'I play only for fun'

Eighty-one-year-old WIM Rani Hamid, who is fondly referred to as 'grandma' in the chess fraternity, was the second oldest woman chess player in the 45th Chess Olympiad after 83-year-old debutant Pauline Woodward of Guernsey. Hamid secured six wins in a row after skipping the first three rounds in Budapest, Hungary. The 20-time Bangladesh national women's champion, three-time British Women's Chess Champion, and Commonwealth Chess gold medalist, Hamid, talked about her experience, memories, and more during an interview with The Daily Star's Anisur Rahman after the 10th-round matches. The excerpts of the interview are as follows:

The Daily Star (DS): What does it mean for you to represent Bangladesh in all Chess Olympiads except the 2022 edition since your debut in 1984?

Rani Hamid (RH): It feels really good because representing Bangladesh in the Chess Olympiad is a matter of pride. I came to this stage after being qualified. Besides, it has always been a good feeling to play against players from around the world.

DS: From almost missing out on playing in the 45th Chess Olympiad after finishing sixth in the national chess championship to notching up six straight wins in the competition, how do you feel about putting up such a performance at the age of 81?

RH: I was also surprised by such a performance -- made no blunders in all six games I won. However, today [Saturday] I made a blunder [in the 10th round] thinking how I have been flawless till this stage. I could have at least secured a draw in the 10th round. Besides, I felt hot in the chess room and that was another reason to suffer defeat.

DS: You are performing like an 18-year-old. How do you feel about this?

RH: [Laughs loudly] Because I always love to play chess and I enjoy the game. I can't think of stopping. I don't have any shortage of motivation to play chess. I am still performing because of my love for the game. I forget everything [results] because I play only for fun. Besides, I never think of opponents. Sometimes, I don't even know about my opponents.

DS: You have certainly built up a steady relationship with the players and officials of other countries since you have been playing for the last 40 years. What were their reactions regarding you this time around?

RH: I played against British champion Susan Kathryn and many other famous players and have a good relationship with them. Today [Saturday] Susan Polgar [Hungarian-American chess grandmaster] took a photo with me and uploaded it to her X account. Everyone sees me positively in the chess Olympiad.

DS: Which one is your most memorable Chess Olympiad campaign?

RH: I first participated in the Chess Olympiad in Greece [in 1984] and played in the open section where I had to play against the world no 4 Grandmaster from New Zealand, and I fought a long time against him. It was a very memorable tournament for me. I encountered an interesting incident there because I was not initially allowed to enter the premises. I was informed that this place was for the male players and, due to a language barrier, it took me a long time to convince them that I would be playing in the open section against male players.

The 2018 Olympiad was also a special one for me as I was honoured with the Journalist Choice Award, introduced in that edition.

DS: How do you evaluate the current women's chess players like Noshin Anjum, Walijah Ahmed, Wadifa Ahmed, and Nusrat Jahan Alo who were playing in the Chess Olympiad? Do you see any difference between them and the players from before?

RH: They have improved a lot in the recent past and they can improve further. They fought hard against their opponents. Even though they lost, they played really well because of the training they received from the chess federation.

I don't see any difference [between the current and the players from the past]. The standard, however, has been similar. If these groups of girls can earn more norms like IM and GM then they will be sharper and more mature in the future.