At only 16 years old, scholarship holder Vuk Solaković from Bijeljina is already building a serious sports story in chess and showing maturity, discipline, and dedication that are rarely seen at his age. He is a second-grade student at the Technical School “Mihajlo Pupin”, where he successfully balances school obligations with sports ambitions. The support of the Hastor Foundation, his family, and close friends represents an important support in his daily work and progress.
“It all started with my father and a small wooden chess set. He taught me the first moves, and my love for the game grew day by day.”
The recent tournament held in Dvorovi, from December 12 to 14, 2025, was another important step in his development and competitive experience. He competed as part of a team with David Perić, David Lazarević, and Todor Milovanović. Team spirit and mutual trust were one of the key factors of their good performance, which resulted in winning second place at the entity competition.
During the tournament, the matches against city rivals Chess Club “Svetozar Gligorić” and Chess Club “Gambit” stood out in particular. Such matches always carry additional weight, pressure, and motivation, because, besides results, they also bring the prestige of local competition. Despite that, Vuk showed stability and competitive maturity, accepting the challenge as an opportunity to prove himself and improve.
“For me, every game is a new adventure. Chess is unpredictable, and that is exactly what makes it so exciting.”
Besides the game itself, tournaments are valuable for him because of meeting friends whom he rarely sees due to distance. However, the greatest charm remains in the nature of chess itself, the unpredictability of the game and the constant change of situations on the board, which requires mental strength and creativity from the player.
Vuk’s plans for the future are clear: continuous work, improvement of his game, and new sports successes. He believes that results come when good preparation meets the right opportunity. In every new challenge, he tries to justify the trust of his coach, team, and everyone who supports him. Determined to continue growing, he moves forward with a clear goal, which is to become an inspiration within the chess family to which he proudly belongs. An important role on this path is played by the Hastor Foundation, whose vision and support allow him to improve with even greater enthusiasm and leave a lasting mark on the chess map of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the future.
