Lisa Schut blij met gedeelde eerste plaats, brons

Brons is geen goud maar niettemin was Schut tevreden over haar resultaat: 'My ambition before the tournament was to become world champion. I am happy that I came in shared first, especially after my difficult start. The most important point for me in this tournament was that I showed strong character and determination in the second half of the tournnament.'

In de laatste ronde won ze dus van de latere wereldkampioene. Hoe ging dat precies? 'My opponent normally plays the Sicilian but decided to surprise me with the Petroff. She offered a draw on move 3 which I declined. I gradually built up an    advantage which turned into a winning position. During time trouble I played    inaccurate. At one point the endgame was equal however my opponent, who was very nervous, made a mistake after which I could play on for a win again. After more than 6 hours of play (my game was the last game of the tournament) I converted the advantage into a win. The feeling after the game is unforgettable. I was completely exhausted, but left singing and ran to my coach and hugged him.'

In de aanloop naar het WK Jeugd speelde Schut veel partijen: 'My coach, Vladimir Chuchelov, and I decided that it was important to play a lot and improve my physical and chess condition. Shortly before the WC I played the Olympiad which made me a lot stronger. I also played many tournaments during the summer.'

Schut ziet de WK-medaille als een beloning voor een jarenlange periode van hard werken: 'I have always had a real passion for chess and I continued to play and study whatever happened.'

En tenslotte: 'I just want to thank my coach. Vladimir Chuchelov, and my family and friends for all their support!'