Tatiana Kosintseva: I have no idea how to prepare for my sister

Russian grandmaster Tatiana Kosintseva defeated the Hungarian Hoang Thanh Trang and advanced to the third roung of the World Championship.

– Tatiana, this championship works out well for you so far. How did you manage to avoid tie-breaks in the first two rounds?

– Although I won both matches in classical chess, the games were quite tense. Already the first round match against Madina Davletbayeva from Kazakhstan was difficult. In the first game I was unable to convert my advantage with White, and in the second game I got winning chances only after my opponent made a few mistakes in the time trouble.

The match against Hoang Thanh Trang was different. We made a quick draw in the first game, where I had Black. In the second game I got a more pleasant position in the French defense, and Black probably made a mistake by 15…cxd4. I think 15…Rc8 is better, maintaining the tension in the center. After the move in the game I strengthened on c3, put my rook on h3, and kept an extra pawn after we traded the queens. All I needed to win was accuracy, and I was up to the task despite slight time pressure.

Tomorrow you have a day off, how do you like to spend it?

– I have no special plans. Of course I will relax and regain my energy, and then start preparing for the next game.

– Speaking of which, your sister Nadezhda can become your next opponent if she wins on the tie-break. This match will be without a doubt in the center of attention. What can you say about it?

– Yes, it is sad that we are meeting this early, already in the third round. In previous years we somehow managed to avoid each other, but now we’ll have to play. Last time we didn’t make a quick draw was in junior events. I have no idea how to prepare for my sister. I need to do some serious preparation, not only in chess, but also mentally.

– What was your best result at the World Championships? What are your plans for this one?

– At the previous championship I busted in the second round, losing to Elena Dembo. And I never advanced beyond the third round. As for the plans, you cannot really plan much in a knock-out event, all you can do is put maximum effort in every game.

Official website: http://chess2012.ugrasport.com

Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
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