I’d prefer a bit warmer weather

 

Anna Ushenina won her game against the reigning Russian champion Natalija Pogonina and shared her thoughts about this encounter with the journalists at the press-center.

– The game was very hard and complicated. Natasha’s 7…Bxc3 in the opening was very interesting. In our previous encounters she captured on d4, and her new move led to a very interesting game. I won a pawn, but the position was about even, because my king was centralized and she constantly attacked it. Natasha could make a draw after 35.Qc8+ Nf8 36.Qc4 by 36…Nd7, and I would have to take a draw.

– What is your lifetime score against Pogonina? How did these games develop usually?

– We mostly made draws. I won our game at the Olympiad, when she played 7…cxd4, and it was also an interesting and complicated struggle.

– How did you do in the first two matches here?

– In the first round I faced a player from Peru. I didn’t have any serious problems and advanced without going to the tie-breaks. My second opponent was Anna Muzychuk. We made two draws in classical games, and I managed to win on the tie-break, because Anna played without confidence (or at least it looked so to me) and made a couple of blunders.

– Ukraine is one of the leading chess countries in the world with many outstanding players. Do you receive any support from chess authorities?

– The chess federation recently elected a new president, and the results of his work are already seen. He invests a lot of his time and money into our sport, and I think we are making progress.

– The Ukrainians often compete with Russians at various events. Does it bring any extra tension to your relations?

– There are many strong players in Russia, and they are always tough to play with.

– Do you like to be in Khanty-Mansiysk?

– I like it, but I’d prefer a bit warmer weather.