Interview with Bojana Bejatovic
Bojana Bejatovic, one of the top players from Macedonia, recently gave an interview with the Iraqi newspaper Xebat. Bojana who has represented her country at 5 Olympiads allowed us to carry this interview for our website.
Q. Please let us know when you started to play chess.
I started playing chess at the age of four with my grandfather. My father, who was a basketball player, also wanted me to start playing basketball, so I started with that too. I was in many different sports, but somehow my love for chess remained. I started going to one local chess club at the age of 9 and started with chess training and lessons.
Q. When did you start playing in chess tournaments?
I started playing official chess tournaments three months after I started with chess training. My first chess lesson was in February, and I began participating in the Macedonia Youth Chess Championships in June 2004.
International tournaments
Q. Which was your first international tournament?
I played the World Youth Chess Championship in Belfort, France, in 2005 girls under 12.
Q. The best achievement for you so far?
I have been seven times Macedonian Youth Champion in the girl’s section, (Under 10,12,14,16,18), and I was 2nd in the under 18 in the boy’s section.
I won the tournament in Mureck, Austria in 2007 under 14 (open section). In 2006, I was placed second in category under 12 (girls section). I was second in Varna, Bulgaria in the under 12 in the year 2006.
I achieved a 100% score on the first board (9 points from 9 games) in the team championship in Maribor, Slovenia in 2009, in the category under 15.
My best score was at the European Youth Chess Championship in 2006 in Herceg Novi where I scored 5 points out of 9 games to end up in 18th place. I played in the girls under 12 where I shared 18th place with 5 points out of 9.
I also had a great result at the Olympiad in 2010 in Khanty-Mansiysk where I obtained 5 points out of 8 games.
Bojana Bejatovic v Andrei Filip
Q. Did you realise your dream?
No, not yet. I have been a member of Macedonia women’s team from 2008.
I studied law but worked in the field of economics which has taken taken some energy for me. History & psychology are other fields that are very exciting for me. My other hobbies are writing.
I was the best student in high school and managed to have good grades during my school days despite my hectic chess playing schedule.
My name (Bojana) means a fighter, warrior, brave woman who is always fighting and persevering.
Chess & life
Q. What does chess give you?
Chess is my passion, my universe. It gives me peace and connection to the world and different cultures and people.
Chess has brought many great successes and acquaintances in my life. I agree with Karpov who says “Chess is everything, art, science and sport”.
Chess opens the doors to the world and beyond.
Q. What is your current rating?
My current rating is 2021, but I am trying to surpass it and to become a better player.
Q. Last words to say about chess?
Chess is incredible in its complexities. It is known that there are more possible iterations of a game of chess than there are atoms in the observable Universe!
The value, known as the Shannon Number, represents all of the possible move variations. It is estimated to be between 10^111 and 10^123. The number of atoms by comparison in the observable universe is only expected to be around 10^80.
So it means that chess is an inexhaustible source of possibilities and creativity.
Q. A final word of thanks?
The support I have from my parents is priceless, and I am grateful for having such parents who believe in my dreams and support me in every field.
I am also grateful to my former trainer, my captain (of the national women’s chess team) and to my current chess trainer for teaching me and contributing to the person I am now.
