Elisabeta Polihroniade: We Hope Chess will Become a Compulsory Subject in Romanian Schools

- We hope that chess will become a compulsory subject in Romanian schools, - says Elisabeta Polihroniade. Multiple time Romanian champion and grandmaster Elisabeta Polihroniade was the head of the appeal committee at the International RSSU Cup Moscow Open 2013. A day before the conclusion of the event she answered jounralists' questions in the festival's press conference room. The topics for discussion were scholastic chess, journalism, among others.

- Elisabeta, this must be your twentieth visit to Moscow.
- I am not certain. When I was young and only started playing chess on the international level, this was the only place I wanted to play in. Not in Paris, not in London - only in the Soviet Union, in Moscow. It's because I knew that you had very strong chess players, and naturally, I also wanted to be a strong chess player.

- And you were successful at it.

- Yes, I became a grandmaster, winning several Romanian national championships.

- How do you like the Moscow Open?
- We brought two boys to this festival. They played in the school champions tournament. They lack experience, but they love chess. We thought that it was important for such talented boys to play here. It does not matter if they win or lose, but they will learn a lot at this tournament.

- Last year Romania hosted World School Chess Championships. What is the situation with scholastic chess in Romania?
- Yes, we hosted World School Chess Championships last year. I think chess should be a compulsory subject in school. Nowadays we have some good opportunities to play in our country, because Romania's Minister of Education loves chess and his son is also a player. We hope that in the near future chess will be included into the school program in Romanian secondary school.

When I visited China I saw that in primary school children are taught chess for the first two years. I asked why the first two years. I was told that it is essential to teach kids to play chess while they are still young, because it teaches them important moral values. Later they have a choice whether or not to continue playing chess. I want the same in Romania.

- Does Romania have school championships?
- Yes, we have National School Chess Championships, but we need to increase the level of the competition, to make it as strong as the one you have.

- You are very well know to professional chess players, primarily because of the Royal tournament.
- Yes, I am one of its organizers. This year it will begin on June 10-11 and will end on June 23-24. It will take place in our capital, in Bukharest; once we held it in a charming little town, but then we decided to bring it back to Bukharest; it is better in terms of media coverage and more spectators come.

- I know that you have devoted many years to journalism.
- When I was contemplating which profession to choose I was already a grandmaster. I realized that it would be better for me to become a journalist. My parents wanted me to become a doctor, but it was impossible as I still wanted to compete in tournaments. In the end I devoted my life to television, I was a host of my own program. I interviews people, I provided reports; for me it was an excellent opportunity to work and play chess. For the past twenty years we have been publishing the magazine Gambit In Romania. I am its director and Emil-Danut Gabar is its editor-in-chief.

- What would you like our festival to be like in the future?
- Frankly... I wanted it to be longer, so that I would have more days to stroll about Moscow, there are so many things that I want to see. And I am surprised that Russia has so many beautiful women. Look around, they are all so beautiful. They make our life brighter.