Międzynarodowe Mistrzostwa Małoopolski (International Lesser Poland District Championship) are one of the most popular chess tournament in Poland. Few days of chess paradise ; and awesome physical and mental effort of players- Prosto z Auto made an interview with Satyajiit Mahanta, one of the participant who managed to finish with 4,5/7 and ended slightly up to 20th place between almost 500 participant. Tournament took place in Hotel Galaxy in Krakow between 8-11 June 2023.

How do you like tournament? It was very visible that it was very huge event?

Exactly, it occurred that Cracow is the city of big music and sport events. It was also perfect chance to play on the very top level. It was perfect chance to play classical chess (90 mins+ 30 sec increment/ move) and also blitz at the end. Tournament took place in the prestigious Hotel Galaxy located almost in the city centre. It was organized in very sophisticated and gracious was with top chess players and officials even from furthest part of Poland like Gdansk or Sopot.

And how do you like your game in the tournament?

That was tournament when I could compete with very strong players. Players were divided into category from A to E when A was the strongest. Personally for me tournament was a missing of fleetment moment of joy, some mental scars and a painful draws. I started from 3 wins, it went so good, and that I had draw which I should convert to win, probably mentally the hardest moment of tournament. Day 3 was my day of looses. Fortunately enough to reach board 3, but it was the day of missing opportunities, bad defenses and 2 game which I lost

It seems that such tournaments increase passion to chess?

Chess are very beautiful sport, very inclusive, with strong philosphical background, they can be both exciting and painful, sometimes with solace of live. I saw for example +50 players, who analyses game after it was over, and I noticed that some of them experienced life terminating illness. Determination to have fun at least for this few days was the win for me. „Old age gambit declined” is how I would term it.
Day 4 had so much in common with Queen Gambit, Sicilian Psychology to break opponent preparation, chess can be also brutal but this is part of our game.

To sum up tournament was awesome, exciting experience for me, a lot to introspect and I slept like a baby after.

Łukasz Kołtuniak