June 24, 2009 02:26pm
Chess queen Arianne Caoili dogged by controversy
Samantha Turnbull
June 24th, 2009

ARIANNE Caoili is no stranger to controversy and it has plagued her again — this time in chess.

The 22-year-old Gold Coaster who attends university in Canberra and Germany is back on the Coast for the Oceania Chess Championship at Twin Towns.

Caoili is now famous for her appearance on Channel 7’s Dancing With The Stars in 2006 in which she was accused by a judge of having professional dance training. She was also labelled a temptress after reports she was at the centre of a love triangle that ended in a dance floor punch-up in Italy.

Caoili said she had put those incidents behind her.

“I don’t like to talk about it,” she said.

“With every adventure there’s good and bad. I choose to ignore the bad.

“I learned a lot of things, but I’m young and there are lots more adventures ahead.”

What she didn’t mind talking about was the controversy surrounding her chess game this week against Australia’s number one woman player, Irina Berezina of Sydney.

The three-hour game was a draw and Caoili was not impressed.

“I’m not very happy,” she said.

“I was much better. Irina played passively.

“She offered me the draw and I thought I’d take it. I wish I didn’t take it.”

Berezina was also unhappy with the result.

“What can you do?

” Everyone wants to win,” she said.

“It’s tough playing such long games and playing them every day.”

The winner of the Oceania Championship will qualify for the World Cup to be held in November in Russia and Berezina and Caoili are both still in with a chance.

Tuesday was a rest day and play resumed yesterday and continues until tomorrow.

Chess fans can watch the action with live commentary on www.gardinerchess.com.

Source: http://www.goldcoast.com.au

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