The kind Caissa

     As my posts get more and more sporadic, my life becomes more and more pleasing. Yeah, I guess that's how the things work- one doesn't feel the need to share when everything's fine, or is it just about me?
     Anyhow, I thought that I can't just let my blog die, so...
     Since February, I played a round robin tournament in Dubai, one I really enjoyed playing, I finished it sharing  2nd-3rd place, but a win in the last round would have brought me the 1st place. It was a tournament of missed opportunities for me- so many games which where completely wining and I drew or even lost... The average Elo was about 2380, so it was very good as a training before the Romanian Women's Championship. Not many people knew I went to Dubai, as it was quite an unpredictable decision, taken a few days before the tournament. I was really impressed by the chess Club of Dubai, it is like a palace and all the best conditions are created for the chess players. All in all, I enjoyed the nice weather 26-30 Celsius degrees while there were -15 in Romania and the good organisation.

     The Romanian Women's Championship followed, which I was really set to win, as this is the only title I'm missing in Romania. Unfortunately, I shared the 1st-2nd place once again and I became 2nd. Well, I guess I was unlucky that my main contender- IM Corina Peptan was in a very good form and showed a really high level of chess. The both of us scored 8p/9, but she became first as her Bucholz was higher, and she won against me in the direct match. It was a very good result for me, as it's never easy to win 13 Elo points in a tournament, but there was some biterness left...
     Somehow, I've grown to really enjoy the atmosphere at all the later national events- all the friends and hanging out, it's a blessing which I really miss in between tournaments.

     The European Individual Women's Championship in Riga followed shortly after. I have to be frank and say that it was the best women's event I have ever participated at. As I've already mentioned a few times, the hotel & food was great, the playing hall- perfect for playing, the location- very central, with a few walking areas around and I really loved Riga.
     I was very happy to meet all my friends there! I had a really bad start, scoring just 0,5/2, I made a come back then, but lost once again against GM Monika Socko, having a winning positions right after the opening stage- it was painful to lose a whole point in such a manner.... I won again then,vs GM Arakhamia-Grant Ketevan but collapsed in the game vs GM Kateryna Lagno, losing my chances to qualify for the World Cup. The last game was a draw, though it was not dull at all. I scored 6,5p/11 (+2), not a bad result itself, but not what I aimed for.
 

     I rested a few days and came to UK then, for 3 games in the 4NCL. I won all of them vs players with 2150-2190, which was quite pleasing, as I will finally reach a new Elo record. The last one was set in 2012 (!!!), yeah, 5 years ago and you can't imagine how unhappy I was all these years, not being able to show that my chess has improved. My team promoted, so we'll be playing in the 2nd Division next season!

    Last, but not least- my German club- Schwäbisch Hall, has become Bundesliga Champions!!!  (Ah, somewhere in between all these tournaments, I have won 3 games and drew one in Germany as well :D ). I can not express how happy I am! We were so close to this title the last 2 years, but both times we became 2nd. We have such a great team- it's very uncommon for so many women with strong personalities to be great friends and to make such a great company with each other! Our managers are like family already and every time I have to go to Germany- it's like a feast!

Schwäbisch Hall Club

     There are not many upcoming events for me until July... I will play the Romanian Rapid Club Cup and a short tournament in Germnay in June. Many strong events will follow from July on.

     I am grateful Caissa has been kind to me lately and I hope it can last!


xoxo from Oxford ;)

   
   
   

300p make a difference

     What a day in Bundesliga! Baden-Baden is simply smashing everyone! Nisipeanu won in 16 moves with black against a 2330 player, while Aronian finished his game against Prusikin (2546) with 1h 26m left on the clock and a full point in the cross-table. Enjoy the feist!

Battle of sexes

     I like watching games of strong chess players and I enjoy them even more when it's a battle of sexes. Women become stronger and stronger and it's not easy at all when a 2450 lady plays against a 2450 man (and if to make the lady pretty- the balance is set in our favour) ;)

     The first games that I watch when there's a live broadcast of a tournament are the women's ones and the ones where black won, beacause I find them the most inspiring. Here's a 2 in 1, from the yesterday's matches in Bundesliga:

   

Elisabeth Paehtz

   This game has impressed me with it's clearness and harmony between positional and tactical ideas. Black had a small edge during the whole game, from the moment when white made the uninspired exchange on "c2". It was nice to see how black's advantage was growing move by move. I appreciate much more a good strategical game than a "pif-paf" one, because everyone can calculate a combination, but not everyone can understand a position. If to believe the statisctics, when a 2450+ woman wins against a man player who has the same or even higher Elo- it's usually an attacking game that culminates with a final tactical blow. Well, the statistics might want to get refreshed, because women prove to be able to do strategics and endgames too and on a high level.

Men's Bundesliga

     I am very fond of "Bundesliga". As you probably already know, I play in the German Women's Club Chess Championship and I enjoy the atmosphere and the process itself. This event has a counterpart in the men's section. I think that the German Men's "Bundesliga" is one of the strongest National Club Chess Championships in the World. This implies many interesting matches and games to follow.
     The Baden-Baden club is leading so far. They won all the matches, as you can see below:

	Mannschaft	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16		Sp	MP	BP
1.	OSG Baden Baden	+				4½			6	6½	5½		5½	0	0		7½		8	12	35½
2.	SG Solingen		+	5½	4½							4	0	5½	6	4½	0		8	11	30
3.	SV Wiesbaden		2½	+		0	4½		5	5	0			6½	6½				8	10	30
4.	SC Eppingen		3½		+	4½	5½		0	0	3½			5	7½				8	8	29½
5.	SV Mülheim Nord	3½		0	3½	+		6				5½	5			0	5½		8	8	29
6.	SV Wattenscheid			3½	2½		+					6	0	5	6	4½	0		8	8	27½
7.	SG Trier					2		+	4½	3	4½		4	0	0		4½		8	7	22½
8.	SK Turm Emsdetten	2		3	0			3½	+			0	5			6½	7½		8	6	27½
9.	Werder Bremen	1½		3	0			5		+		0	2½			5½	7		8	6	24½
10.	SF Katernberg	2½		0	4½			3½			+	4	4			0	5½		8	6	24
11.	SV Hockenheim		4			2½	2		0	0	4	+		4½	7				8	6	24
12.	Hamburger SK	2½	0			3	0	4	3	5½	4		+						8	4	22
13.	Schachfreunde Berlin	0	2½	1½	3		3	0				3½		+		6½			8	2	20
14.	SC Forchheim	0	2	1½	½		2	0				1			+	5½			8	2	12½
15.	SV Griesheim		3½			0	3½		1½	2½	0			1½	2½	+			8	0	15
16.	SK Norderstedt	½	0			2½	0	3½	½	1	2½						+		8	0	10½

     It's no wonder, as they have such outstanding players in the team like:

     This weekend's matches aren't any less interesting, as we can see such encounters as:

There are many other interesting games that you can follow on:  http://bundesliga.liveschach.net/