The Eclectic Novi Sad

     Inspiration has struck me once again, at almost a month since my last post! The reason might be the fantastic atmosphere that reigns in Novi Sad.
     I am playing in the Serbian Open Chess Championship
(you can follow the results here: http://chess-results.com/tnr240163.aspx?lan=1 ) which is held in the same time with a major event- the European Club Cup. Three rounds have passed and I'm on 2p/3 after yesterdays' double round. The rounds start at 5 pm, so people would have time to visit the venue of the upper mentioned Club Cup, where the rounds start at 3pm. Despite this, I haven't had time for it so far. I hope to stop by in the next days...
     Novi Sad is a very interesting city. I stay quite close to the city center and I am having a blast taking long walks through it. I think I'm walking at least 5 km a day :)) The architecture is really impressive though it is a quite small city... There are many, many nice & cosy cafes and restaurants, many shops...
     I have also visited the Chess Club of Novi Sad in the first day. Anyone can come and play some blitz games there while having a drink. I was impressed by how many people where there that evening... It was a really nice atmosphere. I have always dreamed of being able to come to a such kind of place with my friends and analyze some variations, play some games... That would be a fantastic way of spending evenings for me!
     It is the 3rd or maybe 4th time I visit Serbia and I have never been disappointed! People are great here, the food is nice and the city is eclectic!
     I just hope that my chess will be able to keep the pace!
  
     Here are some photo impressions:

xoxo from Novi Sad! :)

Another bite in the... rain

Chess despite everything!

     Another rainy autumn day is behind...
     The weather has changed so dramatically since my last post that I can't help the somehow typical autumn melancholia to invade my mood.
     All this time since Olympiad I've been trapped in the "normal life" of a "normal person". You know, when you have to do so many little things, you're busy all day long and then you get in bed at the end of the day asking yourself if you really did anything significant. Frankly, though I know this kind of weeks are necessary, I feel like my life passes by, so you can imagine how happy I am they're over!
     I am finally getting back to my favorite lifestyle- the one of a chess player!
     Many tournaments are ahead! First, an Open in Cap d'Agde, France, where I've already been for 2 times, one of them which I really enjoyed (the one not involving someone stealing all my money on my day 1 of being in France and losing 20 Elo points afterwards).

Favorite activity in rainy days!

     An Open in Novi Sad will follow, one which will take place in the same period with the European Club Cup. I've been several times in Serbia and it was great every time so I am looking forward to this tournament!
     The Romanian Club Championship will be next and the Romanian Blitz & Rapid Championships afterwards and maybe even some more tournaments will appear in my calendar as well... I am fully packed up for the last months of this year and I'm really excited about it!

     I hope you're all well and I wish you a full or maybe a calm autumn- however you prefer it!

xoxo from Romania :)
    

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!