The best chess players in the world showed their skills this week in Großlobming in Styria. Young players competed against great masters – they even succeeded in the sensation.
The sun heats the garden pavilion in the G’Schlössl Murtal, but Josephina Brunner has to keep a cool head. Her opposite is Tan Zhongyi, grandmaster from China, between the two 16 wooden and 16 black figures. The 13-year-old from Langenwang has three minutes and two seconds to think about the next train blitzchach is called this kind of game.
Josephina’s trainer Gert Schnider looks at the side. “She recently won the title of U-18 National Champion,” he whispers, although she is only 13 years old. “Grandmaster is a very realistic goal.”
Josephina is one of the three Styrian Squad players who could compete against the Grand Master from all over the world on Monday on the edge of Fide’s Grand Prix. You want to be eligible for the World Cup here. The best Austrian player is currently Olga Badelka. “We have followed and analyzed many of the competitions through live stream,” says coach Gert Schnider.
The sport flourished by Corona
Hours, playing online and offline, reading, practicing, analyzing – that is part of chess in sports with high performance. Like so many many, Josephina Brunner started playing during the Corona Lockdowns. In the training she is often opposed to Katharina Pötscher. The 16-year-old from Gratwein-Straßengel has been playing since primary school age.
“Chess is still too popular with women,” she says for the tournament. Play a good ten times as many boys as girls. “I would like to know why. Maybe because you always play against each other.” That’s a pity, says Katharina. “Chess looks boring. But it is fascinating, you always learn to do it, even the highest level.”
A draw against the world champion
Learning and gaining experience – that’s what the boy players expect from the Grand Masters. Eva Maria Schmied (23) van Klagenfurt, who competes for the club of Gratwein, takes an even greater success: she makes a draw against world champion Viswanathan Anand, so Trek! Katharina Pötscher had to surrender to Anand after 55 trains.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
