WGM Raluca Sgîrcea - Page 7
WGM Raluca Sgîrcea is a Romanian chess player and coach. She was born on 11 July 1989.
Her peak rating was 2302 in October 2014.
She won the European Youth Chess Championship in the U10 girls category in 1999. She became a Woman International Master (WIM) in 2011 and achieved one Woman Grandmaster (WGM) norm. She speaks Romanian, English and Spanish.
Chess Articles by WGM Raluca Sgîrcea
10 Reasons to Play Najdorf Sicilian
Najdorf Sicilian Opening, named after the Argentinian Grandmaster Miguel Najdorf, is probably one of the most popular openings among chess players. Whether they play it or not, most players have already seen many famous games played in this particular variation. Not only this, but beautiful games still spring every time the Najdorf appears in top-level […]Attacking Ideas on the Queenside: The A-Pawn Advance
A-Pawn Advance: When we talk about attacks, most people automatically assume that there will be an attack against the opponent’s king. While these are a lot of fun and can lead to sharp positions with beautiful tactical possibilities, it is not always possible to start one. Some positions require different types of play and starting […]7 Reasons to Play 1.b3
1.b3: “What should I play today” is one of the most common questions among chess players. Even if you have a clear repertoire, it always happens to find that one opponent who plays exactly the line you feel most uncomfortable with. It would be ideal to be prepared for this kind of situation and have […]Asymmetrical Pawn Structures: Winning Against the Weaknesses in a7-c5 vs a2-b3 Structure
Pawn structures, their studying, and understanding the typical plans in each one of them is one important step to improving your chess level. It will help you find the best plans in the position easier, you will already know where the pieces go, what you should be looking for, what to avoid and what your […]Dominating Weaknesses in the Catalan
Catalan and Dominating Weaknesses in it. The concept of weakness is the most basic part of positional chess. Weak squares and weak pawns are ideas that you must juggle throughout the whole game. The choice of a correct plan is most of the time based on correctly identifying targets of attack in the opponent’s position.5 Reasons to Play Modern Defense
Modern Defense: are you ready to learn it? One of the most important steps for a chess player is deciding on a reliable repertoire that will become their trusted weapon in future games. There are so many things to address – where to start, how do I know which opening is best and most suitable […]Typical Ideas in the Tarrasch: the c5-c4 Advance
Tarrasch Defense is one of the most ambitious replies to white’s 1.d4 and usually arises after the moves 1.d4-d5 2.c4-e6 3.Nc3-c5, although the same set-up can be ultimately achieved from other move orders. Black is fighting for the initiative right from the start by occupying the center, gaining space, and harmoniously developing his pieces. It […]The Positional Pawn Sacrifice
Sacrifices are usually known as the main tactical mean of getting an immediate advantage. The concept is clear – you momentarily sacrifice material in order to get bigger gains or deliver mate a few moves later. Except for the intuitive sacrifices that usually give great initiative and a strong attack, sacrifices can usually be calculated […]5 Reasons Why You Should Solve Studies
Chess studies and mating problems are composed of positions – they have been made up and have not actually happened in a game, as most puzzles – where you will need to discover the only way for white (usually) to win or make a draw.3 Must-Know Ideas in Pawn Endgames
Pawn Endgames: Knowing your endgames is an important step in improving your level of chess. Knowing the main theoretical endgame positions is usually the first step toward improving your endgame understanding. Then, it is time to move on to typical ideas and maneuvers that tend to repeat themselves and are important to know in some […]
