Ulviyya Fataliyeva, who won the gold medal at the European Women's Chess Championship held in Rhodes, Greece, gave an interview to the official website of the Azerbaijan Chess Federation.
Idman.biz reports that he commented on his victory.
- The European Individual Chess Championship players has been held since 2000. With this victory, you made history as the first female Azerbaijani chess player to win a gold medal at the European Championship. What are your impressions?
- Believe me, I find it difficult to explain my joy in words. I am very happy. I am very happy that we have seen the results of the exercises. I would like to thank all the people who supported me during the Continental Championship. The European Championship was very intense. There were no games without excitement, each round felt a certain amount of excitement.
- What is the secret of Ulviyya's composure during the championship?
- I was comfortable in this race. I tried not to let my feelings go. Because one mistake could prevent my dream from coming true. Intense training played a big role in my successful performance in the continental competition. Thanks to all the coaches for their support. I cannot mention the name of coach Evgeny Tomashevsky who works with me. Of course, I am grateful to Mahir Mammadov, president of the Azerbaijan Chess Federation. The management of ACF regularly takes an interest in our training and recruits experienced coaches. I am glad that I made their hope come true.
- Which round was the most difficult game?
- There was excitement after the 8th round. There were 2 rounds left before the end of the European Championship. I was 1 point ahead of my closest follower. I was excited when I thought about the last rounds. Suddenly there is a mistake and the situation in the standings changes. I really wanted to finish the championship in the first place.
- You won a bronze medal at the European Championship in 2022. You became the champion in 2024. What has changed in two years?
- I used to think only about victory before the competition. When there was no result, it naturally had a bad effect. So I was thinking about the tournament I went to. Now I think bigger. In training, I aim for all competitions in the future. It is not won in one race, it is won in another. After the bronze medal in 2022, I wondered if I could turn the medal into a gold award. I was dreaming. You believe, sometimes you believe in yourself, sometimes you don’t. My dream has come true now.
- What should be done to make the dream come true?
- Everyone remembers the situation during the pandemic in 2020. All sides were closed. In those days, when I was preparing, I used to dream for myself. When I went to Greece, I wished and dreamed of the championship. Now I got my dream. I didn't give room to my feelings, I tried to win every round while enjoying chess.
- Can this victory help the Azerbaijani national team at the World Chess Olympiad in September?
- The Continental Championship is not over, the games of the last round are currently going on. The number of our medals in the individual European Championship can be high. My teammate Gunay Mammadzada has a chance to be among the award winners. As for the Olympics, our women's chess team tries to please chess fans in every competition. I think that the victory in the European championship can help each of our chess players.
- To whom do you dedicate the European Championship?
- The Continental Championship was my dream. This success can help young players who dream. It is useful to dream about great success in life. You just have to believe in your strength. Sometimes it seems difficult to achieve serious goals. You have to keep believing and fighting. Thank you all.
Idman.biz
