Alexandra Kosteniuk is the #1 ranked Russian woman player. I met her and her husband Diego several times in the past few years and we played once at the 2004 Olympiad in Calvia. She led her Russian team to a team Bronze medal while I led the U.S. team. Just look at her enthusiasm for her beloved country (Russia) in the picture above. She painted the Russian flag on her nails during the Olympiad. Bravo! She has every reason to be proud to come from such a rich chess country.
I found her to be an upbeat, pleasant but sometimes shy young lady. She is a good player and she became the 10th woman to receive the Grandmaster title a short time ago.
Recently, a few unknown individuals tried to stir up controversy by posting flaming messages on both Kosteniuk’s site and this one. They purposely made false assumptions to provoke both sides. They tried to make something up to create a story that did not exist. They compared our achievements and strengths. To compare my lifetime achievements to Kosteniuk’s achievements up to date is incredibly unfair to her. It is like comparing Michael Jordan to LeBron James or Jack Nicklaus to Sergio Garcia. We are from different generations and she still has many more years ahead of her to prove what she can accomplish.
As I made the same remarks about my teammate Jennifer Shahade, people are different and we have different views. I do not try to change their views and I do not expect them to change mine. They can express their views as I can express mine. That is the unique part about individuality and freedom. We can have our own independent opinions. We can disagree and still respect each other.
Kosteniuk and I have different chess missions and different ideas on how to promote this game. We have different types of fans. Perhaps it is because we are from different generations. Perhaps it is because of our different cultures. While we may disagree on some issues, she is free to do as she wishes. She makes an impact in chess differently than I do. Even my sisters and I approach chess differently. So what? We are all different people.
As I have asked many times in the past, please be respectful to all players. Whether you are a fan of mine or anyone else, let’s give all players the respect they deserve. Let’s agree to disagree in a civil manner. Thanks!
Well said Susan! Well said! We’re with you all the way!
Susan, you said “I met her and her husband Diego several times “. I just know that Kostenuik has married. I always think she’s single
“Kosteniuk and I have different chess missions and different ideas on how to promote this game. Perhaps it is because we are from different generations. Perhaps it is because of our different cultures.”
Even identical twins have different ideas about the same thing! It is very natural for people to differ; we only try to attribute these differences to some ‘known’ parameters such as generation, experience, upbringing, etc. But we have to understand that it is “we” who do a mapping between the differences in opinions/ideas to differences in age, sex, upbringing etc.
And as you said, people can always agree to differ and live in harmony
Alexandra has done a lot for chess except few objectional things. But we should look at the 90% positive things she has done rather than 10% objectional things. Isn’t it?
One can not refuse that everybody in third world countries knows alexandra because of her photo shoots and this is indirect promotion of chess.
Nicely said as always Susan. I wish the rest of the chessworld got along in such a way.
Different pieces do different things but its still the same game and we need all the pieces or its no longer the same game.
Best regards
Mike Magnan
(I hope that was not to confusing??..haha)
Good point on TEAMwork MM!
Chess is generally considerd to be an isolating sport.
The player must learn teamwork however. He/She learns that ALL the pieces must work as a team in order to succeed.
EnPassant
McM
I am over 60 so I always thought both of you two bright young ladies were the same age and generation.
I remember watching a science tv program where they tried to find the things that made someone beautiful. and youth was one of them. it is so true.
Being older now, I find all the young people to be so beautiful. it is so wonderful to be young and beautiful.
Enjoy life. be happy. have fun. Chess is a wonderful game.
I feel joy that the world has given all of us 2 talented and beautiful young ladies. Susan and Alexandra along with all the other wonderful women too many to mention.
Peace and Love
Tommy
Thank you everyone! I hope that people can learn to appreciate us for our different qualities instead of trying to provoke people to go against each other. They have tried to do the same with me and Maurice, Jennifer, Garry and others just because we see things differently or have different views.
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
http://www.PolgarChess.com
http://www.SusanPolgar.com
Hello Ms. Polgar,
I think this you just wrote is much more acceptable than what you did before.
One thing is to disagree with someone eles’s views. Another thing, is to make unpleasant judgements about other’s opinions, just because they’re different from ours.
Those are two very, different things. And what a substancial difference!
And what is worst: you blame people who made assumptions. Well, it often happens when someone says unpleasant, unfair or insultive things about others, covering themselves from criticism by not mentioning any names. When someone does that like you did, to all the criticism you get – even if it was coming from the ones you had in mind when you wrote your judgements! – you can allway stay clean by sayin “you are making assumptions”.
That is not very pretty.
Ms. Polgar: when you wrote what you did, obviously you had someone in mind. All I did – and many others apparently – was guessing who you were talking about, given the clues we had. We all thought it fitted perfectly in Ms. Kosteniuk case.
Sorry, but we had no better way of doing it. It would have been nice to have some help from you.
All the best,
Rafaela
Rafaela Pesci,
Obviously you do not know me and you made false assumptions. I even told you that you did but you refused to stop and refused to try to understand. I have no problem making my opinions known to the world. I have made my opinions known about many important chess players such as Kasparov, Kramnik, Karpov, Topalov, Xie Jun, etc. I have done that many times in the past.
There were a number of women on the women’s voting site doing what I described. I found it despicable. There were even nude or topless pictures on that site. It is you who made the assumption who I meant and it is you who tried to flame the issue.
I know how to reach Alexandra and she and her husband know how to reach me. If I have something to say to Alexandra or Diego, I would do it personally. It is precisely fans like you who create frictions for the chess world. As I said, I did not appreciate these remarks:
“I’m affraid Susan is slightly annoyed by the fact that, besides being a very strong chess player, you get a lot of attention from the media. What a crime!”
“In your post, the name of Kosteniuk is written all over, even if you didn’t have the guts to mention it not even once.”
Once again, I ask that you do not make false assumptions.
When people are unclear about issues, they ask me and I do my best to answer them. Ask and don’t assume please.
Thanks and Happy Holidays to you,
Susan Polgar
http://www.PolgarChess.com
http://www.SusanPolgar.com
chess is – in my opinion – and i’m not alone – an artifical science – this means, it is a science and an art, at the same time, making it difficult to satisfy all the chess players all the time.
eg. …
anybody can compare – let’s say Van Gogh to Picasso – me – for example – like the first’s art and not so much the art of the second one … it’s a matter of taste, isn’t it?
on the scientific hand – it is obviously ridiculous to compare – let’s say – sir isaac newton’s science to albert einstein’s one … truth is truth …
Kosteniuk is cute, as Susan is – but i miss the seriousity of science in Kosteniuk’s chess – and, by the way – i miss the art of chess, too.
erotic pictures – in black and white – may promote the attention of some patzers to our beloved game – but they won’t subsitute the excitement to “see that 5 moves combination leading to … nowhere” … erotic pictures are for the “bare” ones …
chess is not philosophy … chess is … COMBAT- no matter, whether you are male or female
art, science, combat … what else? bare breasts ..??? marriage …??? funny hats???
NO (my opinion) :-))
sincerly, Vohaul
Kosteniuk is a good player. Thank you though, Susan, for finding positive ways to promote chess.
very elegant susan….haha.
You have sharp teeth and a very very kind mind.
Nice.
Mike Magnan.
I agree with you completely. I know you like the musical group Abba, Susan, but they sure did wear outrageous costumes to draw attention to themselves. That doesn’t mean their music wasn’t great.
What is Rafeila Peski’s problem ? Duh. Just enjoy your chess.
Ms. Polgar,
By no means I would want to create any frictions. But if I did, by making false assumptions, please accept my apologies.
Happy holidays to you too!
Best regards,
Rafaela
Happy Holidays to you and your family Rafaela!
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
http://www.PolgarChess.com
http://www.SusanPolgar.com
Kosteniuk has no class. You can tell by her website which is extremley distasteful. She seems to be more a slut than chess player!
Kosteniuk now claims that she’s the #1 chess promoter in the world. How arrogant! What a bold face liar! Just like she’s a 3-time world champion. What a joke!
One of the more pathetic things is that she is trying to pass herself off as a model. I don’t know about any of you but I can’t figure out what she can model….maybe she is a toe model ’cause the rest of her is pretty bad
I agree with you. I just don’t see it. That’s why she’s so willing to take it off. I take Shahade, Skripchenko, Zatonskih or many other female chess players over Kosteniuk any day. What I dislike most about her is her dishonesty. She’s making bogus claims too many times. If the husband is the one who does it then get rid of him. Isn’t he twice her age?
Vladimir
There’s no reason to label Kosteniuk with an inappropriate name status based upon her choice to be a model who knows how to play chess. I wish I was married to a lady who was both beautiful and smart. It is apparent that too many statements that were made concerning specific photos shot by her photographer were criticisms made toward her. Kosteniuk has every right to expose herself as long as it does not break the constitutional laws. Nobody calls Tyra Banks a slut. Any replies? And Tyra Banks doesn’t even play chess (AKA). I like Kosteniuk’s photos, in all due respect. I would pay Kosteniuk $1,000.000. just to be able to take one photo of her. And I wish she was my chess mentor as well. I admire Susza Polgar’s style of chess. She plays a lot like Robert Fisher did – R.I.P. Fisher. As a matter of fact, Dzindzichasvili plays like Fisher and Paul Morphy put together.