airport, another 5 hours on planes, and here I am. Even the 13^th row seat did not bother me, neither the people constantly skipping que in front of me at the security check. The 8 euros cappuccino at the gate felt nothing but fair and the turbulences I have come to harmoniously cohabitate with- a joy. I was wise to prepare myself with some intense khinkali therapy last night. Nothing can compare to taking a bite and then sipping on it as loud as you can- letting everyone know how enjoyable the process is. If you have no clue what I’m talking about, only prayers to God might help.

Going back to my flight and the 13^th row seat, I thought that it was only that much time I could spend there. In a sort of zugzwang, I took the only available move- a trip to the places of need. On my courageous trip I found myself having a revelation when locking eyes with another player. Greeting each other at that moment of truth, I saw my pain in her eyes, and I couldn’t help feeling sorry- for her and for myself. Pathetic? Enlightening? 

107 players we were at the start. Then 64 and 32… Thirty-two minds calculating the ways to their dreams. There are just sixteen left now and I’m not amongst them. I could still be there; it was so close. The things you tell yourself when on that imaginary or not 27^th floor Georgian terrace… I have progressed compared to the last time, I played at the same level with an ex or future World Champion, I have even outplayed her. No, locked in our eyes on that plane I felt such a pain which I know, and she knows and maybe another 100 players calculating their ways home from Batumi know. The personal sacrifices one makes to be there, all those hours and years when you deny yourself what a normal life is- I saw them all. 

Playing vs Tan Zhongyi (photo by Anna Shtourman)

Luckily, the flights were short. I have more than one coriander beer at home and there are living souls happy to have me here, even if for combing their fur.

If you think the story is slowly coming to its logical pessimistic end, you couldn’t be further from truth. My day has actually taken a hilarious turn after landing in Bucharest. I continued my series of inspired moves by opening a message request. Marvellously educational experience! Someone has written to me that he finds me cute and quite smart. So pleasing! He continued with offering to have a meeting where I would hit certain parts of his body for his joy. This process had a particular name he recommended me to enlighten myself with. He felt it important to mention he’d need two weeks to recover shall I agree. 38 years old, not fat, engineer by profession were the details his fake account provided. We could even go for a coffee after he said. I had to satisfy my curiosity and did the due research for my enlightening- no judging. There could be a way for me to understand him wanting to be caused pain in the most intimate parts of his being by someone he considers cute and smart. After certain amount of beer, I could even see it as a compliment. Damn, I can even think of similarities between us!

The guy read me. How would I hit some engineer in the… Well, you know. But all in this life is about timing. Yesterday I might have found it compelling, but today I have entered my own two weeks of recovery time. Coriander, beer, cat, ground floor, no prayers.

Restless Optimism

Dear readers,

The busiest time of the year is starting for me these days. Many important tournaments are ahead, many interesting trips.

The first stop is at the Batumi Chess Olympiad (24 Sept - 5 Oct). As a team event, one where I represent my country, there is definitely some pressure on me, especially as I will be playing board 1 for Romania. Nothing's as motivating as a good challenge though and I can't wait for some big battles! (Check up my FB pages for updates during the tournament).

It is interesting to notice how years pass and I expect my eagerness to play chess to moderate somehow, but no, it doesn't matter that it's my 6th Olympiad already, I am still very much looking forward to it! Let's see what plans Batumi has on us...

Memory from the Baku Chess Olympiad in 2016, with Luminita Cosma, Cristina Foisor, me,

Ciprian Nanu and Corina Peptan. 

Next to follow is a quite unique tournament in Norway, Harstad (yeah, far North I head from the sunny Batumi). There will be 7 games, 3 rapids and 4 classical ones. I might even give some simul on one of the days, maybe even blindfold. I expect this trip to be very interesting. Anyhow, the Tromso Olympiad (2014) has left only good memories for me so I am quite optimistic about my return to Norway. 10-16 October is reserved for it.

Me, giving a blindfold simul

After no longer than 3 days of rest I will be heading to Isle of Man. It's been my dream to play there for quite some time and I am really excited about finally being able to make it happen! Being one of the strongest chess opens ever, names like Vladimir Kramnik, Vishy Anand, Levon Aronian and Wesley So are on the starting list and I can't be any happier about the chance to play in the same tournament with them and maybe even meet them at the chess board! (My optimism is restless lately...)

Yeah, this is how my end of September and whole October looks like.


It is probably too little to say that I am very grateful for the chance life has given me- to do what I love the most and to call it work!



Wish you all a nice end of week and remember, it is never too late for a dream to come true!