HOLGUÍN.— International Master (IM) and Grand Master (GM) Lisandra Ordaz took the crown at Cuba’s 55th Women's National Chess Championship and secured a spot on the team that will represent the country in the game’s Olympiad, to be held in Moscow, July 29-August 17.
The Pinar del Río native’s conquest of the championship for the first time in this competition came as the result of eight accumulated points, the same number won by Havana’s Yuleisy Hernández, who finished second in the competition, based on the agreement to use the Sonneber-Berger tiebreaker system. With 7.5 points, third place went to Yaniela Forgás, from Santiago de Cuba, who showed her customary strength throughout the tournament, held January 28-February 9.
Seconds after receiving the title, Lisandra Ordaz, in a conversation with Granma, acknowledged the skills of the other 11 players participating.
"They were all difficult opponents; I worked with that in mind. My strategy was to concentrate on the game of the day, and I can't say that one was more difficult than another. The important thing was to fight for the point or reach a draw, never lose.
"To get ready for this tournament, I trained for six or seven hours a day, Monday through Saturday. I take my training very seriously; I’m very organized and rigorous with the schedules that I establish, although the preparation time depends on the type of event, that is, if it is open, closed or mixed. I recognize the support I get from Grand Master Aramís Álvarez, a very competent coach who is doing a great job with us.”
She offered the opinion that Cuba’s female competitors continue on the right track. "The chess we play is one of the strongest on our continent; we have already taken the Central and Latin American area. I think we need more tournaments during the year, so that when we reach the national level we will have accumulated more Elo points, because the strength of the game exists."
As for what will happen in Moscow, while keeping her beautiful smile in place, Lisandra was emphatic: "Just like my teammates on the national team, I'm going to fight for a position that will keep our chess on top.”
