Just a couple of days ago we released our interview with 17 year old Grandmaster Murali Karthikeyan from India.
GM Murali Karthikeyan
Since this interview Murali has been generous enough to make some time in his busy schedule to provide us with his most memorable game. And not only did he provide us with the PGN, he also took the time to annotate this for you. David has provided some further additional comments to the game.
This was played against Jason Cao at the World Youth Championships in 2014.
So enjoy a review of Murali and David about the game that provided this young Grandmaster with his title!
18 year old Kathie Lebrelato with a rating of 2079 is Brazil’s youngest player on the Women’s team. She is currently the top female in Brazil U18 and the 7th ranked female U18 in South America. In this Olympiad she has been selected to play board 4, but has played a couple of games on board 2 and 3.
Photo courtesy of Team Captain Renato Quintiliano
Brazil, the largest country in South America stretches from the Amazon Basin in the north to vineyards and massive Iguaçu Falls in the south. It is the world’s fith largest country. Rio de Janeiro, symbolized by its 38m Christ the Redeemer statue atop Mount Corcovado, is the capital. Unlike some of the other South American countries, the language spoken in Brazil is portugese.
Of course we are all familiar with Brazil, not only for their excellent soccer team, but also for hosting the Olympics and Paralympics this year. Who can forget all our swimmers, cyclists and athletes proudly representing Australia only a couple of weeks ago. Perfect time to ask Kathie about her journey from Brazil.
Chesslife: How old were you when you started playing chess?
Kathie: I started playing chess when I was about 10 years old at school. I started playing seriously with coaching when I was about 13 years of age.
Chesslife: How much chess do you study per week or per day?
Kathie: I study every day, approximately 3-4 hours. I have started studying endgames now as there is so much I don’t know yet.
Chesslife: What is your favourite chess book?
Kathie: I enjoy reading ‘Excelling at Chess’ by Jacob Aargaard [published by Everyman chess in 2002]. I am reading this is in Spanish not English.
Chesslife: Is this your first Olympiad and what was your first International Tournament?
Kathie: Yes this is my first Olympiad. My first international tournament was in 2015 in Colombia, the Sul Americano U20.
Chesslife: Who is your favourite player?
Kathie: I love watching Alexandr Fier, a Brazilian Grandmaster currently playing on board 1, but of course Caruana and Carlsen are also on the top of my list! I love their dynamic playing style.
GM Alexandr Fier on board 1 for Brazil
Chesslife: What is the junior chess league llike in Brazil?
Kathie: There are quite a few juniors playing, but not many progress. I think this is because there appears to be no incentive for them to continue playing. My city Icara has many tournaments and is supportive of chess, so I have been very lucky.
Chesslife: What has chess taught you?
Kathie: Chess has taught me many things. It has allowed me to play in many cities around Brazil and the world. I am a very shy person and chess has taught me to talk and interact with different people. Something I would have never done without chess. I am more social now. Lastly I have matured a lot through chess. I am taking responsibilities for decisions in life.
Chesslife: How would you describe your style of play?
Kathie: I am trying to become more dynamic, but I am a very positional and quiet player, which matches my personality. I enjoy playing solid games. At the moment I play very dynamic for Black, but am looking at changing that to a slower Kings Indian variant.
Chesslife: What is your most memorable game?
Kathie: I truly enjoyed the game I played against Wales in the Olympiad in round 6. I was a very positional game, well balanced.
Click on the board below for a review of Kathie’s game against Imogen Camp from Wales in round 6
Chesslife: What are your goals for the future?
Kathie: To continue to improve my chess and play at the next Olympiad for Brazil. This means I will need to play in many tournaments in the next couple of years, for example the Brazil Open. For the slightky longer term, I would like to become a WGM.
Let’s give you a bit of an overview of the difference between GM (Grandmaster) and WGM (Women’s Grandmaster):
The title Grandmaster is awarded to outstanding chess players by FIDE. Grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can attain. Woman Grandmaster (achieved at some time a rating of 2300) is the highest-ranking chess title restricted to women aside from Women’s World Champion. FIDE introduced the WGM title in 1976. The WGM title represents a level of chess skill lower than that of the unrestricted Grandmaster (GM) (2500) title, and WGM requirements are also a little bit lower than the requirements for the unrestricted International Master (IM) (2400) title. The winner of the World Girls Junior Championship is automatically awarded the WGM title. (information obtained from Wikipedia)
Chesslife: What advice would you give to Australian Junior chess players?
Kathie:
Do what you like! If you like chess, play chess!
You should never fear major challenges. You should always seek to play against the best and not fear this as it will evolve your chess and you will become a better player.
Play chess with Joy!
Click on the board below for an analysis of Kathie’s game against Aynur Katanova from Azerbaijan.
Myanmar – or Burma as some people know it – is a country that has been in the news for many years and to see the Open team so proudly behind their boards is exciting.
Team Myanmar
Myanmar, formerly known as Burma is a Southeast Asian nation of more than 100 ethnic groups, bordering India, Bangladesh, China, Laos and Thailand. Yangon, formerly known as Rangoon is the country’s largest city, while Naypyidaw is the country’s capital.
photo courtesy of geology.com
The first thing Maung Maung tells us proudly is that his sister is currently stuyding accounting in Melbourne, so being interviewed by Australia only seems fitting. Currently ranked the top player U16 in Myanmar with a rating with 2031, he plays on board 4. His english is excellent, but our trusty google translate is showing that burmese is a beautiful language, so our first question is as follows:
Chesslife: How old were you when you started playing chess? သငျသညျစစ်တုရင်ကစားခြင်းကိုစတင်တဲ့အခါသင်ဘယ်လိုဟောင်းခဲ့ကြ
Maung Maung: I started when I was 7 years old and was taugt by my dad. I then played at school and progressed from there.
Maung Maung in action
Chesslife: How many hours per week do you study?
Maung Maung: I study between 2-3 hours per day. Mainly middle games, combinations and strategies. The magazine ‘New in Chess’ is my favourite source.
Chesslife: What is your favourite chess book?
Maung Maung: ‘Openings for White according to Kramnik’. Although I also love using the ‘Encyclopedia of Chess Combinations’ David agrees – yes I call that the ‘Chess Bible’, definitely a good one!
Chesslife: Is this your first Olympiad and what was your first International Tournament?
Maung Maung: Yes this is my first Olympiad and my first international tournament was in 2013 in China, the China vs Asean Junior Chess Classic.
Chesslife: Who is your favourite player?
Maung Maung: That would be Sergey Karajakin. I like his playing style and think he will be the next World Champion!
GM Sergey Karajakin on board 1 for Russia
Chesslife: What is the junior chess league like in Myanmar?
Maung Maung: Chess is not very popular in Myanmar. People consider it boring, but it is getting abit better now that the government is involved and is introducing chess in schools.
Chesslife: What has chess taught you?
Maung Maung: It has taught me to analyse situations in life before making a decision. It has also given me friends around the world.
Chesslife: How would you describe your style of play?
Maung Maung: If I need to win I can play very aggressively, but normally I play very positional and slow. With white I play Nf3, while with Black I play the Caro-Kann or the Slav.
Chesslife: What is your most memorable game?
Maung Maung: That would have to be the game against Andorra! I loved that one!
Click on the board below for a review of Maung Maung’s game against Daniel Queralta from Andorra in round 4
Chesslife: What are your goals for the future?
Maung Maung: I hope to obtain an FM title in this tournament. To do that I need 7/10, so as I have 2.5/4 at the moment, I might still have a good chance! Of course a big goal is to become a Grandmaster and hopefully a career in chess.
Chesslife: What advice would you give the Australian Junior Chess players?
Maung Maung: You need to try your best and find a balance between school and chess. Hopefully I will meet some of the Australian Junior players at the World Youth Chess Championships next year!
Click on the chess board below for the game by Maung Maung against Calvin Klaassen from South Africa in round 3.
Today we have the pleasure of speaking to 17 year old Grandmaster Murali Karthikeyan who plays on board 5 for India with a rating of 2527.
GM Murali Karthikeyan
While we are writing this, India is currently ranked 1st in the Olympiad and a real candidate to finish on top. With team mates like GM Harikrishna with a rating of 2752, GM Adhiban with a rating of 2671, GM Gujrathi with a rating of 2669 and GM Sethuraman with a rating of 2640 they are the 11th strongest team at this Olympiad.
Standings after round 7 on Friday 9th September
Of course we all know India and it incredible chess history. Former World Champion Viswanathan ‘Vishy’ Anand took the title in 2007 until 2013, having had to defend it against Vladimir Kramnik, Veselin Topalov and Boris Gelfand, until finally losing it to Magnus Carlsen. It changed chess in India forever; chess schools were started and great young talent has been coming from India ever since.
One of these talents is GM Murali.
In December 2011, Murali won the Under-12 World Chess Championship held in Brazil. He then also became the U16 World Champion in 2013. In 2014 he was part of the team to win the U16 Olympiad in Hungary, where he obtained his final GM norm. During this Olympiad he played (and won) against Australian Zachary Loh on board 2.
Photo courtesy of Cathy Rogers
So let us begin our interview:
Chesslife: How old were you when you started playing chess?
Murali: When I was 6 years old. Taught by my parents I played at home for a couple of years and continued at school in the Tamil Nadu state.
Chesslife: How much chess do you study per day?
Murali: When I have no other commitments, I can spend a whole day, but if I have school or other commitments I may only study 4 hours per day.
Chesslife: What is your favourite chess book?
Murali: I have many favourites, but Karsten Mullers ‘Fundamental Chess Endings’ is at the top of my list.
Chesslife: How old were you when you obtained your first title?
Murali: I obtained my International Master title in 2013.
Chesslife: Is this your first Olympiad and what was your first International Tournament?
Murali: Yes this is my first Olympiad, I hope to come to many more. My first International Tournament was the World Youth Championships in 2008.
Chesslife: Who is your favourite player?
Murali: Viswanathan Anand of course! I love his game style and his character. I have met him once and he gave me some tips.
Chesslife: What is the junior league like in India?
Murali: There is no real league like there is in Australia, but there are qualifying tournaments for juniors. Of course the junior league has become a lot bigger and more popular since Anand became World Champion.
We of course need to let you know that Murali is understating chess in India. In the media room we speak with the technical adviser for the ‘Chess in schools’ program, Mr Radheshyam Tiwari and discover that this board has over 6700 schools affiliated, with some schools having 11000 players! Then there is also the Schools Game Federation and the Central schools board. Each run school championships and national school championships, meaning there are thousands of juniors playing chess! FIDE currently lists 57.637 active players in India and if a third of those are juniors that means there are 19.000 juniors FIDE rated!
Chesslife: What had chess taught you?
Murali: Chess has taught me how to take decision at important moments and how to plan ahead. Of course it has increased my concentration, my memory power and how to behave.
Chesslife: How do you describe your style of play?
Murali: I used to enjoy very complicated games and attacking, but as I am growing as a chess player, my coach Mr Vishwerwaran.k, is helping me to narrow down positionally against stronger opponents. I used to study using books, but am using engines more often now. The father of my coach, Mr Kameshwaran used to coach Anand.
Click on the board below to find a review from round 1 at this Olympiad against Alejandro Parraga from Bolivia.
Chesslife: What are your goals?
Murali: To become World Champion. In the next couple of years I am looking to go from a 2500 to a 2700 rated player by playing in more Olympiads and tournaments. Learning from more experienced coaches and be in the top players in a 2 years.
Chesslife: What advice would you give Australian Junior Chess Players?
Murali: You need to love chess! Then learn from your local coaches and as you get better find more experienced coaches.
Click on the board below for a review of the game in round 2 against Alexis Murillo from Costa Rica.
Since this interview Murali has been generous enough to make some time in his busy schedule to provide us with his most memorable game. And not only did he provide us with the PGN, he also took the time to annotate this for you. David has provided some further additional comments to the game.
This was played against Jason Cao at the World Youth Championships in 2014.
So enjoy a review of Murali and David about the game that provided this young Grandmaster with his title!
From afar you know where the women’s team from Barbados is playing this afternoon. Their dedication to their national colours is apparent in their hair and outfits. The bright yellow and blue stand out against the many grey’s and black’s that are being worn this Olympiad. And while we chat to the girls about chess it is clear that their personality matches their bright outfits!
The Women’s team from Barbados
Barbados is nested among the Caribbean islands. It is 34 kilometres in length and up to 23 km in width, covering an area of 432 km2. As a popular holiday destination and combining its English, African and West Indian roots, Barbados has a very own distinctive identity.
Gabriela with a rating of 1312 is currently the 4th ranked female player in Barbados and Segan with a rating of 1226 is following close behind on the 8th place.
Chesslife: How old were you when you started playing chess?
Gabriela: I was 8 when I started at a chess camp. My 2 older brothers wanted to go and already knew how to play. My mum decided to send me along as well.
Segan: I was 10 when my mother taught me how to play chess.
17 year old Gabriela Cumberbatch
Chesslife: What is your favourite chess book?
Gabriela: I don’t really have a favourite one.
Segan: Mine is the one my mum bought me ‘How to reassess your chess’ by IM Silman.
Chesslife: How much chess do you study per week?
Gabriela: Around 1 or 2 hours per day. When I practise online I use chesscube.com
Segan: I study around 1 hour per day, but when a tournament is coming up I may increase this to 3-4 hours per day. When I play online I use chess.com or playchess.com
Chesslife: Is this your first Olympiad and what was your first International Tournament?
Gabriela: This is indeed my first Olympiad and my first international tournament was in 2012 in Trinidad, called CARIFTA.
Segan: I played the same tournament, but in 2015.
Chesslife: Who is your favourite player?
Both girls reply in unison ‘Magnus Carlsen!’
Chesslife: What is the junior chess league like in Barbados?
There are not many juniors playing in Barbados. Chess is not a very popular sport and not advertised very well. There are also many more boys than girls.
Chesslife: Do you mind playing boys all the time?
Gabriela: No not at all, it allows me to proof that I can beat the boys
Segan: I don’t mind either, in fact, I prefer playing against boys.
Chesslife: What has chess taught you?
Gabriela: If you want something, you need to put the effort in.
Segan: It has shown me to be dedicated in order to improve. It helps with my school work and focus.
15 year old Segan Sandiford
Chesslife: How would you describe your style of play?
Gabriela: I prefer playing positional and like playing the Giuoco Piano. I sometimes play tactical as well. With black I am currently trying new things and have not really got a set repertoire yet.
The Literal translation for Giuoco Piano is translated ‘quiet game’ and begins with the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5
Segan: I definitely enjoy playing positional and play the Scottish with white. I have not developed a style yet with black, but am certainly considering the Caro-Kann as I find the Sicilian far too aggressive.
Chesslife: What was your most memorable game?
Gabriela: That would have been at the subzonal this year in Barbados.
Segan: That was a game against Justin Parsons a 1400 rated player, while I was still unrated. Unfortunately, I do not have the PGN for that.
Click on the board below to find a game from Segan at the CARIFTA tournament in 2015
Chesslife: What are your goals for the future?
Gabriela: To someday become a world champion.
Segan: To become a titled player and to return to another Olympiad.
Click on the board below to review the game from Gabriela against Edit Machlick from Norway in the Olympiad
Chesslife: What advice would you give to Australian Junior Chess Players?
Gabriela: Work Hard! You may have to wait a very long time to see results, they will come. Chess will also provide great opportunities.
Segan: It takes time to grow as a chess player. Make sure the big people notice you and hope for the best.
Click on the board below to find an analysis of a game by Segan against Myra Ollet from Guam during this Olympiad.
Ieon Seak Hin is a 16 year old player from Macau. He is playing board 3 with a rating of 1841 after having competed in the World Youth U16 Olympiad in Slovakia in July. He is currently the top U16 player in Macau and ranked number 19 in his country.
Macau is an autonomous region on the south coast of China, across the Pearl River Delta from Hong Kong. With an estimated population of around 652,500 living in an area of 30.5 km2 (11.8 sq mi), it is the most densely populated region in the world.
We find Ieong in the lobby of his hotel busily preparing for his game against Trinidad & Tobago later that afternoon. He apologizes before hand for his level of English, but we remind him that his English is still much better than our Chinese! Again with the help of Google Translate we start our interview.
Chesslife: How old were you when you started playing chess?
Ieong: I started when I was 4 years old. My grandfather taught me the rules. I then continued playing chess at school. I also know how to play chinese chess.
Chesslife: How much chess do you study per week?
Ieong: I study approximately 2 hours, twice a week, so 4 hours in total. I also use a chinese website {ourgame.com} to practise chess on.
Chesslife: What is your favourite chess book?
Ieong: I love reviewing openings from Encyclopedia’s.
Chesslife: Is this your first Olympiad and what was your first International Tournament?
Ieong: This is my first Olympiad and my first international tournament was in 2008 for the World Youth Championships in Vietnam.
Chesslife: Who is your favourite player?
Ieong: I love Magnus Carlsen’s game style, but I also really like Hou Yifan. She was the first Chinese player I knew.
World Women’s Champion GM Hou Yifan
Chesslife: What is the Junior Chess League like in Macau?
Ieong: It is very small, but growing.
Chesslife: What has chess taught you?
Ieong: It has taught me how to think. It has also improved my school subjects like mathematics.
Chesslife: How would you describe your game style?
Ieong: I love to attack in my big games. If I can find a chance to attack, I will. I especially like to attack Kings side. I am more of a positional with White. For Black I am currently studying the Dragon variation.
Chesslife: What is your most memorable game?
Ieong: The one I played this month in Taiwan. Unfortunately I do not have a PGN available for you.
Chesslife: What are your future goals?
Ieong: I would like to improve and become a better player.
Chesslife: What advice would you give Australian Junior Chess Players?
Ieong: Chess is very good, it gives you a lot of fun and it will help you in your life.
Click on the board below for a review of Ieong’s game in round 2 when he drew against Toby Brookfield from Guernsey.
Today we meet with 17 year old FM Fy Antenaina Rakotomahoro and 15 year old CM Harifidy Milento Ralison from Madagascar. Fy is Madagascar’s board 1 player and is currently sitting at a rating of 2439. Haridify with a rating of 2058 is playing on board 4.
We all know Madagascar of course from the movies created by Dreamworks studio’s. But in real life it is the fourth largest island in the world. On a side note – Greenland is the world’s largest island. Australia is not listed as an island, because it is defined as a continent.
Madagascar is a huge island nation off the southeast coast of Africa. It’s home to thousands of animal species, such as lemurs, which are not found anywhere else.
Fy is top ranked U18 player for the entire continent of Africa and Haridify is currently ranked the 4th in the continent of Africa for the U16 players and 1st in Madagascar (U16).
Chesslife: What age did you start to learn chess?
Fy: I started when I was 7 and was taught by my father
Haridify: I started when I was 5 years old at school
Candidate Master Haridify Milento Ralison
Chesslife: How much chess do you study per week?
Fy: I study every day at least half an hour and more during the school holidays. On of my classic books to study with is Dvoretsky’s Endgame manual {note to readers; this book is really only suitable for players with a rating >2000}.
Another great Endgame book that has just come out is ‘Most Instructive endgames of 2012-2015 by Naiditsch and Balogh. Naiditsch is currently playing on board 3 for Azerbaijan in the Olympiad.
Haridify: When I am preparing for a tournament I study about half an hour every day and I practise regurlarly on playchess.com
Chesslife: What is your favourite Chess book?
Fy: When I started learning chess my favourite book was ‘How to beat your dad at chess’. by Murray Chandler. This was a very useful tool during this time. Currently I really like ‘Can you be a positional chess genius’ by Angus Dunnington {published by Everymanchess}
Haridify: I mainly use online tools, like Fritz and Chessbase to research. I am currently studying openings.
Chesslife: When did you obtain your title?
Fy: I gained my FM title at the Olympiad in Tromso in 2014. I have since gained 2 IM norms and hope to obtain my final IM norm at this Olympiad.
Haridify: I got my CM title just a couple of months ago at the Zonal in Mauritius. I hope to get my FM title at this Olympiad.
Click on the chess board below to find a review of Haridify’s most memorable game against Lova Rafenohery
Chesslife: Is this your first Olympiad and what was your first International Tournament?
Fy: This is my second Olympiad, Tromso in Norway in 2014 was my first Olympiad. My first International Tournament was in 2008 at the Oceania.
Haridify: My first International tournament was at the World Youth in 2011 held in Brazil.
GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
Chesslife: What is your favourite player?
Fy: Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. I have moved to France 3 years ago for study and chess and we now play at the same club.
Haridify: Fabiona Caruana. I like his style of play and he is really cool!
GM Fabiano Caruana
Chesslife: What is the junior chess league like in Madagascar?
Fy and Haridify: There are not many juniors playing in Madagascar, certainly not at the top level.
Chesslife: What does chess mean to you?
Fy: Chess is more than a hobby, it’s my life. I spent a lot of time with chess. Hopefully I can become a professional player one day.
Haridify: It has allowed me to visit many countries, speak other languages and make friends around the world.
FIDE Master Fy Antenaine Rakotomaharo
Chesslife: How do you describe your style of play?
Fy: I like playing tactical, but I enjoy playing positional as well.
Haridify: I like attacking and tactical play. For example with white I play the scottish.
Madagascar team in action for round 4
Chesslife: What is your most memorable game?
Fy: That is easy! In 2015 in Canada when I won against Eric Hansen.
Click on the board below to see an analysis of Fy’s most memorable game
Chesslife: What are your goals?
Fy: I would like to get my third IM norm and then work towards a GM norm. I would also like to play in more international tournaments.
Haridify: I would like to win the African Championships, and become a GM of course!
Click on the board below for a review of Haridify’s game against Richard Forster during the Olympiad
Chesslife: What advice would you give to Australian Junior Chess players?
Fy: Never Give Up!
Haridify: Continue to play chess as it will let you see the world!
Click on the board below for an analysis of Fy’s game against Sebastian Bogner from Switserland during the Olympiad
Fy will be travelling to the World Youth Championships in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia after the Olympiad and may very well be playing against our very own Australian Patrick Gong!
18 year old Tagir with a rating of 2223 plays in the Olympiad on board 5 for his country Kyrgyzstan. He is currently the 6th rated player overall in his country and the top player U18.
But where is Kyrgyzstan we hear you ask – Kyrgyzstan is a Central Asian country along the Silk Road, the ancient trade route between China and the Mediterranean. Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south west and China to the east. Its capital and largest city is Bishkek.
We met with Tagir and his Team Captain Mamytov in their hotel before the 3rd round and using google translate, we were able to communicate and talk chess!
Chesslife: How old were you when you started playing?
Tagir: I was about 7 years old. My father and uncles played chess and I was able to watch them play. One day I suggested a move to my father, which was a really good move and I was hooked!
Chesslife: How many hours per week do you study chess?
Tagir: Approximately 2 hours per day. I use chessplanet for my online training.
Chesslife: What is your favourite chess book
Tagir: Dvoretsky’s Endgame manual {note to readers; this book is really only suitable for players with a rating >2000}
Chesslife: Is this your first Olympiad and what was your first International Tournament
Tagir: Yes this is my first Olympiad, however I have participated on board 1 for 5 years with the U16 Youth Olympiad. {in 2015 Tagir lost to Ari Dale.}
My first international tournament was the Asian U12 Championships in 2009 to New Delhi.
Chesslife: Who is your favourite player?
Tagir: Magnus Carlsen. I love his ideas and his style of play.
Chesslife: What is the junior chess league like in Kyrgyzstan?
Tagir: The junior chess league is quite large with around 300 juniors playing regurlarly at tournaments. This is in the Open only, the women events attract around 200 female junior players.
Chesslife: What has chess taught you?
Tagir: It has taught me how to think about my future and how I am accountable for every step and every decision.
Chesslife: What has chess given you socially/mentally and at school?
Tagir: It has helped with my maths, increased my concentration and given me friends around the world. I now have friends in Russia, Kazakhstan, Slovakia and Azerbaijan.
Chesslife: What is your style of play?
Tagir: I am not a standard player, I play very differently depending on the colour on my board. For example with White I play more like my coach using 1.d4 combined with Bf4, while with Black I have developed more my own style with the sharp Najdorf lines.
At this point in time his team captain Mamytov casually tells us that Tagir is in fact the national golf player and he will probably need to make the decision between being a professional golfer and chess player at some stage.
Chesslife: What is your most memorable game?
Mamytov pipes up again ‘this must be your game in Sri Lanka, that was just beautiful to watch!’
At the point of writing the blog, Tagir is busy preparing for his game against Venezuela. Check back in a little later for a review of his favourite game.
Chesslife: What are you future goals?
Tagir: I would like to be a Grandmaster before I turn 20. I think I will keep golf as a hobby. From next month I will be going to the Moscow Institute for chess and hope to rapidly improve.
Chesslife: What advice would you give Australian Junior Chess players?
Tagir: Practise! Practise! Practise! and Love Chess!
Upon leaving Mymatov gave us a banner from the Kyrgyzstani chess Federation. Something we will treasure for many years to come!
Click on the chess board below for a review of Tagir’s game against Matej Sebenik (2526) from Slovenia.
We don’t have to travel too far to see junior chess action at the Olympiad. 10 year old Nadia Braganza from New Zealand is playing on board 4. With a current rating of 1367 she will need to fight very hard against some very strong opposition this tournament.
Before the start of round 2, we caught up with her and her mother in their hotel lobby to ask some questions.
Chesslife: How old were you when you started playing chess
Nadia: I started playing chess when I was 8 years old at school when I joined the local chess club.
Chesslife: How much chess do you study per week
Nadia: Approximately 3 hours.
Chesslife: What is your favourite chess book
Nadia: Silman’s Endgames. (This endbook game provides a variety of end games divided into difficulty for every player)
Chesslife: What was your first International Tournament
Nadia: The Commonwealth Games in 2014 in India. I have not played in Australia yet, but look forward to participating in the near future.
Chesslife: What is you favourite player
Nadia: GM Magnus Carlsen. He is a great inspiration for what you can achieve through chess.
Chesslife: What is the Junior Chess League like in New Zealand
Nadia: Growing, there are approximately 35-40 junior players at each tournament. Of these players about 10 are girls.
Auckland Chess Centre is currently working hard on developing their juniors towards a strong World Youth Olympiad team in years to come. Australian Grandmasters Ian Rogers and Daryl Johansen fly out to New Zealand every school holidays to assist with their training.
Chesslife: What is it about chess that you like
Nadia: It is very interesting, never boring. I enjoy it very much. It has helped with my mathematics at school and helped me concentrate.
Chesslife: How do you describe your style of play
Nadia: I have a very active style of play, with lots of attacking and forward play. For black my favourtite opening is the Sicilian Dragon variant. With white I enjoy playing the Giuoco Piano.
The Dragon Variations is one of the main lines of the Sicilian Defence and begins with the moves: 1.e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 (This is probably one of the most difficult openings in chess)
The Literal translation for Giuco Piano is translated ‘quiet game’ and begins with the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5
Chesslife: What is your most memorable game
Nadia: That was against Kimberly at the Northshore Open (New Zealand). Her mum pipes up and agrees, ‘it was just great to watch how she developed her pieces and moved forwards’.
Click on the board below to see a review of Nadia’s game against Kimberly Yuan.
Chesslife: What are your future goals
Nadia: The ultimate goal is to become a Grandmaster. It will mean I can be very proud of myself and my achievements in chess. It shows I have had the determination to continue working on my chess.
Chesslife: What advice can you give Australian Juniors
Nadia: The more you practise, the more you will achieve.
Great advice Nadia, we look forward to seeing more of you during this Olympiad!
Click on the board below to see a review or Nadia’s first game at this 42nd Olympiad against Melissa Gomez:
On board 1 for Cyprus we find 13 year old CM Konstantinos Michaelides with a rating 2060. He is the youngest player to receive the National Title in Cyprus, which he did in May. He is currently ranked number 7 in Cyprus.
We had the pleasure of catching up with his father Andreas and his mother to ask them some questions about their chess journey, while Konstantinos is playing his first round against Vietnam.
CM Konstantinos Michaelides from Cyprus in his first round against Ngoc Truong Son Nguyen from Vietnam
Chesslife: How old was he when he started playing chess
Andreas: When he was 8,5 years old his grandfather visited for the winter from Siberia and Konstantinos asked him about the game he was playing. Within the 3 month visit, he was beating his grandfather that was sitting at a rating of around 1500.
Chesslife: How much chess does he study per week
Andreas: Twice a week for 2 hours he skypes with his Russian coach IM Konstantin Mesropov, to which he adds approximately another 2 hours each day. Of course this increases around tournaments and decreases a little as school work picks up
Chesslife: What is his favourite chess book
Andreas: He is currently studying the French Defense, but among his favourites are books about the Capablanca. The passion for this book was passed along by his first chess coach FM Antonis Antoniou.
José Raúl Capablanca
Chesslife: How old was he when he obtained his CM title
Andreas: He was awarded the CM title at the age of 12 when he came second at the World Youth.
Chesslife: What was his first International Tournament
Andreas: Playing the U10 division at the European Championship in Prague in 2010.
Chesslife: What is his favourite player
Andreas: GM Magnus Carlsen, both for his game style and attitude. He also loves the fact that Magnus plays out of theory. That level of comfort around chess is to be admired.
Photo courtesy of @MagnusCarlsen
Chesslife: What is the Junior Chess League like in Cyprus
Andreas: There is currently not a real junior league in Cyprus, it is difficult to find 3 players that would qualify for the World Youth Championships in each category. Women’s chess is almost completely non-existing, which is why there is no Women’s team representing Cyprus at this Olympiad.
Chesslife: What has chess taught him
Andreas: Friendship is on top of the list. But also better planning and discipline. It has taught him to schedule his learning and reading.
Chesslife: How do you describe his style of play
Andreas: Definitely not aggressive, he likes to take his time, prepare and position his pieces. Strategic and Positional. Probably unlike his 9-year-old brother Alexandro says his father, who plays much more aggressively, but that may also be due to age.
At this point in time his father also tells us that his son does not generally like the publicity that his chess gives him. It was in fact his father that had to tell the school that Konstantinos was crowned National Champion.
Chesslife: What is his most memorable game
Andreas: That was at the World Youth Chess Championships in 2015 against Slovakian Victor Gazik. Click on the board below for a review of the game.
Click on the chess board below for an interactive analysis of Konstantinos’ favourite game:
Chesslife: What are his future goals
Andreas: The ultimate goal is to become a Grandmaster. Which will require constant work, to have a plan and to let nothing distract you from the plan. The next stage will be to try and win tournaments in Greece.
Photo courtesy of www.picssr.com
Chesslife: What advice can you give Australian Juniors
Andreas:
To the players – you have to work to achieve results, nothing will come for free. And after an average or bad tournament, you must not be discouraged, this is when you learn the most.
To the parents – Trust the coach you select, your child may not win all the time, but as long as they stay on track and follow the plan there will be improvements in the long run.
Click on the chess board below for an interactive analysis of round 1 in the Olympiad against Ngoc Truong Son Nguyen from Vietnam:
