Iran's female chess champion, Shayesteh Qaderpour, joined Iran's National Women's Chess Team at the age of 11. Then she applied to compete in the Global Adult Chess Olympiad in Armenia and was hailed as the youngest participant. She achieved to rank first at last year's Islamic States Women's Competitions and stand jointly at the first to third individual events.

Since childhood a chess box, which was referred to as the "Box of Intellect", was seen among her toys. In those days she didn't even imagine that one day the chessboard would become her whole life and that its pieces would serve as a ladder leading her to higher positions.

Through time, despite her being quite young, she managed to achieve what she deserved by incorporating her know-how, artistic skills and mental capabilities as well as making use of her exceptional power of will and national pride. Thus she achieved to become a member of the National Chess Team and attain championship across the country and the Asian continent. Standing on the world podium is desired both by herself and the entire nation. From her point of view the chessboard is similar to a garden, whose flowers are analogous to the pieces of chess.

The movement of the chessmen is both in harmony with and in opposition to one another. Meanwhile, she is thinking about the national pride and similar to a gardener is on constant guard against weed threatening the flowers.

The Sports Desk of the Persian daily Hambastegi recently conducted an interview with Shayesteh Qaderpour, Iran's female chess champion. Once the interviewer was through with posing questions and hearing Qaderpour's comments, he recommended her: "Never let you end up in checkmate in any field!" Let's read the following interesting interview together.