Chess is more than just a game to me; it’s my world, it’s the core of my life: Alexandra Kosteniuk

When Alexandra Kosteniuk became a Grandmaster in 2004, at the age of 19, she joined an exclusive ladies’ club. Only nine women before her had become Grandmasters. She has since won the World Championship, the World Cup and the World Rapid Championship. She was a part of Russia’s Olympiad-winning team on three successive occasions. At 41, she continues to be a force on the chessboard. Excerpts from an interview Kosteniuk gave The Hindu in Mumbai:

How do you look back at playing the World Championship final at 17, against Zhu Chen in 2001?

I didn’t think much of it at the time. You just live the moment. But now when you think about it, it seems unbelievable.

Then seven years later, you won your first World title, defeating Hou Yifan in the final. You had started as the ninth seed. Hou was seeded third.

She was 14 at that time, but of course not a regular 14-year-old. And now Gukesh is the World champion, he won the title at 18. I think that is normal nowadays as kids. I was, of course, very happy when I won my first World title. When I play a tournament, regardless of its level, I just focus on my moves.

How much do you think chess has changed from the time you started?

Quite a lot, with the arrival of the computers first. Because when I started, there were no computers. Or rather, there were computers, but not this much, not this kind. You know, I started playing chess in 1989. Then, computers came into our lives, and of course the game has changed a lot. The amount of information that you need to absorb daily is huge. I am happy that I started playing when there were almost no computers at all, because now chess is a lot about memory and about spending hours and hours with your computer. So, there is a bit less creativity. And in chess, I like the creative part, I don’t like memorisation. But one needs to adapt, too. There is a new wave of players, and you need to adapt if you want to stay competitive.

Team player: Kosteniuk’s love for team events drew her to the GCL. ‘When you have won so many individual titles, one more isn’t anything special. But if you win as a team, it gives you a lot more,’ she says.
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GCL

You used to maintain an interesting blog on chess…

Nowadays, I don’t have enough energy, so I try to prioritise my actions. When I started my YouTube channel, it was back in 2009, I think I was one of the pioneers [among chess players]. And now there are many content creators on YouTube and other platforms.

Including the hugely popular Hikaru Nakamura…

Yeah, and they are doing it very professionally, with all the support, everything. It is like a whole profession now. But I did it on my own.

You were a part of the Russian team that won three Olympiads back to back, in 2010, 12 and 14.

Every victory was special. And the Olympiad is a team thing. I have always liked team events. That is one of the reasons why I play in the Global Chess League (GCL) every year. The team events give chess another meaning. When you have won so many titles from individual events, one more title for yourself doesn’t bring you anything special. But if you win as a team, it gives you a lot more.

At the 2024 GCL in London, it was your performance that helped Triveni Continental Kings retain the title.

Well, my first GCL [with Chingari Gulf Titans in Dubai 2023] was not that great, but the second was excellent. I believe that the team loses together and wins together, so we won it as a team. I was happy to contribute to my team’s victory in the final. The atmosphere in the team was even better in the third season of the GCL [Mumbai 2025].

How is the GCL different from the other tournaments you have played in over the years?

It is an interesting event. We need to play as a team although we barely know each other sometimes, unlike the Olympiad, for instance. At the Olympiad, you have known your teammates for years. At the GCL, only after the draft, you will find out who you are going to play with.

This year, since I was playing for the same team, it was a little bit easier, because half of the team stayed. So, we already know at least half of the team. But nevertheless, this team atmosphere sometimes just works well, sometimes it doesn’t. You cannot really explain it. But, well, for me, I am enjoying being part of my team a lot. We had blitz sessions every morning, playing against each other.

One of the pioneers: Alexandra Kosteniuk started a YouTube channel way back in 2009.
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Do you think a tournament like the GCL will help chess develop more, maybe make it more popular, more mainstream?

The organisers try to make this tournament a product, which is an interesting attempt. It is quite challenging. It is not always easy with chess. I have been playing chess for many years, and I know that it is not easy. But I am glad to see their efforts. Every year, I could see the improvement. Whether it is going to be enough to make a boom or not, well, it is another question. But I think it is a small step in the right direction. Well, sometimes it is the journey that counts, and not the final result.

You have been playing competitive chess at the top level for so long, and won the World Rapid title as well as the World Cup in 2021. What keeps you going? You are playing against rivals who are of your daughter’s age.

Tournaments like the GCL are my motivation. Because those are rapid [and not classical] tournaments, it is easier for me to play. Because energy-wise, at 40 you are not at the same level as a 20-year-old. But in rapid you can still compete quite well. So I like rapid and blitz chess a lot. I like that those formats are developing. And, well, chess is my world, actually.

Was that the case from the time you were a little girl, after learning the game at the age of five?

Little by little, chess became more than just a game for me. And it is a place where I enjoy myself. I have a lot of friends, and I have had a lot of interesting games. I have once compared chess to a religion. It is the core of my life. It lets me survive in many difficult situations.

In 2013, you became the first woman to win the Swiss men’s championship. Your thoughts on women competing against men over the chessboard? Women like Judit Polgar, Hou and Koneru Humpy have done rather well against men.

That is normal. Chess is not a physical sport. It is an intellectual sport. It is harder for women because of some sociological, physiological factors. And even though there is a gap in rating, still some women have proven that it is possible to compete well [against men]. Judit was in the top ten [in men’s chess].