Imagine living in a dream location; tropical climate, delicious food and relaxed Caribbean atmosphere. Surely if that is your every day life, would you be competitive enough for a tournament like the Olympiad? Well you can bet your bottom dollar these girls are!
Today we meet with three fascinating ladies, 17-year-old WCM Polina, 15-year-old Trinity and 15-year-old Daijah. Just to give you an idea how tough these women are – Polina plays on board one in the Open team and Daijah plays on board one in the Women’s team.
Having a female play on board 1 in the Open category is quite rare. There are several female players in the Open category, but so far, we have not seen any of them appear on board 1. Polina speaks up: “It really should not matter whether I am male or female, I qualified at home for the Open team and I should therefore be allowed to play in the Open team”.
And we could not agree with her more! We need to consider this when we have girls play in tournaments; too often they are awarded the ‘girls prize’ in stead of the actual placement, whether it is 1st, 2nd or 3rd. We may be thinking that awarding a girl’s prize to the top scoring female will allow more children to be awarded a prize, but we are in fact telling this girl that her hard work does not matter too much. She could have ended up eg 9th in the tournament and still be awarded the same prize.
So, let’s all start taking Polina’s example and speak up for our girls!
But for the moment, we need to return to our interview. What are the Bahamas like? We all read about the relaxed atmosphere and the sub-tropical climate as a great tourist destination and the girls certainly agree that the Bahamas is the place to visit! Native dishes like crab & rice and corn fritters are a must try when you travel!
So where did it all start for you?
Polina – I started playing chess when I was four years old. I saw a girl at church play chess and returned home excitedly, asking my mum about this strange looking game. I learned quickly, entered my first tournament when I was five and when I was six I won the U10 national title. At the age of 8, I won the U18 national title. I took a break from chess when I was 11 years old for health reason and returned when I was 14 years of age.
Trinity – I started when I was 10 years of age at my local school. I was fascinated by the game and when I discovered my grandad also played chess, I was completely hooked.
Daijah – I also started learning the game at the age of 10 at my local school. (different school) and in 2015 I came third in a Caribbean tournament in Costa Rica. This is where I obtained my WCM title.
What has chess taught you about life?
Daijah – you need to think before you act. Every decision you make is important and will have consequences. You need to deal with your consequences as they always come back to you. Chess is the gift that keeps on giving – lets face it; I’m in Europe right now, who would have thought that!
Trinity – Chess is life. It will teach you right from wrong. A real eye opener for life.
Polina – What else can I add, they have said it all so well.
What is the junior chess league like in the Bahamas?
Polina – It is certainly improving, and the federation is started to bring in more players. Of course, these are mainly boys, but girls should not be scared to join. Girls may feel they don’t belong in this community, but they do!
What kind of chess player are you?
Polina – I am still trying to figure this out. My style has changed since I returned to chess. I like both tactical and positional play and find rook endgames very interesting. The Kings Indian Defence is my main opening, but I love to learn from everyone and every situation.
Trinity – I am a very attacking and aggressive player. I tend to play the Queens Gambit.
Daijah – I am more of a positional player, but also tend to play the Queens Gambit.
Who is your favourite player and what is your favourite chess book?
Daijah – my favourite player is local legend Warren Seymour. He has established most of the school chess clubs and is a great local hero. My favourite book is ‘Think like a Grandmaster’ by Alexander Kotov. It is not only very informative, it is also written with a great sense of humour, making it easy to read.
Trinity – The Polgar sisters! My favourite book is the Queens Gambit Accepted written by Alex Raetsky and Maxim Chetveruk (published by Everyman chess). It really helped me understand the opening.
and Polina – The Polgar sisters! They have inspired generations and continue to do so. When I started playing chess, my favourite book was 5334 Problems, Combinations and Games written by Laszo Polgar (Father of the Polgar sisters). Nowadays I study more by combining books and online.
What is a game you will never forget?
Trinity – That would be my loss at this Olympiad in round 4. I was in time trouble and blundered. I have reviewed this game over and over again to make sure I never do that again!
Polina – In December 2017 I played (and won) in the Peruvian Cup a game against IM Orlando Husbands from Barbados. It was my first win against an IM and that is something I will never forget!
Daijah – In March 2018, I drew against our highest rated player, Ted Cross from the USA (rated 1998). This was a huge upset in the tournament and I could not believe I drew. Polina and Trinity pipe up at this stage and add ‘the worst part is that she could have won!’ I guess that is the psychological element of chess, it is sometimes hard to believe you could actually beat a much higher rated player.
Click on the board below to read David’s annotation on Trinity’s game in this Olympiad. This is a great opportunity where we review our games and make sure we learn!
What are some of your dreams and goals?
Polina – I am hoping to still improve, perhaps obtain the WGM title one day. I would love to play more internationally and develop a career that is related to chess through either computer sciences or psychology.
Trinity – I want to obtain a FIDE rating! I think I am sitting around 1200 and can’t wait to get my rating. I want to become a lawyer and hopefully, one day, open my own firm.
Daijah – I would love to be an accountant and obtain a CPA. I believe chess will always be an asset and a part of my life.
Lastly, what advice do you have for Australian Junior players?
Trinity – Keep focussed and chase your dreams!
Polina – Don’t give up and don’t limit yourself!
Daijah – Don’t let people tell you that you don’t count, you do count!