For years, Kournikova, the tennis player, was more noted for her looks than her accomplishments on the court. Although she won two women’s grand slam doubles titles, she never won a singles championship.Like Kournikova, the 24-year-old Kosteniuk, a Russian grandmaster, has traded on her looks, modeling for fashion magazines like the European editions of Vogue and Marie Claire, and selling bikini-clad images of herself through her Web site. Kosteniuk, however, bristles at comparisons with Kournikova. “I think I’ve won enough chess competitions not to be compared to her,” Kosteniuk said in a telephone interview on Wednesday.
Her argument is now beyond doubt. That interview took place barely an hour after she became the 14th women’s world champion by winning a tournament in Nalchik, Russia.
Kosteniuk’s victory was a bit of a surprise. She had not played much since giving birth to a daughter two years ago. “I wanted to have some time,” she said.
Kosteniuk did not model during her layoff. Chess, she said, had provided her modeling opportunities. “When you stop playing for a while, people tend to forget about you,” she said. “You have to win something for people to think about you.”
She also sounded ambivalent about modeling: “I have never been a professional model; I have had some modeling sessions.”
In an interview three years ago, she was more enthusiastic about modeling, saying that it was “interesting and fun.” She boasted at the time about being featured in an advertising campaign for LG computers and in a Russian film called “Bless the Woman.”
If Kosteniuk’s enthusiasm for modeling has waned, it may be because the challenges posed by her goals in chess, particularly after becoming a mother, were enough. And Kosteniuk said that when she decided to return to tournament play, she found it difficult to regain her competitive form.
She started working with four grandmasters, she said. The work paid off. Kosteniuk, who is ranked No. 10 among active women players, played exceptionally well during the championship, beating Pia Cramling of Sweden, No. 6 among women, in the semifinals and Hou Yifan of China, No. 4, in the final.
Kosteniuk said that Hou, a 14-year-old, was her most dangerous opponent and a “great talent.” Kosteniuk said she was afraid of how strong Hou would become in a few years, and predicted that Hou would soon dominate women’s competitions.
Hou certainly learned some valuable lessons in her match with Kosteniuk, who had the upper hand in every game. Still, she only managed to win the first game; the other three ended in draws.Lets take a look at that game.
In that first game, Hou played 8 a3 in order to avoid the Marshall Attack, which arises after 8 c3 d5. The problem with Hou’s move is that it is easy for Black to equalize. The position remained fairly balanced until Hou lashed out with 17 g4, an impetuous move; 17 Ng3 would have been more circumspect. Kosteniuk immediately took advantage, launching an attack with 17 ... h5.
Hou managed to hold on until Kosteniuk broke through, first with 33 ... Nd3 and then 36 ... Nf3 and 37 ... Bg4. The point was that White could not play 38 Qg4 because of 38 ... Qg4 39 Ng4 d1Q, while 38 Ng4 would lose to 38 ... Qf3 39 Kf3 d1Q.
Hou resigned after 48 ... fxg3 because she faced certain checkmate.
Article Source : NewYork Times
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