Bhubaneswar: Chess player WGM Kiran Manisha Mohanty of Orissa, who finished 15th in the classic segment of the Asian Continental Chess Championships at Chengdu in China, stated Monday that she could have done much better had she managed time properly during her matches.
Kiran finished with five points from nine rounds with five wins and four losses. It was a good show by Kiran as the tournament saw some of the best players in action.
Kiran however, asserted she could have done much better. “I am not at all happy with my performances. Technically, I was good, but I failed to manage time properly,” Kiran said on her return to the city. “I lost a couple of matches from winning positions, as I was under time pressure,” she informed.
Kiran who gained 17 rating points from the event to take her Elo rating to 2160 described her sixth round match against Iran’s IM K Sarasadat as the ‘toughest’. “I experimented with a new opening and lost,” she stated.
Kiran was also all praise for statemate, Padmini Rout who got a bronze in the blitz segment. The gold in the same segment was bagged by R Vaishali.
“It feels really great. Because of their efforts India won two medals. Full credit to them,” Kiran said.
Kiran will return to India Tuesday. Her next tournament is the Mayor’s Cup in Mumbai, starting June 4. “It’s an open tournaments and many star players of the world will participate in it. I hope to give my best in the tournament,” she said.
Kiran has no coach right now and she is preparing on her own online. She also refers to chess books whenever the need arises. “I just want to enjoy the game as much as possible and learn new techniques through them,” she signed off.
PNN