Read the interview we had with Aleksandra Lukina, a young girl from Russia, who has been practicing chess for more than 20 years.
1. Can you tell us something about yourself? What is your name, how old are you and where are you from?
"My name is Alexandra Lukina. I am 26. I am WFM from Russia."
2. How long have you been practicing chess and who are your chess idols?
"I have been playing chess since I was 3 years old. My first teacher was my dad. I really like two chess players from the past: Emanuel Lasker and Alexander Alekhin. Emanuel Lasker was a comprehensively developed and very intelligent person, as well as a wonderful psychologist. "A talented person is talented in everything." Alexander Alekhin, in my opinion, was a very talented chess player who gave the world a huge number of very beautiful chess combinations. In my opinion, he had the character of a real athlete!"
3. Which opening do you play the most?
"I like the Queen's Gambit, the King's Indian Defense and the French Defense."
4. Have you read any books about chess?
"My favorite chess books:
"100 best games" with autocomments - A.A.Alekhin
"International tournament of grandmasters" in 1953 - D.I. Bronstein
"Theory and practice of chess endings" - A. N. Panchenko
"My system" - A.I. Nimzowitsch
These books greatly improved my understanding of the game of chess. I recommend."
5. Are you a member of a chess club and if so, which club?
"I am a member of the women's team of the Moscow region, and I also have my own chess club "Forsazh" in the city of Orekhovo-Zuyevo."
6. Can you single out some success and tell us more about it?
"I was Russian blitz champion among girls under 12. I became the winner of several international chess festivals for women. As a child, I was the winner and prize-winner of a large number of tournaments. Now I am a children's chess coach and I love my job very much."
7. What are your future plans for chess?
"I love chess very much and it plays an important role in my life. I have big plans for the future with chess. I want to develop as a coach and as a referee. I will also continue to play in tournaments. I improve my methods of teaching children, helping them to succeed and become stronger. Chess allowed me to meet very smart, interesting and comprehensively developed people who are always ready to help and support. Professional chess is a separate world (great!)"
8. Would you recommend the younger generation of boys and girls to try chess?
"I recommend all boys and girls to try their hand at chess. "Chess first of all teaches to be objective" © Alexander Alekhin. Few become champions, but each person, playing chess, realizes himself, learns his inner world, learns to adequately assess the situation, and also plan the future, taking into account many circumstances. These are very useful life skills."
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