Your questions answered by Natalia Pogonina-15 |
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| Friday, 13 August 2010 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 The rules are simple - send us your questions and see them featured in the weekly Q&A column! Q1: Have you ever lost to an amateur? A1: Most chess players are amateurs, so the answer is yes. However, if you mean casual players, those who don't play in tournaments at all, then no, not in my mature years. Q2: Natalia, you mentioned in previous answered questions that 1. e4 is unpopular with super GMs because of the higher level of theory involved and the comparatively easier task for Black in equalising. So why do you choose to play 1.e4 more often? Is there really a remarkable difference in styles between e4, d4, c4 players? 1.e4 suits my style better & I am also a rather conservative player who doesn't like switching openings too often. I used to play 1.d4 when I was a girl though. Generally speaking, 1.e4 is more risky, 1.d4 is more positional, 1.c4 is more flexible as compared to each other. Q3: What score would you get in a simul vs Kenya's male chess team? A3: The players are in the 2000-2200 range, so probably 4-1. 5-0 if lucky, 3-2 if unlucky (given that people who live in regions with few FIDE-rated tournaments are often underrated). Q4: I hear women chess players deriding the separate championship for women. They say they would never take part in it because it is demeaning to women. You are a WGM. What is your response to this? A4: I know just one female player in contention who doesn't compete in the Women World Championship. Judit Polgar. That's her personal choice, while I have a different opinion. Q5: I have a few hours per day to improve in chess. What should I do? A5: It depends on your level and weaknesses. A coach would be handy, but if you are on your own, start by solving a test to determine your weak spots. Then create a training plan featuring all chess aspects (opening, middlegame, endgame, tactics, psychology, physical shape, etc.), but concentrate your efforts on eliminating the shortcomings. Realistically speaking, at sub-master level one should dedicate from 60 to 80 percent of the time to playing and analyzing one's own games. Don't get carried away by sophisticated openings or other theoretical stuff at this point. It's hard to answer such a question quickly, but you may check out Pogonina.com for articles on improving in chess. Many people claim them to be helpful.  Q6: Do you think Allen will be able to get to 2100 from scratch in a year? A6: I have never seen anyone go from knowing the rules to 2100 in a year. However, a) it doesn't mean that it's impossible b) I can't comment on Allen's case since I have never played him and don't know where he's at (and where he was before the bet). Q7: What is the highest level an average person can reach without coaching? 2000? 2300? A7: It's hard to define "average". Also, this leads us to a Guinness-book type of record, something not common. People usually hire coaches not because they wouldn't reach 2000 or 2300 otherwise, but to speed up the process. It's like asking if one can get a decent education at home, without going to the university. The answer is probably yes, but it's much easier to go to college, isn't it? Related articles: Your questions answered by Natalia Pogonina-14 Your questions answered by Natalia Pogonina-13 Your questions answered by Natalia Pogonina-12 Your questions answered by Natalia Pogonina-11 Your questions answered by Natalia Pogonina-10 Your questions answered by Natalia Pogonina-9 Your questions answered by Natalia Pogonina-8 Your questions answered by Natalia Pogonina-7 Your questions answered by Natalia Pogonina-6 Your questions answered by Natalia Pogonina-5 Your questions answered by Natalia Pogonina-4 Your questions answered by Natalia Pogonina-3 Your questions answered by Natalia Pogonina-2 Your questions answered by Natalia Pogonina 
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