Much more than that, every game was a wild tactical melee. In every game, both kings were being chased around the middle of the board by the opposing army. It looked more like a shogi (Japanese chess) match, where the winner is usually the side which checkmates the opposing king first.

In this photo, Alexandra Kosteniuk posed in her new FIDE Commerce Uniform. Alexandra did not seem to mind but several other players objected to the FIDE requirement that they wear uniforms. The uniforms have not been required since.

It is impossible for me to judge the quality of the games. All of them were too wild. I could not figure any of them out.

For the same reason, it is impossible for me to judge the strength of the players. Both of them are young and rapidly improving.

The only top woman player in the world that I do not know is Alexandra Kosteniuk. That is because she is so young. She is only 17 years old. Her birthday is 23 April 1984. At the World Chess Olympiad in Istanbul last year, she was not strong enough to make the Russian team. I first heard of her when she was required to wear a FIDE Commerce Uniform as a promotion. Here is her picture in her bright new uniform.

In this photo, Zhu Chen poses in China for her own website.

Here are all eight of the games. I cannot tell you which one is best, for the same reason. All of them are too wild. Also, all of the games started slowly. Most of the games begin in a Petroff Defense or a Slav Defense, two of the dullest and most drawish openings known to man. However, do not let that fool you. The king hunts begin shortly thereafter.

The games were all hard fought down to the end. Zhu Chen was so physically exhausted after winning this match for the World Chess Championship that she just walked off the stage without smiling or saying anything.

Sam Sloan

Final Position Game 1, Zhu Chen as Black resigned after 50. e7

[Event "FIDE WCh Women KO"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "2001.12.08"]
[Round "6.1"]
[White "Kosteniuk,A"]
[Black "Zhu Chen"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2455"]
[BlackElo "2497"]
[EventDate "2001.11.27"]
[ECO "C42"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. 
Bd3 Bd6 7. O-O O-O 8. c4 c6 9. Nc3 Nxc3 10. bxc3 dxc4 
11. Bxc4 Bg4 12. h3 Bh5 13. Rb1 b5 14. Bd3 Re8 15. Re1 
Rxe1+ 16. Qxe1 Bxf3 17. gxf3 a6 18. Qe4 g6 19. Bh6 Ra7 
20. Qg4 Qe8 21. Kf1 Re7 22. f4 Nd7 23. f5 c5 24. Bg5 f6 
25. Be3 c4 26. Bc2 g5 27. a4 Nb6 28. Qg2 Kh8 29. axb5 
axb5 30. Ra1 Qc8 31. Ra5 Qe8 32. Ra6 Bc7 33. Qf3 Qc8 
34. Ra1 Qe8 35. Kg2 Kg8 36. Ra7 Bd8 37. Ra6 b4 38. cxb4 
Qb5 39. Ra5 Qxb4 40. Rc5 Qb2 41. Be4 c3 42. Bd5+ Kh8 43. 
Be6 Qb4 44. Qc6 Kg7 45. Qd6 Nd7 46. Bxd7 Rxe3 47. Be6 
Rxe6 48. fxe6 Ba5 49. Qd7+ Kh6 50. e7 1-0

Final Position Game 2, Alexandra Kosteniuk as Black resigned after 42. Qe6

[Event "FIDE WCh Women KO"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "2001.12.10"]
[Round "6.2"]
[White "Zhu Chen"]
[Black "Kosteniuk,A"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2497"]
[BlackElo "2455"]
[EventDate "2001.11.27"]
[ECO "D31"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. e4 dxe4 5. Nxe4 Bb4+ 6. 
Bd2 Qxd4 7. Bxb4 Qxe4+ 8. Be2 Na6 9. Bc3 f6 10. Nf3 Ne7 
11. Nd2 Qf4 12. g3 Qc7 13. Bh5+ Ng6 14. f4 O-O 15. Qe2 
Ne7 16. Bf3 Nf5 17. O-O-O Rb8 18. Nb3 c5 19. Rd2 Nb4 20. 
Kb1 b6 21. Rhd1 a5 22. a4 Nc6 23. g4 Nfe7 24. g5 fxg5 25. 
Qg2 e5 26. fxe5 Bf5+ 27. Ka1 Nxe5 28. Qxg5 N7g6 29. Qg3 
Qe7 30. Bd5+ Kh8 31. Nc1 Rbe8 32. Re1 Qc7 33. Rde2 Qd7 
34. Bxe5 Nxe5 35. Rxe5 Qxa4+ 36. Na2 Rxe5 37. Qxe5 Bg6 
38. Qd6 Re8 39. Rxe8+ Qxe8 40. Nc3 h5 41. Qxb6 a4 42. Qe6 1-0

Final Position Game 3, Kosteniuk as White resigned after 36. ... Rf8 check

[Event "FIDE WCh Women KO"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "2001.12.11"]
[Round "6.3"]
[White "Kosteniuk,A"]
[Black "Zhu Chen"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2455"]
[BlackElo "2497"]
[EventDate "2001.11.27"]
[ECO "B97"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. 
Bg5 e6 7. f4 Qb6 8. Nb3 Be7 9. Qf3 Nbd7 10. O-O-O Qc7 
11. g4 b5 12. Bxf6 Nxf6 13. g5 Nd7 14. h4 b4 15. Ne2 
Bb7 16. Bh3 d5 17. f5 Rc8 18. c3 dxe4 19. Qe3 Bc5 20. 
Nxc5 Nxc5 21. fxe6 fxe6 22. Rhf1 Rf8 23. Bg4 Rxf1 24. 
Rxf1 Qa5 25. Qd4 Qxa2 26. Kc2 e3 27. Bh5+ g6 28. Qh8+ 
Ke7 29. Qxh7+ Kd6 30. Bxg6 b3+ 31. Kc1 Na4 32. Rd1+ Bd5 
33. Rxd5+ exd5 34. Kd1 Qxb2 35. Ke1 Qd2+ 36. Kf1 Rf8+ 0-1

Final Position Game 4, Zhu Chen as White resigned after 57. ... Bb5

[Event "FIDE WCh Women KO"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "2001.12.13"]
[Round "6.4"]
[White "Zhu Chen"]
[Black "Kosteniuk,A"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2497"]
[BlackElo "2455"]
[EventDate "2001.11.27"]
[ECO "A90"]

1. d4 f5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. g3 e6 4. Bg2 d5 5. O-O Bd6 6. b3 
Qe7 7. c4 c6 8. Bb2 O-O 9. Qc1 a5 10. Ba3 Na6 11. Bxd6 
Qxd6 12. c5 Qe7 13. Ne5 Nd7 14. Nxd7 Bxd7 15. f4 b6 16. 
cxb6 Qb4 17. Qc3 Qxb6 18. Nd2 Rfc8 19. Rfc1 c5 20. Nf3 
Rc7 21. e3 Rac8 22. Qd2 a4 23. Ne5 Be8 24. dxc5 Nxc5 25. 
bxa4 Bxa4 26. Rab1 Qa7 27. Qd4 Be8 28. Rc2 Qa3 29. Qc3 
Qa4 30. Qb2 Qa6 31. Bf1 Qa7 32. Qd4 Qa3 33. Qc3 Qa4 34. 
Qb2 Qe4 35. Re1 g5 36. Bg2 Qa4 37. Rec1 Qa5 38. Qc3 Qa7 
39. Qd4 Qa3 40. Qc3 Nb3 41. Qxb3 Qxb3 42. axb3 Rxc2 43. 
Rxc2 Rxc2 44. fxg5 Re2 45. Nf3 Rxe3 46. Nd4 Kf7 47. Bf1 
Bd7 48. Kf2 Rc3 49. b4 e5 50. Nf3 Ke6 51. Nh4 e4 52. g6 
hxg6 53. Nxg6 d4 54. h4 Rc2+ 55. Ke1 Rc1+ 56. Kf2 e3+ 
57. Kg1 Bb5 0-1

Final Position Game 5, Kosteniuk as Black resigned after 42. Rdd8

[Event "FIDE WCh Women KO"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "2001.12.14"]
[Round "6.5"]
[White "Zhu Chen"]
[Black "Kosteniuk,A"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2497"]
[BlackElo "2455"]
[EventDate "2001.11.27"]
[ECO "D30"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 c6 4. e3 Nf6 5. Bd3 Nbd7 6. 
O-O dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 a6 9. a4 b4 10. e4 c5 11. 
Nbd2 cxd4 12. e5 Nd5 13. Ne4 Qc7 14. Bb1 Nxe5 15. Nxd4 
Be7 16. Re1 Bb7 17. Qh5 Ng6 18. Ng5 Bxg5 19. Bxg6 O-O-O 
20. Bxf7 Bf6 21. Nxe6 Qe7 22. Bd2 g6 23. Nxd8 Qxd8 24. 
Qg4+ Kb8 25. Bxb4 Nxb4 26. Qxb4 Qd7 27. Bc4 Qc6 28. 
Bf1 Bd8 29. Rac1 Qf6 30. Qc3 Qf8 31. Qe5+ Ka8 32. b4 
Bb6 33. Rc2 Qd8 34. a5 Ba7 35. Rd2 Qc8 36. Rc1 Qf8 37. 
b5 Bb8 38. Qc3 Qh6 39. g3 Rc8 40. Qxc8 Bxc8 41. Rxc8 
Kb7 42. Rdd8 1-0

Final Position Game 6, Zhu Chen as Black resigned after 38. Kd3

[Event "FIDE WCh Women KO"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "2001.12.14"]
[Round "6.6"]
[White "Kosteniuk,A"]
[Black "Zhu Chen"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2455"]
[BlackElo "2497"]
[EventDate "2001.11.27"]
[ECO "B90"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 
6. f3 e5 7. Nb3 Be6 8. Be3 Be7 9. Qd2 h5 10. Be2 Nbd7 
11. a4 Rc8 12. a5 g6 13. O-O h4 14. Na4 Nh5 15. Rfd1 
f5 16. exf5 gxf5 17. f4 Qc7 18. Rac1 h3 19. Nb6 Ndf6 
20. Nxc8 Qxc8 21. Bf3 hxg2 22. c4 Kf7 23. c5 Bxb3 24. 
cxd6 Qe6 25. Rc7 Bxd1 26. Qxd1 Kg6 27. Rxe7 Qc4 28. 
fxe5 Ng3 29. Kxg2 f4 30. exf6 Nf5 31. Bf2 Kxf6 32. Re4 
Qg8+ 33. Bg4 Qh7 34. Qf3 Qxh2+ 35. Kf1 Rc8 36. Rxf4 Rc1+ 
37. Ke2 Rc2+ 38. Kd3 1-0

Final Position Game 7, Black Kosteniuk is in Checkmate!

[Event "FIDE WCh Women KO"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "2001.12.14"]
[Round "6.7"]
[White "Zhu Chen"]
[Black "Kosteniuk,A"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2497"]
[BlackElo "2455"]
[EventDate "2001.11.27"]
[ECO "A91"]

1. d4 f5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 e6 4. c4 d5 5. Nh3 c6 6. 
Qc2 Be7 7. O-O O-O 8. Nd2 h6 9. Nf4 Qe8 10. Nf3 g5 
11. Nd3 Nbd7 12. Bd2 a5 13. b3 Ne4 14. Nfe5 Bf6 15. 
Bc1 Be7 16. a3 Nxe5 17. Nxe5 b6 18. f3 Nf6 19. Bd2 
Ba6 20. e4 c5 21. exd5 exd5 22. Qxf5 Kg7 23. Qd3 Rd8 
24. Rfe1 dxc4 25. bxc4 Rxd4 26. Qc2 Bd6 27. Ng4 Qg6 
28. Qb2 Nd7 29. Bc3 Kg8 30. Bxd4 cxd4 31. Kh1 Bxc4 32. 
Qxd4 Bb3 33. Re3 a4 34. Rd3 Nc5 35. Qxd6 Qxd3 36. Qxh6 
Qf5 37. Qxb6 Qc2 38. h3 Ne6 39. Re1 Qc4 40. Kh2 Kg7 
41. Re4 Qd5 42. Re5 Qd7 43. Qe3 Qe7 44. Nf2 Qf6
45. Ra5 Rd8 46. Ne4 Qb2 47. Rxg5+ Kf7 48. Qa7+ Ke8 
49. Rg8+ Nf8 50. Rg7 Rd7 51. Qb8+ Rd8 52. Nd6+ 1-0

Final Position Game 8, Kosteniuk as White resigns after 36. ... Qg2 check winning another rook

[Event "FIDE WCh Women KO"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "2001.12.14"]
[Round "6.8"]
[White "Kosteniuk,A"]
[Black "Zhu Chen"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2455"]
[BlackElo "2497"]
[EventDate "2001.11.27"]
[ECO "B90"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 
6. f3 e5 7. Nb3 Be6 8. Be3 Be7 9. Qd2 h5 10. Be2 Nbd7 
11. a4 Rc8 12. a5 g6 13. O-O h4 14. Nd5 Bxd5 15. exd5 
Nh5 16. c4 f5 17. Rfd1 f4 18. Bf2 h3 19. c5 dxc5 20. 
d6 Bh4 21. Bc4 Bxf2+ 22. Qxf2 Qg5 23. Rd2 Nhf6 24. Qe1 
Kf8 25. Re2 e4 26. fxe4 Ne5 27. Qc3 Nxe4 28. Qc2 Nf3+ 
29. Kf1 Nxh2+ 30. Ke1 Nf3+ 31. Kd1 hxg2 32. Qxe4 g1=Q+ 
33. Kc2 Nd4+ 34. Nxd4 Qxd4 35. Rf1 Qxe4+ 36. Rxe4 Qg2+ 0-1

• Report on the World Chess Olympiad in Istanbul
• Zhu Chen's personal website
• Zhu Chen, my friend, is the new Woman's World Chess Champion
• Zhu Chen defeats Alexandra Kosteniuk for Woman's World Chess Championship
• Alexandra Kosteniuk is the new Anna Kournikova of chess
• Photo of Alexandra Kosteniuk
• Alexandra Kosteniuk official web site
• World Chess Champion Bobby Fischer Interviewed over the Radio
• Maurice Ashley makes The New York Times
• Hikaru Nakamura makes master at 10 years, 2 months