19-year-old Dutch IM Eline Roebers discussed her professional chess career goals in an interview with media platform LINDA.meiden on January 18. Eline stated her aim to become a grandmaster and noted the challenges on that path.

Eline Roebers

Eline Roebers

19-year-old Dutch IM

“My main goal is to become a GM. You need a 2500 rating for that. I am around 2400 now, but gaining rating is very difficult. If I win against an opponent roughly at my level, I gain, for example, 5 points. If I win against a stronger one — about 9. In case of a loss, the rating drops significantly instead.

Since I’m playing against stronger players at the Tata, I have a good chance to gain rating. But at the same time, these will be very tough games, because all these players perform at an incredibly high level. The final steps towards the 2500 mark are the most difficult.”

Dutch IM Eline Roebers (2398) won the European Women’s Blitz Championship held in Monte Carlo from January 9 to 10. The interview was taken during her participation in the Tata Steel Challengers 2026 tournament in Wijk aan Zee.

Credit: Lennart Ootes/FIDE