Pia Cramling from Sweden defeated the reigning Russian champion Valentina Gunina in the first game of the third round. Cramling arrived to the media room to analyse the game and speak about her love for chess.
Anastasia Karlovich: Dear ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the press center. We are having Pia Cramling as our guest. Pia has just won the game against Russian player Valentina Gunina. But I would like to ask you about your first matches in this championship. They were really tough I believe.
Pia Cramling: Yes, in the first game of the first match I have got a good advantage. That game was more or less fine. But in the second game everything went wrong from the very beginning. I was completely lost. But then all of a sudden we were equal, but I blundered again. This was the moment when I was very upset. Because when I made a blunder, she could have won in one move. Good for me that she did not see it. So I was lucky in the second game of that match.
– Second match you played against Arakhamia-Grant, your permanent opponent.
– Yes, Ketevan is the one I played against most of the times. We have played a lots of tournaments together and we are very good friends. I would have preferred to play against someone else. But what to do, we always fight when we play chess: she is a very good fighting player.
– What was your score against her before this match?
– I have a very big plus. But the last time we played the serious long game, I think it was during the European championship 2010 which I won. I lost one game and it was against Ketevan.
– So, in the match against Ketevan you won the second game. I remember you were analyzing for a long time after that. What was interesting in it?
– Yes, it was the second game. It was in an endgame. I think she went wrong. She let me put my pieces on fantastic squares. It was a little better, but then it became much better all of a sudden. And then she was short on time and has just collapsed.
– After your second match, you had a free day to prepare for your next opponent. Did your preparation work out?
– Yes, today I was very happy with an outcome from the opening. I think I just got a very nice position.
– Where were the critical moments? When do you think something went wrong for her? Where did she make mistakes to your mind?
– I think when I got this pawn structure, when I had all the pawns in the center, having a pawn on g4, this position looks very nice for me. Plus I had a bishop pair. There is an advantage for me. And I played 16.e4, which looked logical. And she went for complications and this is typical for her. I don’t know if e4 is a correct move, but when you have it, you want to play it immediately, so I went for it too.
– How far did you calculate in this position? Of course 16…Bc3 is a principled move.
– Yes, it’s principled, but in general, I have a bishop pair, I have a nice pawn structure. But ok, I had a pawn on g4, the only weakness I had. Even if I give it in, her pieces will be pinned. So, my general feeling was that it should be ok. After 18.Re1 she should move Rook from a8. She had to play what she played.
– Were there any problems after 19.Bh6?
– I don’t know if she could improve somewhere. I think 20.c4 is very good. If I could have taken on d5, then she could have had compensation: the knight, pawn on c3. c4 is an important move. She was trying to make some traps for me still. Valentina is a very tricky player. But I had a very good position. She had a pawn up but it didn’t really matter, she is weak on b7. I played 24.Qf4. Everything is very clear. And there was no time for her to try something. She can’t even change queens. My pawn on c5 was to win the game. The rest was the matter of technique.
– What about tomorrow’s game?
– It will be very tough game, I am sure. I know my opponent well enough to say so.
– Pia, you have been in the top for almost three decades. You have won the European Championship twice. What is your ambition here? Do you want to be the World Champion?
– My ambitions are just to try to play good chess. This is my first aim, to try to play some quality chess. If I want to become the World Champion, I have to improve so much. I have to take away my weaknesses I have. I love to play chess so much, so I will just try to become a better player and then you will see maybe one day.
– Those words are fantastic. Especially for us, chess players: you should improve every day to play quality chess. Thank you so much, Pia, and good luck in the championship.