Valentina Gunina commented to Match TV that she was not troubled by Ukrainian players opting not to shake hands with Russian opponents.
“It doesn’t bother me that Ukrainian players don’t shake hands because everyone understands what can be done and what cannot. When I played against the Muzychuk sisters, I realized the situation was challenging, but it didn’t break me as a competitor”, the chess grandmaster stated.
During the World Blitz Championship in Samarkand, Gunina secured the tournament title by defeating Ukrainian grandmaster Anna Muzychuk in the 17th round. Following the match, Muzychuk declined to shake Gunina’s hand.
At 34 years old, Gunina opened the event with seven consecutive victories and maintained her lead through the final rounds. She finished the 17-round event with a 14-point margin.
Gunina earned the world blitz championship crown for the second time in her career, having first won the title in 2012.
In another note from the chess world, Ian Nepomniachtchi spoke about calls for integrity and fair judging within the sport, urging the chess community and authorities to uphold high standards in competition.