Question

which is the best way to complete the text?
adriana was an experienced speed chess ________ still struggled with the pace of competitive tournaments.
player; but
player so
player but

Explanation:

When connecting two independent clauses, a semicolon is used before a coordinating conjunction like "but". "Player; but" correctly separates the two parts of the sentence. "Player so" implies a cause - effect relationship which is not the case here. "Player but" lacks the proper punctuation (semicolon) to connect the two independent clauses.

Answer:

player; but