World Championship matches are special and bring a lot of excitement, says Muzychuk

Anna Muzychuk knows how to win big titles. The former World blitz and rapid champion isn’t hazarding a guess on the probable victors in the championship matches — Open and women’s, both featuring Indian players.

She felt psychological momentum and handling pressure could prove decisive in the summit contests. D. Gukesh, the defending champion, faces Uzbek Javokhir Sindarov in the men’s title decider while R. Vaishali challenges China’s Ju Wenjun for the women’s crown.

“It will be a very interesting clash. I’m looking forward to watching both of them (Open and women’s finals) because the World Championship matches always stand out,” Muzychuk, who will compete in Norway Chess, said in a virtual interaction on Monday.

Muzychuk said a lot could change before the title showdowns as momentum and fortunes can swing drastically over time. “They are always special and they bring a lot of excitement, especially for the spectators. It’s very hard to say who will win or who is the favourite because there is still a lot of time,” added the 36-year-old.

The Ukraine Grandmaster, who featured in the recent Candidates in Cyprus after Koneru Humpy pulled out citing the conflict in West Asia, was all praise for Vaishali and Divya Deshmukh. “I don’t think we should speak only about the Candidates because we know why Vaishali won the tournament… and it was a fantastic achievement. And, for Divya, things didn’t go so well. But at the same time, they are top-level players.”

Muzychuk, whose best in the classical World Championship format is a runner-up finish in 2017, said her “final” objective was to clinch the top prize before time runs out. “Yeah, it’s the biggest goal that is left because I have won the World Rapid and Blitz titles”.