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Alexandra Kosteniuk!

by

John Bain

Alexandra is scheduled to play in the 2022 Women’s World Chess Candidates Tournament later in 2022.

At 37 years old, Alexandra wins the 2021 FIDE Women’s Chess World Cup!

Alexandra, aka “Chess Queen” on social media, was born April 23, 1984 in Perm, Russia.

The one time 2008-2010 Women’s World Chess Champion now rises to the top again in 2021!

Alexandra Kosteniuk winner with trophy and medal photo 2021 FIDE Chess World Cup

Alexandra with 2021 Women’s Chess World Cup Trophy

Alexandra Kosteniuk defeated the reigning Women’s World Chess Champion challenger, Aleksandra Goryachkina, in the final match to win the inaugural 2021 Women’s Chess World Cup.

Alexandra Kosteniuk 2021 FIDE Chess World Cup

Alexandra at the board behind the black pieces

The 2021 Women’s Chess World Cup, a 103-player knockout tournament in Sochi, Russia, concluded in August 2021.

Seeded 14th in the tournament, Alexandra Kosteniuk won all of her classical matches without needing to play a single tiebreak, defeating Deysi Cori, Pia Cramling, Mariya Muzychuk, Valentina Gunina and Tan Zhongyi, before winning the tournament with a 1.5-0.5 score against top-seeded Aleksandra Goryachkina in the finals.

In addition to $50,000 in prize money, Alexandra Kosteniuk also gained 43 rating points and a place in the Women’s Candidates Tournament in 2022.


2008-2010 Women’s World Chess Champion

Alexandra Kosteniuk 2007

Alexandra Kosteniuk circa 2008

In 2008, Alexandra won the Women’s World Chess Championship–her greatest success so far–beating the young Chinese prodigy Hou Yifan who is now the world’s #1 rated female chess player at 2658.

Taught by her father, Kosteniuk learned to play chess at the age of five. She graduated in 2003 from the Russian State Academy of Physical Education in Moscow as a certified professional chess trainer.

At the 2010 Women’s World Chess Championship, she was eliminated in the third round and thus lost her title.


Married

The Chess Queen with her husband GM Pavel Vladimirovich Tregubov

Alexandra Kosteniuk and husband Pavel Tregubov

In 2015, Kosteniuk married Russian Grandmaster Pavel Tregubov. Pavel Tregubov is a Russian GM, who has lived for many years in France. He is also older than Kosteniuk, although this time the age difference is not as great as between Alexandra and her first husband–Tregubov is just over 12 years older than Alexandra.


Her First Marriage

Alexandra Kosteniuk and husband Diego Garces in 2006

Alexandra and her first husband Diego Garces

Alexandra met her first husband when she was 16 years old. In 2006 when she was only 18 years old, Alexandra married Swissborn Diego Garces, who was of Colombian descent and 25 years her elder.

On April 22, 2007, she gave birth to a daughter, Francesca Maria. Francesca was born 2½ months premature, but after an 8-week stay in the hospital made a full recovery.

Only 18 months after Francesca’s birth, Alexandra Kosteniuk became the Women’s World Chess Champion!


Learn To Play Chess

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Beginner’s Book – Chess Rules For Students

Chess Rules For Students workbook

“Knights Battle”

Chess Rules For Students is a workbook for students learning the game of chess and for beginning students returning to the game. No previous knowledge of chess is necessary. Parents unfamiliar with chess will find this booklet a valuable guide to their child’s new interest.

Chess Rules For Students is designed with students, coaches, and parents in mind. Reading level is appropriate for grade-school use. All major rules of chess are covered, and algebraic notation worksheets are included. Each page is in easy-to-use worksheet format.

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Beginners & Intermediate Book – Checkmate! Ideas For Students

Checkmate! Ideas For Students

“Knight Checkmates King!”

Checkmate! Ideas For Students is a workbook for beginning and intermediate students. Checkmate! covers the tactics used in checkmate attacks with clear explanations, diagrams and arrows to pinpoint the key features.

Unlike many other basic checkmate books, Checkmate! categorizes the checkmates by the tactics used to force the checkmate–like Pins, Sacrifices, Removing the Guard, Attraction, Clearance and Attacking Flight Squares–rather than only the checkmate pattern itself.

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Intermediate & Advanced Book – Chess Tactics For Students

Chess Tactics For Students workbook

“Profiles Face-Off in King’s Shadow”

Chess Tactics For Students contains 434 carefully selected problems in worksheet format.

Chess Tactics has been extensively field tested with elementary, middle-school, and high-school students over a four-year period. This book is ideal for independent seat work as well as for homework and classroom instruction.

The worksheet format and Answer Key enable self-correction with minimal dependence or direct help from a chess teacher, coach, or parent.


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Checkmate In One Prize
Chess Rules For Students Workbook
An instructional workbook designed for students learning the game of chess. Click here to learn more!
Checkmate In Two Prize
Checkmate! Ideas For Students
An instructional workbook containing tactics in worksheet format used to checkmate--like Pins, Sacrifices, Removing the Guard, Attraction, Clearance, and Attacking Flight Squares!
Checkmate In Three Prize
Chess Tactics For Students
An instructional workbook containing 434 carefully selected problems presented in worksheet format.

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