"Interview with Navini Choudary Alapati from Tanzani.

Navini Choudary Alapati from Tanzani is only 9 years old, the youngest participant in the entire Olympiad!

We caught up with her right after she finished her first game (unfortunately she lost).

<Navini, what are your first impressions from the Olympiad? How does it feel to play in a Chess Olympiad at such young age?>

"I had a nice experience, it was fine. I lost the game, but had a good feeling throughout."

<This is your first Olympiad, and also the very first time that your country, Tanzania, sends a women’s team in a Chess Olympiad; I am sure it is a great experience for you all! How do you like Baku as a city, as well as getting the chance to see all these grandmasters who are playing here?>

"The city is very nice, I am enjoying it. It is very interesting, although I don’t have a favourite grandmaster yet; I am too young still!

I started playing chess when I was 5 and have only played very few tournaments since. But I am used playing with adults, and older people in general – since I am always the youngest!"

http://www.bakuchessolympiad.com/ne...

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"Too young to have a favourite player." I like that thinking. It shows she has a mind of her own and is not being told who to like.

I suspect she does have a sneaky respect for Frank Marshall, which is no bad thing. She tried one of Marshall's tricks.