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Over and over again Natalia Pogonina receives messages from people who want to become professional chess players and earn a title - IM or even GM. One of the most popular follow-up questions is about training. All sorts of chess-related details are of interest: how many hours per day to study; what openings are the best; is it better to learn by doing, or by studying; how much time to dedicate to tactics; what chess software to buy; to play blitz on the Internet or not to play... This is understandable, because there are very few good books on how to work on chess. This column will, however, be dedicated to more important matters, without knowing which it is impossible to become a strong chess player.
 

1)    Financial security. Unless you are already a top grandmaster, you will hardly be able to make a living playing chess. Hence, if you are planning to dedicate a few years (yes, years) to improving from club level to master's level, you had better prepare a nice monetary cushion to fall back upon while studying chess. Keep in mind that one has to be able to travel to tournaments and pay for coaching, while you won't be earning any money. If you are heedlessly hoping to become an IM by playing 1-3 tournaments per year, then you are as naive as a person who wants to prepare for the Mister Olympia by going to the gym once a week. So, evaluate correctly the needs of your family and make a decision whether you can afford to study chess professionally or not.
 

2)    Pay attention to psychology and self-discipline. Some of us are too lazy. Others don't like to admit their mistakes. Are you afraid of strong opponents? Do you get into time trouble? Lacking fighting spirit and agreeing to draws too often? And so on, and so forth. Usually there is a serious psychological problem behind each chess weakness. If you succeed in eliminating the hassles, you will become a chess player as well.
 

3)    Health. Chess is quite demanding and energy-consuming. When you are feeling low, your performance suffers. Monitor your health and regularly practice active sports. This is beneficial both for your body and for your brain.
 

4)    Set your priorities straight. The first three pieces of advice are applicable to any human, not necessarily chess players. Once you are done with them, you can take a moment to decide whether you really love chess so much that you have to spend the next few years working on increasing your rating. Maybe you will be satisfied with occasional blitz events or playing online? Also, while attaining financial security, you might become so obsessed with your activity that you will forget your intentions about becoming a chess pro.

Disclaimer: I am not trying to persuade anyone to quit chess or to let go of one's dreams. Quite the opposite. The point is that many loyal fans of Caissa overestimate their chances and ruin their own lives by adhering to instincts. Visit a local chess club, and you will notice numerous drunken fellows in stale outfits. They have no family, no money, and, on top of all that, a very modest FIDE rating. I doubt that it's the future they were anticipating when they had devoted all their efforts to chess.

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The match between Antoaneta Stefanova and Harika Dronavalli was decided in classical chess. In the first game both players castled kingside, but White (Stefanova) found a way to launch a powerful attack on her opponent. Her own monarch also had to flee to the queenside. In the end, the Bulgarian grandmaster found an efficient tactical combination and made Harika resign to avoid getting checkmated. In the second game Antoaneta obtained three pawns for a piece with a commanding position. Harika succumbed to a draw, thus getting eliminated.

 

Harika was accompanied by her grandmother, while ther seconds were helping her via Skype

The duel between Ju Wenjun and Anna Ushenina was somewhat more hard-fought. In te first game Anna was putting pressure on her opponent, but at some point decided not to win an exchange for some reason and offered a draw. In the second game it was Ju Wenjun who offered a draw on move 18.

Ushenina won the first rapid game, but Ju Wenjun had good chances to defeat her in the second encounter. Alas for China, it didn't happen.
 

Ju Wenjun kept winning all her matches on tie-breaks, but not this time

So, Stefanova vs. Ushenina in the final. Antoaneta is known as a fantastic player when she is in a good form. Obviously, that is the situation we have now. At some point Anna was rated 2500+, but then her progress has seemingly come to an end, and she has been struggling to become part of the women's chess elite for the last few years. However, something has happened to her playing strength recently: she hasn't lost a game in the Ukrainian Championship, Chess Olympiad and World Championship (33 total). Her personal score against Stefanova is +1 =2 -0. The outcome of the match is unpredictable.
 

Antoaneta Stefanova won the WWCC in 2004, when for the first time since 1988 there were no Chinese players in the final. 8 years later history is being repeated - no Chinese players in the final, Stefanova is playing. Antoaneta's second at this event is GM Vladimir Georgiev, who is also working with Natalia Pogonina

As you can see from her dismaying face expression, Anna Ushenina is planning to capitalize on the chance of her lifetime and become the Women's World Chess Champion. She is being helped by the Ukrainian Champion Anton Korobov

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Puzzle courtesy of Barry R. Clarke, columnist for The Daily Telegraph and international puzzle expert

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