CHESS PRACTICE

- ALEXANDRA KOSTENIUK SPECIAL PAGE -
- Updated: October 2006 -



No3  :  KOSTENIUK Alexandra    (RUS)

Born:   1984

Rating :   2534   (=)   (Oct. 2006, 0 game)

   «© Alexandra Kosteniuk - Alekandra and Oxana in Moscow»




Alexandra Kosteniuk is born in Perm (Russia) on the 23rd of April, 1984. She became International Grandmaster (WGM) among women in 1998 and International Master (IM) among men in 2000. Since 1985, Alexandra has been living in Moscow. Now she is studying in the Russian State Academy of Physical Culture. When she will graduate from the Academy, Alexandra will receive the diploma of instructor. Alexandra adds gladly: "I like to study chess very much. Perhaps it came from my father".
Alexandra Kosteniuk says equally on the    «Internet Chess Club» :   "My father, Konstantin Vladimirovich Kosteniuk, was my first trainer. He taught me how to play chess and every day he gave me lessons which lasted about 4 to 5 hours. I am thankful to him for everything I have achieved in chess - it is his work. My father sacrificed many things in life for me. He left his promising career of army officer to help me and to accompany me to chess tournaments..."

   «Alexandra Kosteniuk - en.wikipedia.org/»
  Alexandra Kosteniuk - en.wikipedia.org/    Alexandra Kosteniuk, Bled 2002


We choose, as an illustration of the Alexandra's style, a game played during the 37th Chess Olympiad Women 2006, in Turin (ITA).

Khurtsidze, Nino (2426) - Kosteniuk, Alexandra (2540)
- (E32) Nimzo-Indian Defense,
Classical Variation, 0-1, 37th
Chess Olympiad Women 2006, Turin (ITA) -


     1.d4    Nf6    
     2.c4    e6
     3.Nc3    Bb4    Nimzo-Indian
     4.Nf3 Three Knights   0-0
     5.Bg5 Leningrad   c5       Classical
     6.Qc2 Classical   h6
     7.Bh4    d5       Noa Var.


It is difficult to classify such an opening, because many elements intervene, with some inversions of moves; but it doesn't matter. In fact our point of view (see in the "New Chess Theory" Lecture:      NCT V - "Opening new understanding"), concerning a refinement of the classical Opening Classification, is here an useful criteria for choosing the right item; and indeed the present beginning is an E32-Quasi Pure Opening, rarely played today.

In this position, have been tested the continuations: 8.e3 (Gadea, FS - Nieto Lopez, Francisco Ramon 1-0 (E32) Albacele-ch 1991), 8.a3 (Bietz, Fabian - Schoene, Jan Hendrik 0-1 (E32) Hessen-ch int 1999), 8.cxd5 (Krotofil, Kurt - Kirste, Siegmund 1-0 (E32) Pinneberg-ch op 1999) and more recently 8.Nd2 (Bourgon, Pierre - Lazard, Philippe 0-1 (D38) Saint Quentin op 2000).

DIAG 1 :


     8.a3    Bxc3+  (cxd4!?)
     9.Qxc3!? (9.bxc3)   cxd4
     10.Nxd4N Novelty    e5!
     11.Nf3?! (11.Nc2)   d4! =/+
     12.Qd2 (12.Qc2)   Nc6 =/+


May be playable, but without clear perspectives : 9.bxc3 dxc4 10.dxc5 Nbd7 11.e3 Qa5 12.Bxc4 Qxc5 13.Qb3 b6! =. By the move 9.Qxc3!? White may try to take the control of diagonal a1-h8 and to reinforce his pressure on the critical f6-square. After 9...cxd4 the other alternative is 10.Qxd4?! Nc6 11.Qd2 dxc4 12.e3 b5 13.Be2 Bb7 =/+ (Goldsztejn, Glidas (2359) - Dunis, Aurelien (2461) ½-½ (E32) Paris NAO GM 4th 2004).

White game is not very precise, in this beginning, and Alexandra leaves the opening with a light, but not negligeable, advantage, well in the spirit of Nimzovich's ideas.

DIAG 2 :


     13.e3?! (13.Rd1)   g5!      Initiative
     14.Bg3 (14.Nxg5?)   Ne4!   Threat
     15.Qc2 Defensive    ...    


Black's strategy is of an impressive clearness; he dominates completely over black squares and in particular controls totally the strategic diagonal a5-e1, threatening thus directly the White King. Obviously, Alexandra Kosteniuk exploits very well his opponent's inaccuracy play. Nevertheless it is true that White's game is not easy since 12...Nc6; thus, after: 13.Rd1 Bg4 14.b4 Re8 15.h3 Bxf3 16.gxf3 (exf3? e4! -+) Ne4! 17.Bxd8 Nxd2 18.Rxd2 Raxd8 =/+ Black has an undeniable advantage.

   «Alexandra Kosteniuk © Sam Sloan Website
Grandmaster Alexandra Kosteniuk»
   Alexandra Kosteniuk © Sam Sloan Website Grandmaster Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2005


DIAG 3 :


     15...    Qa5+
     16.b4?!  (16.Nd2)  Nxb4!    Threat


Anyway, White does not have any more a sufficient defense at his disposal. For example: 16.Nd2 Nxd2 17.Qxd2 Qxd2+ 18.Kxd2 f5! 19.h3 f4 20.exf4 gxf4 21.Bh4 e4! -/+.

DIAG 4 :


   «Alexandra Kosteniuk ©- ChessBase.com/
Alexandra Kosteniuk vs Natalia Pogonina»
  Alexandra Kosteniuk vs Natalia Pogonina 


     17.Qxe4 Only choice   f5       Initiative
     18.Qb1 Forced   Nc2+  Initiative
     19.Ke2 (19.Kd1?!)   Nxa1  Initiative


Is equally strong: 17...Nc2+!? 18.Kd1 Nxa1 19.Bd3 f5 20.Qxe5 Qxa3 21.Qd5+ Kh7 22.Qxd4 Qb3+ -/+.

DIAG 5 :


The end of this splendid game resembles an execution!

     20.Bxe5 (20.Qxa1?)   Be6!        -+
     21.Qxa1?! (21.Qb4)   Bxc4+    Threat
     22.Kd1 Forced    Bb3+      Only choice
     23.Ke2 (23.Kc1?)   Rac8       (d3+!)


   «Alexandra Kosteniuk ©- ChessBase.com/
Alexandra winner of the 2005 Women's
Championship in Samara, Eastern Russia»
    Alexandra Kosteniuk ©- ChessBase.com/   Alexandra winner of the 2005 Women's Championship in Samara, Eastern Russia  


DIAG 6 :


Seems radical: 23...d3+! 24.Kxd3 (forced) Rfd8+ 25.Nd4 (25.Bd4? Rac8 26.Ne1 Rxd4+! and mate in 17) Rac8 26.Ke2 g4! 27.Qb1 (or 27.Qb2) Rc2+ 28.Qxc2 Bxc2 -+.

     24.Nxd4 The best   Qxe5!    (Bc4+!?)
     25.Nxb3?! (25.Qb1)   ...      


   «Alexandra Kosteniuk Russian grandmaster»
Alexandra Kosteniuk Russian grandmaster


DIAG 7 :


White loses in a similar manner, but with more difficulty, after: 25.Qb1 Bd5! 26.h4 g4 27.Kd2 Rf6 28.Be2 Rb6 29.Qa1 (29.Bb5?!) -+.

     25...    Qb5+     Accurate
     26.Kf3 (26.Ke1)   Qd5+!     (Qxb3)
     27.Kg3? (27.Ke2 -+)    f4+     Mate threat
     28.Kh3? (28.exf4 # in 11)    Qf5+ # in 4     0-1


   «Alexandra Kosteniuk Russian grandmaster
Photograph copyright © 2004 Chessgames.com»
       Alexandra Kosteniuk Russian grandmaster Photograph copyright © 2004 Chessgames.com  


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   «Alexandra Kosteniuk - Wikimedia Commons


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