The Catalan Chess League begins!

Last Sunday marked the start of a new edition of the Catalan League, the premier team tournament. This year, Club d'Escacs Lloret has expanded its participation with the addition of a reserve team, after six seasons competing with only one team.

After finishing sixth last season in the Preferente division—the highest in the province of Girona—the team faces its second season aiming to consolidate its position in the division and, for the first time in its history, achieve three consecutive seasons in the provincial elite. To this end, the squad has been strengthened with new additions such as JJ Mateo, Daniel Delgado, and Biel Castellanos.

To kick off the season, the team traveled to L'Estartit to face Montgrí, one of the main title contenders. Despite the eventual defeat, the team put on a good performance (7.5-2.5) against much stronger opponents, as our average ELO rating was 1914, compared to the home team's 2079. Even so, five of our players achieved commendable draws: Albert Olivas, playing black against an opponent with a 2100 ELO rating; Lev Shustov, with a 150-point disadvantage against his opponent; and the three debutants mentioned earlier. Despite the loss, overall, the feeling was positive and encourages us to fight for our first victory next week in Figueres.

Meanwhile, the B team made their debut away against Tordera C. It should be noted that the average age of the opposing team was over 65 years, while the Lloret team was made up entirely of players from our youth academy, with an average age of only 13 years.

The match started favorably for us, with Olga Levina's victory putting us ahead. However, Tordera looked more promising in the other three games. After a long struggle, Arnau Jiménez finally succumbed to his opponent, while Bastian fought heroically in search of a draw that ultimately eluded him.

To close out the match, Sara Planas improved her position and launched a devastating attack against the opposing king, securing a 2-2 draw. A very good result for our young players, who showed they are making a strong impression. Next week they will be looking for a good result against Blanes D that will allow them to climb to the top of the standings.