After Words

As usual, after the game both 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) (first from right) and 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) (centre) shared their views with Woman Grandmaster 谷笑冰 (Gǔ Xiàobīng) (first from left), who is acting as a press attaché. 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) admitted that she “suffered a lot of pressure in the first game. Playing Black I wanted a draw and I did my best to succeed. The first game is always a test of your opponent’s strength. I am satisfied, and I feel in a good mood for the next game”. 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), too, appeared quite satisfied with her first display, even though she thinks “the game will have to be analysed carefully and at length as the middle-game was quite complicated”. In any event they both said that whatever will be the outcome of the match, their friendship will last. Finally, they were asked if playing at home means any advantage – the first half of the match is held in 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)’s hometown, and the latter half in 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)’s one. “For me, there is no difference whether to play, here or there; I just play chess and I don’t think about other things. That said, I feel, of course, honoured to be playing in 上海 (Shànghǎi)”, 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) said. 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) is just – a little more – emotional: “I guess I will feel some more pressure in 上海 (Shànghǎi), but that won’t affect my play”. Photo: 樊璐璐 (Fán Lùlù).