Your questions answered by Natalia Pogonina-39

Written by Administrator

Sunday, 10 July 2011

The rules are simple - send us your questions and see them featured in Natalia's Q&As column!

Q1: Do you study using a chess board or only with the computer?

A1: During tournaments there is not always enough time to play out the variations on a chess board when preparing. However, during training sessions I always use a regular chess board along with a laptop since we memorize lines better by making the moves on the board with our hands. Besides, at tournaments we play on wooden boards, not virtual. so one has to be comfortable with that.

Q2: I am rated 1500. What engines should I use?

A2: At this level you have no real need in using an engine. Try to rely on your own head and the advice of a coach/partner instead of copying ideas from the machine. This will help you learn the basics of analyzing one's games and self-improvement. Conversely, if you simply follow the engine's prompts and mark your moves with corresponding marks (?, !, etc.), your progress will be much slower.

Q3: Whom do you prefer playing: lower-rated or higher-rated opponents?

A3: First of all, I prefer playing chess.

Both types of games are instructive. In the first case the emphasis is on helping your opponent improve, in the second - on improving yourself. But in both situations the games should be fun and enjoyable.

Q4: Do you mind if I add you as a friend on FaceBook? How do I know it's the real you with so many impersonators around?

A4: Sure, go ahead.

Here a few links:
My new FaceBook account
My old FaceBook account (can't add any more friends there due to the 5000 limit)
My Twitter
My Youtube channel
My Vkontakte profile

Let's stay in touch!

Q5: What is more important for you: chess or your family?

A5: One can't compare real people with a game, no matter how great the former is.

Q6: Do you think the fact that there is a special category for women and women choose to play in it instead of playing with the men demeans them in any way?

A6: This topic (“women’s chess titles are demeaning”) is quite popular. Briefly speaking, I believe there is a lot of negative discrimination against women in chess, and some positive discrimination too. It is closely connected with the argument on whether women can and should play on par with men. For instance, the best female soccer, basketball or tennis player will be no match for even a top-100 male player. However, they are more popular and have a larger income. On the contrary, many people believe that women should be able to match the skill of Anand or Kasparov. If they can’t, it’s just their problem, they say. So, there is no agreement in the chess community on whether a 2550-rated woman deserves a very-very modest wellbeing (since it’d be like top 400 in the world), or a top athlete’s (since it means being top-5 among women).

Q7: I want to become a professional chess player. Can I do it myself, without a coach?

A7: Studying chess without a coach diminishes your efficiency and slows down your progress. Also, if you get used to doing something the wrong way, it is very hard to unlearn. Therefore, you should do your best to find a good coach if you are certain about becoming a pro. Most professional chess players originate from low or medium-income families, so you had better evaluate your career prospects and make investments wisely.

Comments (1)

	1. Written by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it on 19:17 10 èþëÿ 2011 ã.
	Endgame What is your way of studying endgames? Should a 1600 focus on the endgame?

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Last Updated ( Sunday, 10 July 2011 )

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