Alexandra Kosteniuk

Infobox chess player
playername = Alexandra Kosteniuk


birthname = Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk(Александра Константиновна Костенюк)
country = RUS
datebirth = birth date and age|1984|4|23
placebirth = Perm, Volga Federal District, Russia
title = Grandmaster
womensworldchampion = 2008 -
rating = 2510
peakrating = 2540 (April 2006)

Alexandra Kostantinovna Kosteniuk (Александра Константиновна Костенюк) (born April 23, 1984 in Perm, Volga Federal District) is a Russian chess Grandmaster and the current Women's World Chess Champion.

Alexandra learned to play chess at the age of five after being taught by her father. She has a little sister named Oxana Kosteniuk, who is a master level chess player.

Her chess career is full of notable achievements. In 2001, at the age of 17, she reached the final of the World Women's Chess Championship, but was defeated by Zhu Chen. Three years later, she became female European champion by winning the tournament in Dresden, Germany. She also won the 2005 Russian Women's Championship, held in Samara, Russia, finishing with a score of +7 =4 -0. In August 2006, she became the first Chess960 (Fischer Random) women world champion after beating Germany's top female player Elisabeth Pähtz 5.5-2.5. She defended that title successfully in 2008 by beating Kateryna Lahno 2.5-1.5 [http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=4806] . However, her top success so far has been to win the Women's World Chess Championship 2008, beating in the final the young Chinese prodigy Hou Yifan, with a score of 2.5-1.5.In November 2004, she was awarded the International Grandmaster title, becoming the tenth woman to receive the highest title of the World Chess Federation, FIDE (see Fédération Internationale des Échecs). Before that, she had also obtained the titles of Woman Grandmaster and International Master. She is 10th on the July 2008 FIDE women Elo rating list with a rating of 2510.

Kosteniuk's mottos have been "chess is cool" and "beauty and intelligence can go together". With these as a backdrop, Kosteniuk has been promoting chess in the capacity of a fashion model and ambassador of chess in order to spark interest in the game around the world. [ [http://www.kosteniuk.com/en/albums/photos.php Alexandra Kosteniuk's Photo Albums ] ]

She is also the host of a popular podcast "Chess is Cool" which informs listeners about Alexandra's life and current chess events.

Kosteniuk is married to Swiss-born Diego Garces, who is of Colombian descent, and 25 years her elder. [ [http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=it&u=http://www.asigc.it/News/frascati_varie.htm&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=8&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3D%2522diego%2Bgarces%2522%2Bcolombian%2Bkosteniuk%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1T4GGIH_enUS243US243 www.asigc.it] ] On April 22, 2007 Alexandra gave birth to a daughter, Francesca Maria. Francesca was born 2 1/2 months premature, but after an 8 week stay in the hospital, has since made full recovery.

Alexandra's website, which is maintained by her husband, covers the chess events she is participating in and offers up to date information about her.

Bibliography by Kosteniuk

* Как стать гроссмейстером в 14 лет. Moscow, 2001. 202, [2] с., [16] л. ил. ISBN 5-89069-053-1.
* Как научить шахматам : дошкольный шахматный учебник / Александра Костенюк, Наталия Костенюк. Moscow : Russian Chess House, 2008. 142 с ISBN 978-5-94693-085-7.

References

External links

* [http://www.kosteniuk.com/ Kosteniuk's website]
* [http://latestchess.com/showInterview.php?id=9 Interview with Grandmaster Alexandra Kosteniuk on LatestChess site]
* [http://www.vnexpress.net/Vietnam/The-thao/Chan-dung/2007/07/3B9F89C5/ Photo collection of Kosteniuk]
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* [http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=4912 ChessBase: Alexandra Kosteniuk is Women's World Champion]
* [http://www.chesskillertips.com/ Alexandra Kosteniuk's chess tips]