B.
Munguntuul answered media questions midway through the tournament. A selection
of the questions and answers follows.

When did you start playing chess?

Our father taught me, my sister and
my brother to play chess when we were children. 
I became a women’s International Master at the age of 15 and last year
achieved the rank in the open category.   

How did you happen to live in
Russia?

Our family moved there in 2000 when
my father went to work in an international institute in Moscow. I joined the
Russian State Social University, and returned home after graduating this year.
 I will go back to Moscow soon.

Whom do you work with?

In Moscow I trained with IM Vladimir
Vulfson, and before the Grand Prix GM Yury Yakovich came here to help me.

What do you like to do besides
chess?

I like to read books, play table
tennis, take long walks. I tried to do fitness training but it did not work
out.

What kind of books do you read?

I like detective stories and science
fiction but at the moment I am reading Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables.

Do you watch films and plays?

Sometimes I go to watch a film but I
haven’t seen a play for a long time.period, for about last 2 years.

Who are your friends?

Most of my many friends are not
chess players. 

How do you spend your money?

Moscow is an expensive city, so I
spent money mostly on food and on outings with my friends and on some shopping,
of course.

What chess schools styles do you
prefer?

I have studied the games of Smyslov.
Also I like the style of Judith Polgar and Garry Kasparov.

Do you remember your chess first
prize?

Yes, I came second at the national championship.
I was 6 then and it was my first tournament. I was small and shy, so my father
accompanied me when I went on stage.

What do you want to achieve in
chess?

Right now I have to improve my game.
I want to become Grandmaster in the open category.

What motivates you when you play? It
is said you rarely agree to draw, why?

I never like the thought of giving up. Even when there is no
chance for a win I try to play on.

What do you prefer: training or
playing?

Munguntuul: To play. I train every
day and sometimes it is boring. 

How has it been playing on your
homeland? There is a proverb “At home even walls help”…

I just try to concentrate on my play
and think of nothing else. Of course it is pleasant that fans support me, but
it can be distracting, too, leading me to sometimes commit mistakes. So far I
have not been playing well. Maybe with so many people rooting for me I feel the
burden of expectations. Maybe I would have played better elsewhere.

Here I would like to express my
gratitude to my main sponsor – Monnis Company, which have paid for my training
session. I also signed a sponsorship contract for one year with Oyu Tolgoi LLC
and Khan bank.

When you have children, would you
want them to play chess?

Of course I will teach them how to
play, but I would not like them to become professional players with mom playing
alongside.