Before a battle, the mind of a determined athlete is focused on victory. Santiago chess player Yaniela Forgas has participated several times in the National Championship, but none compares to this year’s, held in Holguin, where effort won her the tournament.
-Did playing against stars like Lisandra Ordaz and others of that stature put you under pressure?
-The game with Lisandra was very tense, we were tied for first place, I went out to play my best game, to take the point, but it ended in a draw.
-How would you appraise the quality of the event?
-It was very close until the last round, I looked for the decisive point with black pieces, that day, against Grand Master Yuleisis Hernandez, from Havana, a very good player, I had no other choice. I am an International Master and had to take the title, to meet the second Grand Master standard. I prepared myself physically for this championship, since I was feeling tired at the end of games and I overcame this.
-Do you feel nervous at the beginning of a game?
-There are always nerves, but after the first move they disappear. You need to be prepared to recover quickly, if you lose a game, as happened to me this time, when I lost to GM Zirka Frómeta, in the ninth round.
-What other satisfaction does this title give you?
-I thought about winning after finishing with the bronze twice. I knew that if I better prepared myself, I could do it. The victory assures me a place on the next Cuban national team to the World Olympiad, this year, in Russia. Now I will participate in the Capablanca, in May, and continue training.
-How do you combine being a mother, spouse and chess player?
-The hours for chess depend on the time I have. Being a mother of an eight-year-old and a wife is a nice challenge. That's why I consider the victory well-deserved, a prize for the sacrifice and love for the sport I have been practicing since I was nine years old, with coach Mauricio Rodriguez, who is like a father to me.
