The winner of the Women’s Cup of Russia tournament Oksana Gritsayeva is telling on her road to success to the official website correspondent Alina Bivol.
- Hello, Oksana! Congratulations on the brilliant performance! How did you manage to show such a result?
- Of course I wouldn’t be able to score 8,5 points without the help from my opponents. The struggle was hard in all of the games, sometimes my opponents made mistakes, sometimes I managed to win over them. It was a hard game against Polina Shuvalova, sitting at the board I didn’t understand how I could win. As a result she made a mistake and I managed to win. I received a nice queen gambit in the game with Alina Kashlinskaya. I knew I was risking by playing such sharp variants before the last round, but I didn’t want just to sit and defend against Alisa Galliamova.
- Who supported you and helped in the course of the tournament?
- I felt huge support from the parents of my students, many people left their comments through the social networks, wishing me a victory. Besides, I had a prophetic dream before the start of the competitions, saying that I’ll score 7 of 7 points. I laughed then, but later I noticed I scored 5 points, then 6 points and after my seventh victory I understood, it was a prophecy. I had a dream I would play in a draw in the eighth round, but I didn’t have any dream of the situation in the ninth round, so I was a little bit scared to start the game.
- Have you ever had any similar significant successes in your career?
- I’m a multiple Champion of the Crimea, participant of the 2014 Championship of Russia Superfinal. But I think I’m not playing that well lately. That’s why I became angry and came here with the mood to win.
- Do you consider yourself to be a professional in the world of chess or are you engaged with something else?
- I’ve been training kids since 2003. My students became Champions of the Republic of Crimea, Margarita Potapova is the Champion of Russia. Now I have three different jobs, in two boarding schools and in a chess hobby group.
When I have spare time I play billiards, quite well at that. I even received a title of the city champion in the men’s competitions. In some ways billiards is similar to chess.
- Is it more interesting to work with kids or with those, who already achieved some level?
- I think, it’s more interesting to work with small kids. I can find a common language with them and I really like to work with them.
- Haven’t you thought of leaving your coaching activity and to devote yourself to big sport?
- If I give up my coaching work in Feodosia, nobody will take care of these kids. I can’t do it this way. Besides, I’m not playing in the tournaments so often.
- What are your plans for the nearest future?
- Now I’m planning to go with one of my girls to the children’s Championship of Russia in Loo, then I will play in the higher league of the Championship of Russia – I want to qualify to the Superfinal.
- Thank you for the conversation! I wish you new victories!