The 2004 European Women's Chess Champion

by ChessBase
4/4/2004 – She narrowly missed the Women's World Championship in December 2001. Then she embarked on a career in beauty, glamour and movie making, appearing in countless magazines and TV shows as an "ambassadrice" for chess. Just when people were counting her out Alexandra Kosteniuk returns with a thumping victory in Dresden. We bring you games, results and pictures.

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The European Women's Chess Championship was held from March 21st until April 3rd 2004. The games were covered on the Playchess.com server – with Radio ChessBase bringing periodic audio feed directly from the tournament hall. The championship ended on Saturday, April 3rd with tie-break games.

Final round and playoffs

In the last round of the 2004 European Women's Championship in Dresden the two leading players Peng and Kosteniuk both won their games. Pent Zhaoqin (WGM 2419 NED) beat Cristina Adela Foisor (WGM 2404 ROM), and Alexandra Kosteniuk (WGM 2469 RUS) beat Tatiana Kosintseva (WGM 2447 RUS), who spent the whole game on the attack.

GM Antoaneta Stefanova (2478 BUL) beat Elisabeth Pähtz (WGM 2399 GER) and Nana Dzagnidze (WGM, 2457) won their games to catch up with Natalia Zhukova (WGM 2462 UKR) and Irina Slavina (WGM 2413 RUS), who both drew.

On Saturday the two leading players, Peng and Kosteniuk, faced each other in two 15 minute tie-break games. The first was won by 19-year-old Alexandra Kosteniuk with the black pieces, the second ended in a draw.

This means that the title of European Women's Chess Champion 2004 goes to the Russian vice-champion of the world. Congratulations to Sasha Kosteniuk, whom you see on the photo above. It was taken in January this year in Miami, Florida.

Final standings
 1 Kosteniuk Alexandra
WGM
2469
RUS
 2 Peng Zhaoqin
WGM
2419
NED
 3 Stefanova Antoaneta
GM
2478
BUL
 4 Zhukova Natalia
WGM
2462
UKR
 5 Dzagnidze Nana
WGM
2457
GEO
 6 Slavina Irina
WGM
2413
RUS
 7 Foisor Cristina Adela
WGM
2404
ROM
8
 8 Arakhamia-Grant Ketevan
WGM
2435
GEO
8
 9 Cramling Pia
GM
2488
SWE
8
10 Socko Monika
WGM
2415
POL
8
11 Kosintseva Tatiana
WGM
2447
RUS
8
12 Houska Jovanka
WGM
2370
ENG
8
13 Zimina Olga
WGM
2408
RUS
8
14 Khurtsidze Nino
WGM
2411
GEO
8
15 Sedina Elena
WGM
2393
ITA
16 Pähtz Elisabeth
WGM
2399
GER
17 Danielian Elina
WGM
2428
ARM
18 Peptan Corina-Isabela
WGM
2439
ROM
19 Zielinska Marta
WGM
2414
POL
20 Zaiatz Elena
WGM
2333
RUS
21 Alexandrova Olga
WGM
2437
UKR
22 Richards Heather
WIM
2236
ENG
Places 23-33: 7 points; 34-47: 6½; 48-65: 6; 66-74: 5½; 75-86: 5; 87-94: 4½; 95-102: 4; 103: 3½; 104-107: 3; 108: 2

General links

Picture Gallery


The new European Women's Chess Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk


Narrowly beaten in the tie-break: Holland's Peng Zhaoqin


Alexandra during a game in Dresden

Alexandra was born in the Russian city of Perm on April 23, 1984, became a WGM in 1998 and an men's IM in 2000. Since 1985 she has been living in Moscow, currently studying at the Russian State Academy of Physical Education, to become a certified professional chess trainer upon graduation.

Alexandra became European champion among girls under the age of 10 in 1994, and a month later shared first and second places at the World Championship in that same category. At the age of 13 years and 10 months she became a WGM and received the title at the 33rd World Olympiad in Elista, Kalmykia.

She writes poems and likes all kinds of sports. After graduation in Moscow she wants to study at one of the best universities in the world. "Studying is something I really love doing, and I just hope to have enough money for tuition."

Alexandra became famous as a "chess model" when FIDE did a photo shoot with her some years ago (thumbnails above). Today she does serious modelling work for fashion magazines and companies like the Swiss watch manufacturer Balmain. The next three pictures are from glamour shoots and have appeared on chessbase.com.

Then in August 2000 Alexandra was "discovered" by the Russian film community. Alexandra was in a film by the famous director Stanislav Govorukhin. Here are two photos from the location in Odessa, August 2002.

In September 2003 the movie premiered in the Pushkinsky, one of Moscow's most famous movie theatres. It is called "Blagoslovite zhenshinu" in Russian, which translates to "Bless the Woman". It is a beautiful and emotional love story of a Russian woman during the war period, from 1935 to 1957.


Alexandra in front of a billboard of the movie in Moscow.

Click on one of the pictures above for a broadband or modem preview. You will need the latest Windows Media Player to view the streaming videos clips.

Alexandra Kosteniuk ChessBase reports


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