Journey to Nowhere

In an interview with the Sport-Express correspondent Timur Ganeev, three-time Russian Women’s Chess Champion and women’s world No. 2 Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina (pictured above) voiced her apprehensions for the future, due to the geopoltical crisis that is causing Russia to be blacklisted by most Western countries. She also feels in doubt about her continuing her commitment to FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2022–23. “Honestly, I do not know what will be of me. I don’t have visas. Therefore, the stages of Grand Prix can go on without me. Let’s see how the situation develops”, said Goryachkina. More particularly, the issue concerns the third and fourth stages of Grand Prix, in India and Poland respectively. There should not be any problem for her to travel to India, “but”, she says, “there are still no dates” (nor place indeed). Nevertheless, the intransigence of Poland over any Russian presence in their stage is apparently insurmountable, “And, as far as I know, FIDE does not want to move it to somewhere else”. The fate wanted that the next Women’s World Chess Championship match will be an all-Chinese affair and, happen what may, she can only be a spectator. Will 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) succeed in defending her title? “No comment”. Goryachkina, however, has one last card to play before making herself invisible: that is, to apply for a Schengen visa. “I’ll try, but the probability of getting it is deemed minimal. In general, this year I will play for myself, for my own pleasure”, she said. “I have invitations to some tournaments, but again, a lot depends on getting a visa”. Photo: Fedor Uspensky/Sport-Express.