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"Modelling is not a job — it is a hobby, like reading books," Kosteniuk told the Telegraph.  "I want people to see there is a fun side to chess. "It can be made as exciting as soccer or tennis."

Alexandra has worked as a catwalk and swimsuit model in an effort to raise the profile of the traditional game.  At 14, she became the youngest ever female Grandmaster, which was attributed to her training regime of playing games blindfolded. By 17, she had made a name for herself on the world stage by becoming European champion and, at 20, had become just the tenth woman on the planet to become an International Grandmaster.

She credits her ability to her father Konstantin, who left his army job to train her full time when she was a youngster.