Diary of a Chess Queen Paperback – January 16, 2010

by Alexandra Kosteniuk (Author)

4.6 21 ratings

Women's World Chess Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk chronicles her rise to the top of the chess world in this introspective autobiographical work. Drawing from personal diaries kept during her youth, Kosteniuk takes the reader from the very dawn of her career as a child star in Russia, through triumph and disappointment, and finally to the pinnacle of success on the black-and-white battlefield.

Print length

244 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Mongoose Press
Publication date

January 16, 2010
Dimensions

6.1 x 0.64 x 9.16 inches
ISBN-10

0979148278
ISBN-13

978-0979148279
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Fashion model, wife and mother, Alexandra Kosteniuk became the European Women's Chess Champion in 2004 and the Russian Women's Chess Champion in 2005, then prevailed in the final match for the Women's World Championship in 2008.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Mongoose Press; First Edition (January 16, 2010)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 244 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0979148278
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0979148279
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.05 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.1 x 0.64 x 9.16 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,420,429 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3,476 in Chess (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.6 21 ratings

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Seth

In the mold of The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal

Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2009

The structural layout of Alexandra's book very much resembles Tal's classic, "The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal." Kosteniuk's book is, like Tal's work, an autobiography. There is much prose (normally at the beginning of each chapter). She starts at her childhood, and takes the reader right up to (and a bit past!) her 2008 World Championship match. Many game fragments are sprinkled throughout each chapter, as well as a substantial number of full-length, annotated games. Alexandra's writing is easily accessible to players of every skill level, whether they be young, old, beginners or masters. I found that she mixed the number of variations and explanations evenly. Since Alexandra typically plays a slashing, aggressive brand of chess, the games are never boring! Also, the translation (sometimes a problem in chess books) made the English read naturally (shout out to the translator, fellow Michigander Jim Marfia!!). She drops various tips and tricks of the Grandmaster trade along the way. The Women's World Champ clearly invested alot of time and effort into writing this book. I wonder if she'll write another some day?

So to sum up, "Diary of a Chess Queen," is a very interesting read, and you probably won't be disappointed if you purchase it.

19 people found this helpful

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Cajunmaster

Role Model

Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2009

Alexandra Kosteniuk's autobiography should be of great interest to any chess player, male or female, young or old, experienced or not. This candid and well crafted book is, to chess literature, very much like the breeze of fresh air that Alexandra and many other talented women have let into the stuffy atmosphere of the old chess world in the past decade. There is no turning back, luckily, and this book proves it beyond a doubt. Ms. Kosteniuk, who was the 10th woman in history to be recognized as an overall (i.e., unisex) Grandmaster of the game and is the current World Champion among women, has produced a winner. Her book is both highly entertaining and of great technical interest. This cannot be said of many of the innumerable books written by men, whether it be in the 19th century or today. Very simply, Alexandra Kosteniuk, recognized by the United States Chess Federation as the outstanding chess journalist of the year for 2009, should perhaps be considered by many to be a role model worthy of emulation, something that a host young girls throughout the World already know!

11 people found this helpful

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Mr. M. Blair

Diary of a Chess Queen

Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2009

I was thrilled to read Alexandra Kosteniuk's, 'Diary of a Chess Queen'. Alexandra is a gifted writer, model, wife and mother. She became the European Women's Chess Champion in 2004 and the Russian Women's Chess Champion in 2005. In 2008 she prevailed as Women's World Chess Champion. Her book describes her rise to the top from a small but talented child to an International Chess star who travels all over the World. Although there are 64 annotated games this is not just a book about chess. It is about the power of a family surmounting difficult times. It is about dedication and sacrifice. It is about hope and vision. Alexandra draws on her personal diaries to reveal her innermost thoughts, both happy and sad. Although she has achieved great success, she remains modest and is always seeking to improve her chess playing. She remains a great advocate for Women's Chess and promotes it thoughout the World. I can only recommend it as a great read! Diary of a Chess Queen

6 people found this helpful

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S. Raizor

Wonderful Story and excellent analysis

Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2009

I received this book on Christmas eve and wanted to just glance at it but I became fascinated by the story of this young child learning to play chess and the adventures of her journeys to tournaments. I also read in it's pages the love of this family for their daughters and what the family went through to allow her to become the champion that she is.

Ms. Kosteniuk does a wonderful job with the analysis of her games in this book as well. As a beginning chess player it is written the way you can understand it and I intend to use the games included in the book to study to hopefully improve my own play.

If you want to read a great book on chess and the story behind the Champion then I highly recommend this book and I believe you will enjoy both the games included and the story of this terrific lady who I truly believe loves this game and the people who play it.

7 people found this helpful

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Alex Pehas

Extraordinary Book by a Multi-Talented Champion!

Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2010

This is a great book for any chess fan. Every page is a glimpse into the life of a world champion written in a style to make you feel she is telling you her story while seated across the table. This would be a great gift for any young person interested in chess and especially inspirational for a young girl. Much advice is given such as how studying other subjects like a second language is useful to develop the memory of a chess player; how to best use blitz games on the internet to improve; studying "good old" chess literature; and so much, much more! The book contains 64 games nicely annotated with her thoughts and insights into the positions. Fascinating was the description of reactions during a game when she suddenly noticed she had missed seeing her opponent's blunder which would have allowed an immediate win. Such descriptions, comments about her personal life, and numerous photos add a wonderful human touch to the book. A nice addition to any chess library!

5 people found this helpful

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L. R. Crosby

L R Crosby, Texas

Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2009

It is not necessary to be an expert at chess to thoroughly enjoy this book. For those with a passing interest in the sport, the book is filled with photos of Alexandra and many other world renowned players. Alexandra takes the reader inside the political world of chess and tournament play. The book is also a travelogue of the places she has traveled to compete. And for those who want to get out a chess board and recreate the games Alexandra has played to become champion, there's plenty of them also - with commentary by Alexandra. Alexandra is a tireless proponent and campaigner for chess, especially for the young. She has held numerous simuls all over the world to promote the sport. Even against the Russian parliament. And the book is not ghost written. Alexandra tells us that every jot and tittle of the Russian edition was written by her personally. It's worth your time.

6 people found this helpful

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