26 November 2009
Dear Fans of Women’s Chess,Since tomorrow Thursday is Thanksgiving, I would like to wish you all a wonderful holiday, filled with love, hope and peace.
It is also a good moment for me to think back about all the wonderful reasons for me to be thankful:
First I would like to thank my father for teaching me the wonderful game of chess at the age of 5, and my Mom for bringing me up in a loving environment. My sister Oxana for being my closest friend while I grew up. I would like to thank my husband and daughter for being so understanding when my chess tournaments take me away from home.
Thanks also to the FIDE, who organizes the World Chess Championship, which allowed me to win the title last year that I still hold. And thanks to the Russian Chess Federation, which invited me to play in the World Blitz Championship, without that opportunity I would not have 10 new wins against super GM’s that I can share with you.
Thanks to my trainers Grandmasters Alexander Chernin, Konstantin Landa, Alexey Korotylev and of course Yuri Razuvaev, for doing everything to keep me in good form. And thanks to Grandmaster Julio Becerra for helping in my blitz training last month.
I am also grateful to all my chess competitors, who keep me always wanting to improve. First of all thanks to Judith Polgar, whose superb accomplishments playing against men have always been an inspiration to me to keep improving. Thanks also to my team-members in the Russian National Team Tatiana and Nadezhda Kosintseva, and Valentina Gunina, who contributed to our Gold Team Medal in Novi Sad last month.
And finally thanks to you, my friends and fans, and lovers of our royal game, without you life would not be the same.
Have a nice chess holiday!
Yours, Alexandra Kosteniuk
Women’s World Chess Champion
chess blog for women and girls www.chessblog.com
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