Today we are talking to the participant of the Moscow Open 2014, RSSU Women’s Student Grandmaster Cup, the grandmaster from Uzbekistan Nafisa Muminova. At the moment she is the only player who has a 100% result at the students’ competitions. It turned out that Nafisa has come to Moscow together with her younger sister.
- Nafisa, we are glad to meet you at the Moscow Open festival. How often do you come to Russia?
- Hello! Thank you. It’s my third time in Russia. First time I came to Nalchik in 2008 for the World Championship. I was also in Khanty-Mansiysk at the World Championship in 2012.
- So it means that you are for the first time in our capital. Did you have a chance to visit our main attractions?
- My flight was delayed on Jan 31, official arrival day. And there was no time left. I will have one extra day for the walk around the city after the tournament is over. It’s great that we are playing in the university with so many auditoriums, and people are playing chess everywhere.
- How is everything coming along for you at the tournament?
- Well, at the moment everything is fine. Today when I was playing with Irina Vasilevich my position could have been much worse but my opponent overlooked several strong moves. There was a point when her knight had to attack on d6. I was sitting and guessing if she made this move (giggling). But she didn’t do that.
- With you it's fun.
- There was much fun in the first round. I was to play with Liza Soloviova. I’m coming up to the board, stretching out my hand, she is doing the same and saying: “You are not playing with me.” My answer: “Hey, how come? Yesterday it was announced that I’m playing you.” Now her turn to answer: “No, it turned out that you are playing with Saulina.”
- So it means that you were playing with Saulina without any training?
- Exactly. I was preparing myself to another opponent. And now I will play with Liza in the fourth round not even as black, but as white (laughing).
- You are the first board of the National Team of Uzbekistan. How did you manage to leave your teammates far behind?
- We are of the same age, and have been always playing in one group. However, at the certain point my rating became higher by a significant number of points… The other girls on the team are international masters.
- Wait. That means that you are the only woman grandmaster in the country?!
- Yes, I was the first girl in Uzbekistan to become a grandmaster (Nafisa smiles modestly).
- Is somebody supporting you in Moscow?
- I have come with my sister. She is playing in the B tournament. She’s 14 and she is a FIDE master.
- Is your sister catching up with you?
- I think she will be an even better player than me. I didn’t have such a rating at the same age. Thanks to our dad, a great chess-lover.
- You are the only one who has a 100% result in the both Men’s and Women’s Student Grandmaster Tournaments…
- That’s great (laughing). But the tournament has just started. We are still to play 6 more rounds. It’s too early get excited. But I hope for the best!
Anna Kalyaeva asked the questions