Anna Endress is a 21 year old chess player from Germany with a current rating of 2137 ELO. She won the German Championship five times (2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010) U10-U18. She played at the Olympiad in 2008. Anna made the 2nd and 3rd place at the European Youth Chess Championship (2009, 2010). She was the chess player of the year 2007 and 2009. In 2012 and 2013 she became the German Team Champion U20.
Visit The official Facebook page of Anna Endress. Her Fide Card and her page in chessgames.com.
I met Anna Endress on Facebook as one of the co-admins of the worlds biggest chess page Chess Club Live and asked her to give me an interview which she politely accepted.
Angelina: Firstly, I want to thank you Anna for giving us this interview as its quite rare to have a professional female chessplayer interact with chess fans! How did you first start to play chess?
Anna: I started to play chess when I was five years old. I used to watch my parents move the pieces. They played just for fun. Then I went to the chess club of my village and everything started..
Angelina: What is it about chess that you love the most?
Anna: I love the most that every game is different. You never know exactly what will happen, you always have to find solutions. And of course I like to win most:)
Angelina: Do you like challenges in life as much as in chess? 🙂 How do you advise chess fans to deal with loosing games?
Anna: I don´t like losing but I think no one does. And I also think you learn the most from your mistakes. Always keep looking forward.
Angelina: Which are your chess idols?
Anna: My chess Idol: Magnus Carlsen.
Angelina: If you could meet a chess legend from the past who would it be and why?
Anna: I think I would like to meet Bobby Fischer maybe..I saw a documentary about the World Championship Bobby Fischer against Boris Spassky in 1972. It was the match of the century. I was fascinated how everything was occuring at that time. I´m only 21 years old so I don´t know how it was to play in the earlier times. But I saw that the match between Fischer and Spassky was shown everywhere in the world… I think also nowadays there should be more coverage of chess on television.
Angelina: Who do you think will be the next world champion? Carlsen or Anand?
Anna: I think both will give everything they have got into this match. I think Anand will give his full passion into it to beat Magnus, just like he beat him in the last World Championship. But in all I think Magnus is the best player and he will win.
Angelina: Some players develop a sort of “romantic” relationship with the openings that they play. Does this apply to you? Can you tell us one of your favourite openings?
Anna: My favourite opening…I don´t know if I have one. Most of the time its hard to play your favourite opening because if your opponent plays something different you cannot choose. But I have been playing my whole life the Sicilian, the open Sicilian. But I have to say that I want to change this maybe.
Angelina: What does it take to become a professional chess player? Many people dream of bridging the gap between being an amateur and a professional, without a coach. Do you think this is possible?
Anna: I think if one loves chess and is ambitious one can achieve a high elo. You can buy a chessbase and also play on the internet. I think with all the computers and books that exist today there is a way to become a professional. But it always depends on the person.
Angelina: Tell us a bit about the chess club you belong to and your teachers.
Anna: Now I belong to the Chess Club Friedberger Burgfräuleins. We play in the first Bundesliga (League). Last year the club took the 3rd place in the 1. Bundesliga and the year before the 2nd place. We want to show everyone that chess is a fantastic game and we are promoting this. We want to bring chess boards in every school class in Germany. I think no one did something like this before.
Angelina: What are your ambitions and plans in chess?
Anna: My ambition is to get the WIM title and after that it would be great to take the next step and become a WGM. The last 3 years I did not play a lot or almost no games because I am studying law at university. But now I want to practise a lot and reach my aims. Hoping that this will work out.
Angelina: I am sure that you will achieve your dreams! We wish you best of luck and great successes!
Anna: Thank you!