Traveling to Serbia for the European Club Cup was an exciting experience. Tarun and I set out to Vrnjačka Banja, about three hours from Belgrade. This was my second time playing in the Club Cup, with my previous appearance being in 2021 at Ohrid. This year, I competed in the Women’s tournament for She Plays to Win Lionesses, while Tarun played for Gonzaga. Both of us held the responsibility of board 1 for our respective teams.
The Opening Ceremony was beautiful, filled with music that created a great atmosphere for the tournament’s start. A violinist performed alongside singers and a flutist, which was lovely to witness. Shortly after, the drawing of lots set the stage for both tournaments.
In the first round, my team faced Gambit Bonnevoie, a strong opponent featuring IMs and WGMs. I managed a win against Osmak Yuliya, sacrificing a bishop to break open the kingside. It was a thrilling game to begin the tournament, but despite my win, we narrowly lost the match with a score of 1.5 – 2.5.
The next few rounds were challenging; I played well but missed drawing opportunities in close games. However, we managed to draw our third round against Sk Zmaj and secured our first match victory in the fifth round against Tallinn Chess Club. I scored my second win of the tournament in the sixth round, this time against Andreaa Navrotescu of SK JAVES Modra. In that game, I had a central passed pawn, and her king position was exposed. I was able to capitalize on the weaknesses around her king, setting up a tactic to secure the win.
In the final round, we ended with a draw against Rishon Le Zion, concluding the event on a positive note.
Playing in this strong tournament as a team was a fantastic experience. I enjoyed every moment, learning and growing along the way. A big thanks to my teammates and our captain, Lorin D’costa, for building this team and making it possible!