The 2004 European Women's Chess Champion

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.

General links

• Here is the official web site with live coverage, information, games, scores and standings. Naturally we will also be covering the event on ChessBase.com and Playchess.com.
• Here's a list of all the players. You can click on each name to get a picture, short biographical information and the results so far.
• Pairings and results

• All the games of the EWCC in zipped PGN (179 KB)

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.

Alexandra Kosteniuk ChessBase reports

• The Ambassadrice of Balmain
• Wireless chess with Sasha Kosteniuk
• All one can say is Wow!
• Guess who came visiting in Hamburg
• Moviestar, moviestar...
• Kosteniuk film premieres
• New pictures of the chess babe
• ChessBase Player of the Year Award
• How Sashenka Kosteniuk got elected
• Biography and photo shoot
• Alexandra Kosteniuk web site