Women’s World Chess Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk is glad to announce the September Grand-Prix Puzzle Contest (click here to see the chess positions to solve).

You will need to solve 3 chess puzzles, ranging in difficulty from easy to difficult. They will be challenging and interesting for everyone. Try to solve them on your own without help from the computer. Since there are prizes, please answer only by email before the end of September and not by entering comments in the guestbook or in my blog. Good luck!

Watch and listen to Alexandra as she comments her blitz game against Grandmaster Alexey Korotylev at the recent 2009 Moscow Blitz tournament.

It’s hard to believe that it’s possible to beat such a seasoned male Grandmaster as Korotylev (ELO FIDE 2596) in only 19 moves. The ending combination is very nice. You can also read Alexandra’s post on her chess blog about this tournament.

On October 14, 2009 Chess Queen Alexandra Kosteniuk will give a big chess Simul in Athens, Greece, right on Petroupoli Square, simultaneously to 10 women, 10 men and 10 juniors. You can see the official poster of the Athens Chess Festival in English and in Greek. Visit also the official blog of the Festival, and its Facebook Group. The
Festival is organised by Petroupoli Chess Club ASOP DIAS.

The United Chess Federation (read article) has invited Alexandra Kosteniuk to Dallas, Texas, USA to play a Simultaneous Exhibition at the National K-12 Chess Championships. It will take place at 10 AM on December 11, so hurry and sign up at the USCF webstore before it’s filled up. Alexandra will have available there brand new copies of her “Diary of a Chess Queen” book (published December 1), so pre-order now and she will autograph them for free at the event.