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Anastasia Karlovich: Dear chess friends. We are in the press center. And Pia Cramling came here to share with us her impressions after the game against Natalia Pogonina. Pia, first of all, did your preparations work out today? How was the game?
Pia Cramling: I thought it would be nice possibility we would play this opening. She has played it before. I thought it would be quiet and long game. Nothing more than that. What happened is that we went to an endgame which quickly became a little better for me. It was pleasant position for me. Slowly I improved. When I got this rook ending, where she could only make Kd8, Kd7, it was fantastic position for me.
But it took me long to decide where I should place my h pawn, whether it should be on h5 or continue on h3. Then I found the right move. But I think in the end I should have played more correct. I don’t think I played well in the end. But of course I am very happy that I won the game.
Anastasia Karlovich: You have a lot of experience playing the endgames. Do you think it helped you today?
Pia Cramling: Yes, I guess this is one of the advantages that helped me. Indeed I played a lot of such endgames. I think the way to learn endgames is just to play them.
Anastasia Karlovich: Is it a basic rule of this endgame, when you have small advantage, when you press a little bit but still you are far from the victory.
Pia Cramling: You need to have active pieces. You should find more targets. When I put a pawn on h5, there was a target on h6. It was quite logical that pawn should go further.
Anastasia Karlovich: What do you think, maybe she had to take on h4?
Pia Cramling: Maybe, but then I could have a possibility to enter with my king to f4. And she would have to play f6. But she has a danger to be in zugzwang. I will go Kf5. So, I think it was nice position for me.
Anastasia Karlovich: Tomorrow you are playing with black pieces. What is your plan for tomorrow? What is your strategy?
Pia Cramling: I don’t know, I will just try to play good chess.
Anastasia Karlovich: We wish you all the best tomorrow. Thank you so much.