Valentina Gunina, a prominent Russian chess player, has spoken openly about her long battle with lupus and how the condition has intertwined with her career. The conversation, reported by Sports Express, reveals the silent strain lupus places on a top sportsperson who must maintain nerve, focus, and stamina through intense competition and a demanding travel schedule.
According to Gunina, she manages pain with medication that includes blocker pills and hormonal treatment to blunt discomfort. She notes that lupus can lie dormant and then surge during stressful moments, suggesting that certain life events may act as triggers. In her view, stress appears to stoke the disease, especially during critical periods in her chess career. This perspective is echoed by many athletes who face fluctuating health while pursuing peak performance, as documented in sports health discussions (source attribution: Sports Express).
Gunina disclosed that she had felt unwell for years before receiving a formal lupus diagnosis in 2023. The misdiagnosis she encountered—initially labeled as psychosomatic—was a frustrating detour that reduced her ability to trust her own body during a time when every move on the board mattered. She emphasizes that logical reasoning finally tipped the scales, particularly when episodes of severe weakness left her bedridden and unable to function normally, a stark contrast to her usual vitality and discipline (source attribution: Sports Express).
In the World Blitz Championship held in Samarkand, Gunina achieved a remarkable run, ultimately clinching the title by defeating Ukrainian grandmaster Anna Muzychuk in the 17th round. The conclusion of the match carried an unexpected moment when Muzychuk chose not to shake hands with Gunina after the game, a gesture that sparked commentary about sportsmanship and rivalry in elite chess (source attribution: Sports Express).
Beginning the tournament with seven consecutive victories, the 34-year-old Gunina sustained her lead through the final rounds, finishing with an authoritative margin in a 17-round event. The sequence of wins not only showcased tactically precise play but also reflected a mental resilience often required in blitz chess, where time pressure amplifies the stakes and testing a player’s endurance becomes part of the strategy (source attribution: Sports Express).
The broader reaction to the event touched on how athletes navigate interpersonal dynamics under high stress. Gunina, who has faced various health and competitive pressures across her career, addressed questions about how her condition influenced her approach to competition and how she handles public and media scrutiny during and after major tournaments. Her experience underscores the complex balance many top players strike between conditioning, preparation, and the psychological demands of top-level chess, a dynamic frequently discussed in sports psychology analyses (source attribution: Sports Express).