Alexandra Kosteniuk

GM - Former Women's World Chess Champion

Alexandra Kosteniuk is a Grandmaster and the 12th Women's World Chess Champion. Born in 1984 in Perm, Russia, she earned the GM title in 2004, becoming one of the youngest women to achieve it at the time. She won the Women's World Championship in 2008, the Women's World Rapid Championship in 2021, and the Women's Chess World Cup in 2021. She has represented Russia at multiple Chess Olympiads, winning team gold in 2010, 2012, and 2014. Since March 2023, she represents Switzerland. Beyond competition, she has built a significant online presence as a chess content creator and educator under the Chess Queen brand, streaming on Twitch, producing YouTube content, and promoting the game to new audiences worldwide. Her FIDE standard rating is 2487 as of April 2026.