By Mike Klein
Chess players often complain about distractions in the tournament hall. But squeaky chairs and jiggling change take a back seat for some competitors. Amidst the intense focus required of top-level players, one subgroup must add another item to the list of complications – motherhood.
“The hardest part for me is to leave the house and get on the plane,” said Woman Grandmaster Rusudan Goletiani, one of the favorites in the upcoming 2009 U.S. Women’s Championship, to be held Oct. 3-13 at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis. Goletiani will travel to Saint Louis in early October from her home in New York to try to recapture a title she won in 2005. Back then, her 2-year-old daughter, Sophie, had yet to be born. Since then, leaving behind Sophie for tournaments has been a challenge.
“I told my husband not to bring her to the airport,” she said. “It is hard to leave her.” Goletiani has had to before. In 2008, she left behind a needy infant to play third board for the U.S. Women’s Team at the Chess Olympiad in Germany. After the squad dramatically won the bronze medal in the final round, Goletiani’s jubilation gave way to an extreme longing to be reunited with her family. She was not the only one who expressed the same emotion. Fellow Women Grandmaster Anna Zatonskih looked visibly tired and deflected some excitement when she said that all she wanted was to see her daughter.
Chess mothers face a dual challenge – being able to concentrate on pre-match preparation while meeting the needs of their children, and also setting aside motherly duties once competitions begin.
