Bojana Bejatovic is our Educator for the month of September! 

Bojana has been playing chess since the age of four and with a competitive spirit and an iron mindset, it is easy to see why she is a force to be reckoned with, as a professional chess player and as a STEM the Gap Academy Educator. 

Check out the full chat with Bojana Bejatovic! Find out what made her start her career as a motivational speaker, how she defines empowerment and whether she thinks that the chess world is steadily becoming more female-friendly…or not? 

1. When did you first become interested in chess? 

I first started playing chess with my grandfather at the age of four. My father is a former basketball player and he was eager to introduce me to basketball, as a left-handed player, so I started simultaneously training in basketball and chess. My love for chess prevailed however. 

Each night, I would go to my grandfather’s place to play chess and he shared his love of chess with me, by showing me how the pieces moved, the strategies behind the moves, how to attack and so on. 

2. What made you want to become a professional chess player? 

My father’s competitiveness, which was a result of his professional basketball career, and my own character naturally drew me to chess. My father was always supportive of my chess career and he sent my coach and myself to several different tournaments in Europe, from International Chess Open Tournaments to the European Individual and World Individual Youth Chess Championships. 

When you are introduced to the sports mindset at a young age, you develop that competitive spirit and you constantly set high goals to improve yourself. I did not have a ‘regular’ childhood. I had to be responsible for my training, for my trips around the world, for my daily activities and general academic achievements. 

I had to make sure that I was growing a strong sense of discipline, because I was training for eight hours a day, going to school and studying and facing challenges and conflict within my timetable. Nevertheless, I’m grateful for all of that, because all that helped me to build a strong mindset and to become the person that I am now.

3. What has your experience been when it comes to sexism in the chess world?

Sadly, there have been many such experiences, but I’ll share just one that happened to me at the University Chess Championships (National Level) in 2017. 

I was the only girl amidst the boys who were participating in the tournament. I got 7 points out of 7 games (which is a 100% result) and I got first place - the ‘only girl’ among the boys had won the whole tournament! 

Several days later, merely hours before the awards ceremony, I received a call. I was informed that I wouldn’t receive the first place trophy, because according to their explanation, ‘only a boy could receive the first prize’. They offered me, instead a diploma, calling me the ‘overall winner’.  Shocked by this, I immediately flew into action, calling deans from different faculties, authorities etc…. but nothing was done to rectify the situation. 

The following year, I received a call from the Dean of the Faculty of Physical Education, Sport and Health, who wanted to personally ask me for a meeting.  She asked me to join the chess tournament that year, which I was protesting by not participating.  

She said to me, “Why do you protest? You will be a Sports Ambassador, motivating the people,” to which I replied, “I am a Sports Ambassador, representing fairness, honesty, morality, respect and passion for each sport, but I have to take a stand against disrespect. Disrespect is something that I do not tolerate.” 

That year, I started giving motivational speeches.

4. Why do you think there are more men than women in chess? Do you think that will change in the future? 

When children are young, the parents are often the ones who make the all the choices for their kids: which school to go to, what extracurricular activities to get involved in, which sports to take up. 

Usually, boys are confident enough to verbalize what they want, while girls aren’t bold enough to express their wishes. For example, it took me four years to say out loud that I wanted to study chess more seriously. I started playing chess at the age of four, but I didn’t express what I wanted until I was eight. 

Years later, I started going to a chess club for youngsters. At the chess classes, I was very shy, even when I knew the answer to a puzzle or to any question that the coach was asking, I never answered unless I was directly asked. Even then, I was very timid in my responses and very afraid that I would get the answer wrong.  It took me another two or three years to gain confidence and to start participating actively in answering the questions that the coaches asked. 

The coaches were good at paying attention to every child’s level of participation in class and I believe that helped me build my confidence a bit more. However, when I was playing, I was on my own. I was responsible for the whole game and my decisions determined the outcome of the game. So my confidence grew even more, because I learned to trust myself. The competitiveness, the desire to prove yourself and the drive to constantly improve, to make your parents, coaches and yourself proud, everything propelled me forward. 

But, back to the question - why are there more men than women in chess?

Because not everyone pays attention to the mindset that kids develop when they’re young. Additionally, women are expected to play certain roles in society; they have to juggle multiple responsibilities at once…they can’t just dedicate themselves to chess.  You still meet many people who say, “Yes, she has achieved a lot and is successful in her career, but she doesn’t have kids and she’s not married,” or “She has it all: marriage, career, but her poor husband! How does he handle her strong personality; she’s not a normal housewife.” Societal standards that dictate what women have to ‘comply’ to and what is acceptable for women makes it very difficult for women who don’t fit inside their box. 
There are many women chess players who stop playing chess, after a certain age, on account of their families. Of course, social standards are changing, but in my opinion, if a person is willing to work on achieving their own dream, then those closest to them should be supportive, no matter what.
Nevertheless, I think that the number of women in chess will grow and the social mindset will change. I even feel it now; it’s changing and progressing. And that is promising. 

5. What does empowerment mean to you? 

Empowerment means autonomy and self-determination. Acquiring skills and knowledge, constant growth, responsibility and success. Empowerment means lifting others up, inspiring them by sharing what you know and helping to unlock their potential, so that they can find their own ‘why’ in this world. 

6. What do you struggle with until today? 

Procrastination. You know, when you wait till the last minute to do something, then it only takes a minute to do it?

7. How do you motivate yourself and your students? 

I motivate myself by setting challenges for myself, that are outside of my comfort zone. I aim for big milestones and I work my way there. Step by step, I work to overcome the challenges through consistency and determination.

When motivating my students , I acknowledge that each student is different. We, as educators, aim to establish and maintain growth mindsets in our students. When we set small, achievable goals for our students and focus on whether or not the student has made strides toward that goal, we see more successes and the students are able to stay motivated throughout the process of learning. We try, we fail, we try smarter, we achieve. We celebrate the growth along the way, no matter how small! Big journeys begin with small steps.

8. What is your greatest achievement so far? What is your greatest ambition or dream for yourself in the future? 

My greatest achievements so far are becoming aware of the endless possibilities in this world when you have the right approach, maintaining my discipline and strong mindset, meeting people all over the world and having friends from different cultures and backgrounds. 

As a chess player, I have been a National Champion seven times in various categories, I won second place in an U18 boys category, I have been an International Champion in an U14 boys category in Mureck, Austria and I’ve participated in many European and World Chess Championships, being part of the National Chess Women’s Team for thirteen years. 

I believe that results follow if you put in the work. My life’s motto is, ‘Strive not for success, but for value. The success will follow.’ For now, my ambition is to inspire others with my story and to motivate them to unlock their full potential by bringing awareness to their own strengths and to the endless possibilities, which are waiting to be discovered. 

As for the future, who knows? Whatever the future brings, we must stay true to ourselves. 

9. What do you have to say to girls who aren’t sure whether to try learning chess? 

I have two universal recommendations for everyone: Don't waste time! & sapere aude (which is Latin for ‘dare to know’).

Be curious. Chess can impact every area of life, because it significantly influences the way we think and the decision-making process. It develops and encourages creativity, as well as logical thinking. It can help you determine how important things are using a system of elimination, concentration and prioritization.  

Whatever you want to achieve; whatever idea you have, don't wait to follow through. Sometimes later becomes never. Don't be discouraged, just go for it. Chess will help you to discover the world, but more importantly, it will help you discover yourself. 

10. Complete the following sentence, ‘Girl Boss Chess is…’

Passionate, dedicated and inspiring. A visionary team of strong women empowering women.