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 |
9½ |
2 |
Peng Zhaoqin |
WGM |
2419 |
NED |
9½ |
3 |
Stefanova Antoaneta |
GM |
2478 |
BUL |
8½ |
4 |
Zhukova Natalia |
WGM |
2462 |
UKR |
8½ |
5 |
Dzagnidze Nana |
WGM |
2457 |
GEO |
8½ |
6 |
Slavina Irina |
WGM |
2413 |
RUS |
8½ |
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 |
7½ |
16 |
Pähtz Elisabeth |
WGM |
2399 |
GER |
7½ |
17 |
Danielian Elina |
WGM |
2428 |
ARM |
7½ |
18 |
Peptan Corina-Isabela |
WGM |
2439 |
ROM |
7½ |
19 |
Zielinska Marta |
WGM |
2414 |
POL |
7½ |
20 |
Zaiatz Elena |
WGM |
2333 |
RUS |
7½ |
21 |
Alexandrova Olga |
WGM |
2437 |
UKR |
7½ |
22 |
Richards Heather |
WIM |
2236 |
ENG |
7½ |
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