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CNN Sunday Morning

Interview With Alexandra Kosteniuk

Aired November 30, 2003 - 08:23   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Many in the sporting community have compared Alexandra Kosteniuk to Anna Kournikova. But this Russian beauty actually wins tournaments. She's a chess grandmaster and the number one ranked women's player in the U.S. And did I mention she's also a model?
Alexandra joins us from Miami this morning. Hello, Alexandra. Thanks for being with us.

ALEXANDRA KOSTENIUK, CHESS GRANDMASTER: Hello. Good morning.

CALLAWAY: Good morning to you. You have an incredible career as a chess champion. Didn't you start playing when you were five years old?

KOSTENIUK: Yes. My father taught me to play when I was 5 years old. And since then, I've been studying chess and playing tournaments and getting better.

CALLAWAY: And I think we have a photograph of you playing. Now, your dad was actually an army officer, and he gave up his career to work with you and your chess game.

KOSTENIUK: Yes, that's true. He decided that it would be better if he would spend more time with me.

CALLAWAY: And it's amazing to me that he has taught you to be this incredible champion and yet, is he a good player?

KOSTENIUK: Well, he's not a professional chess player, but what I must say, he's a very good trainer. And he knows how to study, how to help children.

CALLAWAY: And he knows how to motivate you, obviously.

KOSTENIUK: Yes.

CALLAWAY: We have a picture of you winning, I think, in Bulgaria. Big championships you have won. You are the grandmaster. How much work has this taken? How many hours do you think you've spent a week playing chess?

KOSTENIUK: Yes. Since the age of 5, when I started to play chess, I've been studying chess approximately five hours every day.

CALLAWAY: Wow. KOSTENIUK: And so to become a grandmaster, of course, it's obvious that you have to work really hard to have to beat grandmaster regularly in tournaments. So I even wrote a book how I became a grandmaster at the age of 14. And here it is my whole story, step by step, from the very beginning, with explanation to young children to help them to become grandmasters.

CALLAWAY: You are just 19, right, now?

KOSTENIUK: Right.

CALLAWAY: And so that is your goal to -- you're almost an ambassador for the chess game. You really want to encourage children to play?

KOSTENIUK: Yes. But even for me, in chess, you can always find somebody stronger than you. And that means if you want to win, you have to work really hard every day.

And, of course, I want to say that chess is a very wonderful game to play, and it helps children a lot. Because I think the most useful knowledge that you want to get from playing chess is the more you study, the more you get. And it is not only for chess, but for school, for their studies, and for anything in life.

CALLAWAY: And Alexandra, we have a photograph of you teaching children. And now we're showing you playing -- is it 56 games at one time? Tell me about this.

KOSTENIUK: Yes. I'm trying to promote chess in the world. And I often give free seminars (ph) at (UNINTELLIGIBLE) exhibitions. At the same time, I play against many chess players.

And so it is very good to promote chess in the world. And I often give free seminars (ph). And the next one will be in Chicago on December 12 during the scholastic championships, where I will give also free seminars (ph) to kids.

CALLAWAY: And I want to show this last photograph, because you're modeling now. And just incredible photographs. And understand you write poetry.

You're an incredibly talented young lady, Alexandra. And we are so honored that you came to talk with us this morning. And good luck with your mission to encourage other children to play chess.

KOSTENIUK: Thank you.

CALLAWAY: All right. Alexandra Kosteniuk, a grandmaster champion.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired November 30, 2003 - 08:23   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Many in the sporting community have compared Alexandra Kosteniuk to Anna Kournikova. But this Russian beauty actually wins tournaments. She's a chess grandmaster and the number one ranked women's player in the U.S. And did I mention she's also a model?
Alexandra joins us from Miami this morning. Hello, Alexandra. Thanks for being with us.

ALEXANDRA KOSTENIUK, CHESS GRANDMASTER: Hello. Good morning.

CALLAWAY: Good morning to you. You have an incredible career as a chess champion. Didn't you start playing when you were five years old?

KOSTENIUK: Yes. My father taught me to play when I was 5 years old. And since then, I've been studying chess and playing tournaments and getting better.

CALLAWAY: And I think we have a photograph of you playing. Now, your dad was actually an army officer, and he gave up his career to work with you and your chess game.

KOSTENIUK: Yes, that's true. He decided that it would be better if he would spend more time with me.

CALLAWAY: And it's amazing to me that he has taught you to be this incredible champion and yet, is he a good player?

KOSTENIUK: Well, he's not a professional chess player, but what I must say, he's a very good trainer. And he knows how to study, how to help children.

CALLAWAY: And he knows how to motivate you, obviously.

KOSTENIUK: Yes.

CALLAWAY: We have a picture of you winning, I think, in Bulgaria. Big championships you have won. You are the grandmaster. How much work has this taken? How many hours do you think you've spent a week playing chess?

KOSTENIUK: Yes. Since the age of 5, when I started to play chess, I've been studying chess approximately five hours every day.

CALLAWAY: Wow. KOSTENIUK: And so to become a grandmaster, of course, it's obvious that you have to work really hard to have to beat grandmaster regularly in tournaments. So I even wrote a book how I became a grandmaster at the age of 14. And here it is my whole story, step by step, from the very beginning, with explanation to young children to help them to become grandmasters.

CALLAWAY: You are just 19, right, now?

KOSTENIUK: Right.

CALLAWAY: And so that is your goal to -- you're almost an ambassador for the chess game. You really want to encourage children to play?

KOSTENIUK: Yes. But even for me, in chess, you can always find somebody stronger than you. And that means if you want to win, you have to work really hard every day.

And, of course, I want to say that chess is a very wonderful game to play, and it helps children a lot. Because I think the most useful knowledge that you want to get from playing chess is the more you study, the more you get. And it is not only for chess, but for school, for their studies, and for anything in life.

CALLAWAY: And Alexandra, we have a photograph of you teaching children. And now we're showing you playing -- is it 56 games at one time? Tell me about this.

KOSTENIUK: Yes. I'm trying to promote chess in the world. And I often give free seminars (ph) at (UNINTELLIGIBLE) exhibitions. At the same time, I play against many chess players.

And so it is very good to promote chess in the world. And I often give free seminars (ph). And the next one will be in Chicago on December 12 during the scholastic championships, where I will give also free seminars (ph) to kids.

CALLAWAY: And I want to show this last photograph, because you're modeling now. And just incredible photographs. And understand you write poetry.

You're an incredibly talented young lady, Alexandra. And we are so honored that you came to talk with us this morning. And good luck with your mission to encourage other children to play chess.

KOSTENIUK: Thank you.

CALLAWAY: All right. Alexandra Kosteniuk, a grandmaster champion.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com