Anna Muzychuk, the dominating leader of the first day of the World Blitz Championship, visited the press-center and answered journalists’ questions.

– Anna, you haven’t lost a single game today, how did you show such a great result?

– It was hard for me to change gears from rapid chess to blitz, although the difference in time control is not that big. However, I was terrified when I spent two minutes for ten opening moves in the first game. I could not understand what’s going on. The second game was quite nervous too, but then I gained the momentum, and everything went well.

– Can you go into detail about one of your matches? How do you assess the quality of play?

– Each match was difficult on its own, I cannot single out one of them. There were some blunders, but nothing shocking. I did better in blitz than in rapid chess.

– You shared a third place with Olga Girya in the Rapid Championship. Are you happy with your result and the way the tournament went for you?

– It is a mediocre result. I wanted to get to the first place and was close until the last round, although maybe I did not fully deserve it, especially considering my games on the first day.

– You faced Inna Gaponenko in the concluding round, a player whom you know very well. How did the game go?

– As you know, five players were leading before the last round, and we all had chances to win. Unfortunately, earlier I lost to Katya Lagno, so my tie-break score was not that good, and I needed to play for a win. Inna is very solid with White, so I had to find a sharp line against her, which is a difficult task. I didn’t like my position at first, and only by the end of the game I got some chances, but nothing real. All in all, I cannot say I missed any opportunities in that game.

– Is it hard for you to play against your sister?

– It is unpleasant for sure. At the World Championship in Batumi I lost to her for the first time, and it angered me indeed. After that I won many games against her. Don’t know whether it is a good or bad thing.

– There is a snowstorm today. Does it affect your mood?

– It is hard not to notice a snowstorm! By the way, the weather was better when there were fewer chess players in town. During the Grand Prix everything was fine, but it got colder a couple of days ago. The weather affects me only when it’s raining – it makes everyone sleepy. I’m totally fine with winter and sun.