Russian Swimsuit Model Wins Women's World Chess Championship

Los Angeles, CA (CNS) - Russian swimsuit model Alexandra Kosteniuk is proving that beauty and brains can make for a winning combination. She recently won the Women's World Chess Championship under the slogan "beauty and intelligence can go together."

Kosteniuk, 23, is a part-time model who has raised the level of chess awareness by strutting the catwalk and being a swimsuit model, while winning chess titles at the same time.

The new "Queen of Chess" has said that modeling is not a job that it is just her hobby, like reading books. She added she wants people to see that chess has a fun side to it and can be as exciting as soccer or tennis.

Celebrity News Service was delighted to see that a beauty with brains is earning titles in the chess world. And while sultry photos of her appearing by her chess board are raising eyebrows among critics, it certainly does seem to be helping the sport.

She is the host of a popular podcast "Chess is Cool," which informs listeners about current chess events. Chess has been a life-long passion for Kosteniuk, who became a chess grandmaster at 14, the youngest woman in the world to attain the title.

At age 17, she made a name for herself on the international stage by reaching the final of the world championship. She became a European champion in 2004.

At the age of 20, the beauty achieved the International Grandmaster title, becoming the tenth women to have received the highest title awarded by the World Chess Federation.

While beating Chinese prodigy Hou Yifan in the final's last week to capture the Women's World Chess Championship title is impressive, her fans say that giving the game of chess a sexy image is worth even more praise. Thanks to Kostenniuk, the sport has attracted a new young following.

While Kosteniuk has the whole package -- youth, beauty and brains -- she is also married to Swiss-born Diego Garces, who is 25 years her elder. In April last year, she gave birth to her daughter Francesca Maria.