Thursday 28 February 2013

Goodbye winter!

     28th of February... It's the last winter day today. This winter has been be warmest one for me; it is the 1st winter in which I didn't count the days left until it would  end. This 3 months can be described as the "months of firsts". I've experienced a lot of new things and I've found out myself capable of feelings I didn't know I could ever feel. I didn't notice how the time has passed this winter and it can't be anything but good. I lived it all at my best and I feel  power streaming through my veins! I know that this spring will bring joy to me and I hope that I'll accomplish what I have planned.
      Goodbye winter!
   

Wednesday 27 February 2013

World Women's Team Championship

     There are 2 more days left until we leave for Kazakhstan. We've qualified for the World Women's Team Championship which is going to take place in Astana.
      Here's the list of the teams and their composition:

1. UkraineFIDE IDFull name
RatingAvg
11411091Ushenina, AnnaGM2477
214109336Lagno, KaterynaGM2547
314114550Muzychuk, MariyaIM2471
414101181Yanovska (Gaponenko), InnaIM24052492.3
514101513Zhukova, NataliaGM2471
6CaptainBrodsky, MichailGM
2. GeorgiaFIDE IDFull nameTitleRatingAvg
113601903Dzagnidze, NanaGM2555
213602640Khotenashvili, BelaIM2499
313601458Javakhishvili, LelaIM2461
413600320Khurtsidze, NinoIM24372488.0
513602446Melia, SalomeIM2403
6CaptainGurieli, Nino       IM
3. RussiaFIDE IDFull name
RatingAvg
14128125Kosteniuk, AlexandraGM2495
24167570Gunina, ValentinaIM2490
34147855Pogonina, NatalijaWGM2475
44129752Galliamova, AlisaIM24592479.8
54195752Girya, OlgaWGM2441
6CaptainRublevsky, SergeyGM
4. ChinaFIDE IDFull name
RatingAvg
18603006Ju WenjunWGM2505
28602689Huang QianWGM2478
38603642Tan ZhongyiWGM2466
48604002Guo QiWGM24312470.0
58603162Shen YangIM2415
6CaptainYu ShaotengGM
5. USAFIDE IDFull name
RatingAvg
114101572Zatonskykh, AnnaIM2491
22012782Krush, IrinaIM2460
313301918Abrahamyan, TatevWGM2300
41212915Foisor, SabinaWGM23132391.0
511602252Ni, ViktorijaWIM2263
6CaptainKhodarkovsky, Michael
6. RomaniaFIDE IDFull name
RatingAvg
11200496Foisor, Cristina AdelaIM2389
21201590Cosma, Elena LuminitaWGM2332
313903063Bulmaga, IrinaWGM2355
41210246Lami, AlinaWGM23622359.5
51206729Voicu-Jagodzinsky, CarmenWGM2281
6CaptainSzabo, Gergely Andras GyulaGM
7. IndiaFIDE IDFull name
RatingAvg
15013623Gomes, Mary AnnWGM2394
25012600Karavade, Eesha SanjayIM2391
35004330Mohota, NishaIM2327
45029295Padmini, RoutWGM23072354.8
55016193Soumya, SwaminathanWGM2291
6CaptainSahu Sekhar, ChandraIM
8. FranceFIDE IDFull name
RatingAvg
1623725Milliet, SophieIM2408
213601717Maisurasze, NinoWGM2331
32902265Collas, SilviaIM2286
411600209Safranska, AndaWGM23222336.8
5642002Benmesbah, NatachaWIM2266
6CaptainTregubov, PavelGM
9. KazakhstanFIDE IDFull name
RatingAvg
113704788Nakhbayeva, GuliskhanWGM2353
213700090Saduakassova, DinaraWGM2301
313703595Davletbayeva, MadinaWIM2272
413702971Dauletova, GulmiraWIM22652297.8
513703544Abdumalik, ZhansayaWIM2184
6CaptainKotsur, PavelGM
10. TurkeyFIDE IDFull name
RatingAvg
16302920Yildiz, Betul CemreWGM2368
26302599Ozturk, KubraWGM2281
36325670Cemhan, KardelenWCM2025
46300278Sop, SelenWFM20282175.5
56306411Kaya, EmelWCM1995
6CaptainMikhalchishin, AdrianGM

     We are nr. 6 by rating, not as bad as I expected, I thought we'd be the last team :)))
     Our team has changed it's composition a little bit from the Olympiad, with Mihaela Sandu being replaced by Carmen Voicu-Jagodzinsky.
      The reigning Romanian Women's Champion- Cristina Foisor is going to play on the 1st board:
Cristina-Adela Foisor

     Luminita Cosma is on the 2nd board:
Elena-Luminita Cosma
     I am going to play on the 3rd board:
Irina Bulmaga

     Alina l'Ami is on the 4th board:
Alina l'Ami

     Carmen Voicu-Jagodzinsky will be on the 5th board:
Carmen Voicu-Jagodzinsky

     Our captain will be Gergely Szabo:
Gergely Szabo

     It is going to be a very interesting tournament and I can't wait to play. I have the feeling that it's going to be a good tournament for us!
     As about Astana, I looked for some photos on internet and I'm even more curious to visit it now:







     You can follow the tournament here: http://astana2013.fide.com/

Keep you fingers crossed for us!

xoxo from Chisinau ;)

French trend


     Here's my last game from the Women's National, against the nr.1 favourite- Corina Peptan (2443). I decided to play a completely new opening for me- the French Defence and I quite liked it.
     I wanted to play something duobtless and in the same time something that she wouldn't expect.

Monday 25 February 2013

What goes around, comes around

     Here I am, again in Iasi. It's been a difficult week, with a lot of hopes and dissapointments. I finished the tournament on the 5th place and with -0,6  Elo points. It's far from what I hoped and I was very angry with me because of all the foolishly missed chances, but what to do now- there are another 10 tournaments waiting for me this year. I've learned a lot from this championship and there are 20 more years of trying ahead ;)
     Like one of my coaches said once- "It's important to save the people". I am here- all in one piece- so I will keep trying.
     I am very eager to go to Astana-'ve got my flight in 3 days. It's going to be a very strong tournament, you can follow it here : http://astana2013.fide.com/en/teams . I am also very curious to visit the city, I've heard it has changed lots in the last decade. I will go home for the few days left until then, can't wait to see my family :)

xoxo from Iasi ;)
   

Saturday 23 February 2013

Seeking for happiness

     When all you can think about is yesterday, it's a sign of weakness. I don't do this, at least I pretend not to. I want to have the power to think and to feel only what I want. It's amazing how one can feel so free and mighty and broken in the same time. Those things were incongruous the last time I checked.
     Winning is all I want and if it means that I should become someone I don't like- I'll do that. I used to judge people who were able to do everything in the name of something they wanted the most. I used to think they were rakish, mean and I disdained them. Well, I've changed my vision now. One should do everything for becoming happy- if you want to be a champion- do whatever it takes!
     I don't want to be the good, cool, friendly girl anymore. I don't care if one would think of me as cold-blooded, spoiled or mad or whatever as long as I would be a real champion. It's the time to pay the price whatever it would be and no matter of it's consequences.
     Who knows if there is life after death, one should be happy here, in this world and from now on- my status is "seeking for happiness", not "making everyone happy".

Choices

     We have to make a whole bunch of choices during our lives. It is difficult to make some of them and the most of the ones we've made we regret, but that's all we are about- it's humane to make mistakes. What would be our lives like if we'd do only the right things? I think that we would wonder "What if?". I know exactly the answer to "what if" now and I don't regret it- knowledge is power.
     One should say no to chocolate if he wants to lose weight, though it's the thing that gives him the biggest pleasure. It's the same in life- one should say "no" to some of his pleasures in order to come closer to his dream.
     The thing that no one will ever be able to take away from me is my dream and that's why I say "No".

Wednesday 20 February 2013

The IT Girls

    Who are we? We are the ones who know how to turn a bad day into a good one!




Ioana Gelip








P.S. Excuse our outfits, had one sweater for 2 girls :DD

xoxo from Olanesti ;)

Tuesday 19 February 2013

Interview with IM Anastasia Savina

     1.     First of all, let me congratulate you with your recent win of the "G" tournament in Moscow, what are your impressions from the tournament?

   Thanks a lot, Irina! It was already the 7th time I’ve participated in Moscow Open tournament, but the first time I played in the closed women tournament (G). Of course, I’m very happy about the first place, and I have to admit it was a big luck for me as we shared it with Olga Girya and Dinara Saduakassova and I was just slightly better on tie-break.
It was a nice event and I don’t think I can complain about something and even the weather was not as cold as the last year. Probably, you remember! 

2. I know you're both playing and coaching, what would you prefer if you had to choose just one of them?

   I only started coaching last year and I traveled with kids to the World and European Youth championships to Prague and Maribor as one of the coaches for the Russian delegation. That was a really very interesting experience! But still, if I have to choose between playing and coaching, this time I would prefer to play. But it’s quite possible that my opinion can change in a few years.

3. You've been travelling quite a lot, what is the place you loved the most?










   Yes, but I travelled mostly only through Europe. As for some more exotic places, I have some plans about visiting Australia, South America, Caribbean Islands, ect. By now, I love Germany and France very much, but my native city – Moscow is still my favourite one.

4. Does chess involve a specific lifestyle (that's the question I've been struggling with too) ?

    As any other professions connected with sports, seems like, we have a special lifestyle. We travel and play a lot, so we can not attend the studies regulary or do some kind of a usual job (and mostly we can not get regular payments as it depends on the results). But in general, I don't think there is something really unusual about the chess lifestyle, maybe it comes when you become such a professional who works 8-10 hours of chess a day...

5. What is the thing you like the most about chess and the thing you'd like to change?

   I like our chess society very much and I have a lot of real friends here! By the way, that's another reason not to switch to coach's work completely. Hard to say, what I don’t like and even harder to propose something reasonable.

6. What do you see yourself doing in 5 years?

   Hm, good question  Actually I have no idea even about what I’ll be doing in 2 or 3 next months. I can expect that I’ll be still connected to chess somehow, as a player, coach or any other way.

Monday 18 February 2013

Bloody battles

     There have been played 2 rounds in the Romanian Chess Championship. There've been a lot of surprises in the men's section so far, with a lot of draws on the top boards yesterday.
131NMVladescu Florin-George222510 - 11GMParligras Mircea-Emilian26331
22GMLupulescu Constantin26121½ - ½1CMBida Mihai-Eugen221235
332CMToma Radu-Cristian22191½ - ½1GMNevednichy Vladislav25423
44GMMurariu Andrei253311 - 01IMGlodeanu Ion218039
534IMFlorescu Codrut-Constantin221210 - 11IMMiron Lucian-Costin25265
66GMBerescu Alin-Mile24951½ - ½1CMSecheres Adrian-Simion216043
736CMStegariu Vlad-Ionut22011½ - ½1IMFilip Lucian24647
838CMRussu Eduard219811 - 01IMGeorgescu Tiberiu-Marian239611
912IMMilu Romeo-Sorin23921½ - ½1IMartian Dragos-Daniel214545
1042FMPessi Emil-George21601½ - ½1IMPetrisor Adrian-Marian239213

     Here you can see a game that has impressed me:


There are 13 players with a 2/2 score and I guess that there will be much less after today's double round. You can follow the live games here: http://www.sahlive.ro/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=440
11GMParligras Mircea-Emilian263322FMDobre Claudiu-Cristian229222
217FMBalla Tamas-Kristof236622GMMurariu Andrei25334
35IMMiron Lucian-Costin252622FMDaianu Cristian-Clement228324
421NMDoros Radu-Marian230922IMGrecescu Gabriel-Andrei239114
515IMGrigore Nicolae-Petre238522CMRussu Eduard219838
627NMGilea Lucian224522NMStanciu Alexandru-Ovidiu238316
729CMHorvat Dan-Sebastian22292GMLupulescu Constantin26122

As for the women's section, there are only 6 players with a perfect score, me being among them.
12IMFoisor Cristina-Adela238922WGMIonescu Irina22535
26WIMDragomirescu Angela223522WGMBulmaga Irina23553
34WGMCosma Elena-Luminita233222WGMSandu Mihaela22227

     We've got to play only 9 rounds, unlike men- who have to play 11, so we don't have any double rounds.
     Here are some photos I took this morning:

The 5 top boards

The playing hall

The nr 1 rating favourite- Mircea Parligras, (2633) with 2/2

Lucian Miron (2526), 2/2

Doros Radu-Marian (2309), 2/2

Bida Mihai-Eugen (2212), a talented junior who made the draw against Constantin Lupulescu yesterday, 1,5/2

Alin Berescu (2495), 1,5/2

Constantin Lupulescu (2612), the nr 2 rating favourite, with 1,5/2

Grigore Nicolae-Petre (2385), 2/2

Murariu Andrei (2533), 2/2

The cups waiting for their winners
xoxo from Olanesti ;)