Vuk Solaković, a young chess player from Bijeljina, is not your typical teenager. Vuk is fifteen years old and showed an early interest in chess, a game that opened the doors to success and shaped his character. His journey began with simple curiosity towards his father’s chess set, and today he has participated in over 100 chess tournaments, won 50 medals, and gained the status of one of the most promising young chess players in the region.

But how did Vuk end up among the chess pieces? As a four-year-old, he entered the world of chess thanks to his father’s patience and desire to teach his son the basics of this ancient game. From the very first moment, Vuk fell in love with the chess pieces and the 64-square board. Since chess quickly became more than just a game for him, he began training at the age of five. Vuk’s dedication to chess soon yielded results – at just six years old, he participated in his first tournaments:

I have participated in over 100 various chess tournaments in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Croatia. In all competitions, I won over 50 medals for the top three places. I train and compete as a member of the Chess Club Sveti Georgije from Bijeljina.

Our young teenage prodigy is also successful in other fields. Besides being a successful chess player, Vuk is an exemplary student. As a student of Sveti Sava Elementary School in Bijeljina, he was a member of the school’s chess team with which he participated in numerous school competitions. His school team won many medals, and Vuk was named the athlete of the generation. Chess, he says, helped him develop skills that made it easier to manage school obligations, and his hard work was rewarded with the prestigious Vuk’s diploma:

It is well known that chess significantly enhances brain development in children and young people. I believe that chess helped me immensely during my education in elementary school to master all subjects effortlessly, to have excellent grades from 1st to 9th grade, and to become the recipient of the well-known Vuk’s diploma.

One of the most important things that chess brought to Vuk is the opportunity to make many friendships with peers across Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region. Although they are often his rivals on the black-and-white chessboard, off the board, they have become good young people, students, and athletes who share common values and the love for the game. Through chess tournament travels, Vuk had the opportunity to visit different places, meet people, and broaden his horizons, which helped him become more independent and mature.

However, chess can also be a lonely sport, as noted by Svetozar Gligorić, one of the greatest chess players from our region, “Chess is a battle with oneself.” That’s why Vuk has always tried to develop other interests. He started with judo and then dedicated himself to football, a sport that helped him build team spirit and learn the values of collective play. In the Pioneers League of Republika Srpska, he played for OFK Zenit from Bijeljina, where he eventually became the team captain. Currently, with great enthusiasm, he is training kickboxing, continuing to explore different sports and challenges.

This summer, Vuk enrolled in the Technical School Mihajlo Pupin in Bijeljina, majoring in Power Engineering. He speaks about his choice with a smile, aware of the importance of energy as a resource for the future. He is determined to become an expert in the field that will play a key role in the world to come:

Although IT fields are still popular, all computers work with the help of electrical energy. Somewhat humorously, I want to say that energy is the main resource of our planet and will surely become even more important, meaning that energy-related professions will become even more competitive in the job market.

Although Vuk is committed to numerous obligations and intense training, he strives to lead the life of an ordinary teenager. His daily routine includes hanging out with friends, where he enjoys socializing and relaxing. In addition, Vuk is passionate about reading books.

When asked what the Hastor Foundation means to him, Vuk Solaković emphasizes that it is an extremely important organization that provides significant support to successful students. He points out that the Foundation not only helps financially but also motivates young people to continue pursuing the sport they love and excel in school. This support enables young people to focus on their goals, whether it be achieving excellent school results or advancing in sports. Vuk highlights that, thanks to the Hastor Foundation, he has been given the opportunity to continue with his sports and educational ambitions.

We are proud of our talented scholarship recipients like Vuk and look forward to all his future successes.