Alexandra Kosteniuk sport chess
Chess career
Kosteniuk learned to play chess at the age of five after being taught by her father. She graduated in 2003 from the Russian State Academy of Physical Education in Moscow as a certified professional chess trainer.1994
Alexandra won the girls under 10 division of the European Youth Chess Championship.1996
Alexandra won the girls under 12 title at both the European Youth Championships and World Youth Chess Championships. At twelve years old she also became the Russian women's champion in rapid chess.2001
In 2001, at the age of 17, she reached the final of the World Women's Chess Championship won by Zhu Chen.2001-2004
Kosteniuk became European women's champion by winning the tournament in Dresden, Germany. As she achieved this with a performance rating above 2600, she was awarded the grandmaster title in November 2004, becoming the tenth woman to receive the highest title of the World Chess Federation (FIDE). Before that, she had also obtained the titles of Woman Grandmaster in 1998 and International Master in 2000.
athletics competitive physical activity physical competition