Golden Sands

     The "Albena Grand Europe Open" came to an end yesterday, with Tigran Petrosian winning the trophy, with an impressing 8p/9 score! Mircea Parligras finished on the 2nd place and Hrant Melkumyan on 3rd. Here are the final standings: http://chess-results.com/tnr103459.aspx?art=1&lan=11&flag=30&wi=821

1		GM	Petrosian Tigran L.			ARM	2649	0	8.0	40.5	49.5	7
2		GM	Parligras Mircea-Emilian			ROU	2565	0	7.0	41.0	53.5	5
3		GM	Melkumyan Hrant			ARM	2635	0	7.0	40.5	52.5	5
4		GM	Nabaty Tamir			ISR	2579	0	7.0	36.5	46.5	6
5		IM	Bernadskiy Vitaliy			UKR	2475	0	7.0	36.0	46.5	6
6		GM	Nevednichy Vladislav			ROU	2580	0	6.5	44.0	55.5	5
7		GM	Spasov Vasil			BUL	2565	0	6.5	40.5	52.5	5
8		GM	Mareco Sandro			ARG	2557	0	6.5	40.0	52.5	5
9		GM	Vajda Levente			ROU	2617	0	6.5	40.0	51.5	5
10		GM	Mekhitarian Krikor Sevag			BRA	2544	0	6.5	38.0	49.0	5
11		GM	Lupulescu Constantin			ROU	2655	0	6.5	35.5	46.5	6
12		GM	Solak Dragan			TUR	2598	0	6.5	35.0	44.0	5

    The "Golden Sands Grand Europe Open" starts today. The list of players is even more impressing than in Albena! You can check it here: http://chess-results.com/tnr103659.aspx?lan=11&zeilen=99999

     My sister- Elena Bulmaga will also play there and I will try to help her to obtain a good result!  

     Here are some photos of  Golden Sands:

   As about me, I have only 4 exams left this week and then I'll be free like a bird! I will be able to finally start focusing on chess again. I miss playing so much!

xoxo from Iasi ;)

Grand Europe Open Albena

     This week has been a very busy one- with a lot of exams and pretty much worrying. I didn't have much time neither for chess nor for posting. I am really happy that I've survived until the weekend! :)))
     So, let's go directly to news ;)
     I've got my ticket for the Turkish League, which will start on the 1st of July. It's going to be my next tournament. Despite all the unstable situation in Istanbul, it seems that chess isn't affected. I haven't played for like 2 weeks and it already feels like an eternity! Can't wait for the 1st July to come quicker!
     The "Grand Europe Open- Albena" is coming to an end. The 8th round will be disputed today. There are 3 players with 6p/7 leading: Vladislav Nevednichy, Hrant Melkumyan and Tigran Petrosian and another 6 players with 5,5p/7 :  Boris Chatalbashev, Krikor Mekhitarian, Levente Vajda, Mircea Parligras, Evgeny Sveshnikov and Vitaliy Bernadskiy.
     You can see the pairings for today's 8th round here:

1	8	GM	Nevednichy Vladislav	2580	6		6	GM	Melkumyan Hrant	2635	3
2	2	GM	Petrosian Tigran L.	2649	6		5½	GM	Chatalbashev Boris	2560	13
3	15	GM	Mekhitarian Krikor Sevag	2544	5½		5½	GM	Vajda Levente	2617	4
4	10	GM	Parligras Mircea-Emilian	2565	5½		5½	GM	Sveshnikov Evgeny	2512	17
5	5	GM	Grigoryan Avetik	2605	5		5½	IM	Bernadskiy Vitaliy	2475	23
6	25	IM	Ashwin Jayaram	2472	5		5	GM	Solak Dragan	2598	7
7	33	IM	Javakhadze Zurab	2450	5		5	GM	Nabaty Tamir	2579	9
8	45	FM	Anurag Mhamal	2401	5		5	GM	Spasov Vasil	2565	12
9	57	WGM	Sukandar Irine Kharisma	2364	5		5	GM	Mareco Sandro	2557	14
10	24	IM	Enchev Ivajlo	2473	5		5	IM	Erturan Yakup	2374	55
11	39	IM	Molina Roberto Junio Brito	2423	4½		4½	GM	Lupulescu Constantin	2655	1

     My friend (and room-mate in Thailand)- Irene Sukandar is having a very good tournament, with a 2486 performance and a +23 Elo points.

     Another "long not seen" friend- Diana Baciu, who hasn't played for almost a year has a 2457 Performance and a +26 Elo points!

     It is an interesting phenomenon- it's not the first time when I notice a player who hasn't played for a very long time and he makes incredible performances when he starts to play again. I wonder what is it about? Maybe I should take a year break from chess in order to become a 2500+ GM?! :D

     Another player who surprises with his very good recent results is Vladislav Nevednichy, who's leading the tournament with a 2757 Performance and a +14 Elo points.

     "The Wolf" is having not such a good tournament, with only 4,5 points, being the 1st rating favourite. I guess that the European's Individual has been a too tough event that needed a longer recovery.

     Here are some photos I've found on the facebook page of the Bulgarian Federation:

The Trophy waiting for it's winner

     I wish everyone the best of luck and may the strongest win!

The price of choices

     I've never been so sure about what I want to do with my life.
     One needs a cold shower from time to time in order to see things clearly. It's difficult to accept your failure. It's disappointing to realise that you simply can't do certain things, but afterall, it's better to know your limits and to stop doing things that don't suit you.
     I've always been an overachiever- the best at school, the best at chess. I've got used to this- I always tried to be the best at everything I did and it made it even more difficult for me to accept a failure. I feel like I've let down myself.
     I don't know whether I should keep trying or I should focus on things that are really important for me. I guess that the second option makes more sense...
     On the other hand, what about all the people whom I'll disappoint with my quitting? I know that it's my life and I should do what I think that is right for me, but something doesn't let me do it. I wanted the sheep and the wolves to smoke the pipe of peace, but it turned to be quite impossible.
     I wish I could choose the second option with a less price.

Lion's heart

     I stabbed a lion last night- a big, beautiful, savage, fierceful beast!
     I felt the power running through my fingers directly to his heart. I felt so strong and in control! I slowly took the knife out and I enjoyed seeing the pain I fetched. The dots of blood I saw on the blade made a shiver pass through my body. Will this wound kill him?
     He looked so superior, so royal... I knew he already forgave me. He wanted me to kill him. He came to me, I did not. He could tear me into pieces, but he preferred to look into my eyes and to plant the seed of a dark desire somewhere deep inside.
     I couldn't bear knowing this dark side of mine and I thought that it might die if I kill the lion.
     I took the lion's life, took his pride and royalty... I took his last breath and I remembered his last glance.
     The dark desire didn't disappear though... Once knowing how it feels, one can't forget.
     I walk barefooted since then- with a lion's heart in my left hand, with a bloody blade in the right one and with desire tattooed on my heart.
   

Just Blue

     Today has been a very nice day! I went for a walk with a very good friend of mine- Ioana and we talked and talked, then we went for some nice dinner... It's so nice to have such amazing friends! :D

xoxo from Iasi! ;)

Itch to play

     My summer has begun simply "fantastic"- with 2 weeks full of exams...

     I've started to really appreciate my life as a chess player- doing what I like- playing tournaments, training- compared to what I'll be doing for these 2 weeks- studying hard and even so- worrying that I may not pass the exams... I know that I need this degree, but when I think that I could have played 2 tournaments instead, I feel sorry for myself :))

     Well, there's nothing to be done, but to continue suffering these 13 days left and dreaming about a real "chess summer".

     I have my financial accounting exam in an hour and I hope that I'm ready for it!

     I follow the games from the "Grand Europe-Albena Open" during my breaks from studying. A lot of friends of mine play there and I keep my fingers crossed for them! You can follow the games here: http://games.albena.bulchesssummer.eu/  The results and the pairings can be found on: http://chess-results.com/tnr97673.aspx?art=2&rd=3&lan=11&flag=30&wi=821 

      I wish I could have played in such a strong event too- it would have been much more interesting than studying Economics, but sometimes- some sacrifices have to be made... I am sure that I will have a fantastic itch to play in my next tournament, until which I hope to survive :D 

Keep your fingers crossed for me!

xoxo from Iasi ;)

     

Young soul

     It's the International Day of Children today!

     Dear kids- it's so amazing to have a careless life- one with no serious worries or troubles! Enjoy it and don't you ever dare to say "I wish I'd be older"- there's nothing more precious than a young soul!
     One of my biggest worries is how to save my naive, believing, dreaming soul through the sand of time and through the passes of tired and old souls through my life... I may not be a child anymore, but in my soul- there's still a "Irina kid" who reminds me that life shouldn't be complicated and who makes me set my only goal for a day- to enjoy an ice-cream.