Chess becomes the beautiful game

FOR years it has been considered the preserve of the eccentric, played by bespectacled geniuses, intellectual loners and men in corduroy jackets.

Now, thanks to a 17-year-old Russian who is being touted as the "Anna Kournikova of the black-and-white board", the game of chess is to gain a younger, sexier public image.

Alexandra Kosteniuk is to become the "poster girl" of the ancient game, after being asked by the international governing body of chess to be the modern face of the game.

Miss Kosteniuk, whose idiosyncratic play has been referred to as "a wild, attacking, no-holds-barred style of chess never before seen among top women players", has the combination of brains and beauty that officials hope will lead to a revival of interest in the game.

She became a grandmaster at the age of 14 after starting playing when she was five years old. She was runner-up in the women’s world championships in December and is lauded by experts who say her game is "dazzling", exciting and courageous.

Speaking about the game, she said: "Chess is not as popular as it should be, and I think I could help it. It is an honour for me to be described as the face of the game."

Promoters have previously rejected criticism from the classical chess supporters who called for it to be marketed as a vigorous, quick-fire game that was played by the young and talented.

Miss Kosteniuk has already written a book about herself, her game strategy and the Russian chess school. She is also "media savvy", having her own website with information about her and which offers the opportunity to play against her.

Not since Faye Dunaway seductively toyed with her pieces while playing against Steve McQueen in the 1968 film The Thomas Crown Affair has chess looked so glamorous.

The World Chess Federation (FIDE) will next month hold its first grand prix competition in Dubai, but the event has undergone a major makeover.

It will take place in sets and be televised in a style similar to The Weakest Link, the television quiz programme hosted by Anne Robinson.

Nick Hawkins, the British federation’s marketing director, said FIDE should encourage Kosteniuk to promote the game.

"She is absolutely gorgeous. Most people would think of her as a model, but she is a ferociously strong player," said Mr Hawkins . "She could have phenomenal impact because the message is that women in chess can be young, glamorous and intelligent."

His view is a view shared by many of the game’s luminaries. Nigel Short, the British grandmaster, described her playing strengths as having "rocketed".

He said: "There are a lot of attractive women in chess, but she has made a very big impression. She is obviously very talented.

"Any sport needs attractive personalities, and I would have no problem with the idea of marketing the game through her."

Another part of the campaign to increase the popularity of the game is to speed it up. Previously, games could span several days, but these can now take minutes. International tournament games at their longest now take between four and seven hours.

Chess is believed to have been first played in the sixth century in India and Persia.

Pieces carved from walrus ivory in the 12th century and found on Lewis in the Western Isles in 1831 serve as evidence that the game had migrated throughout Europe in the Middle Ages.

In 1920s Hollywood, the Cuban player and world champion Jose Raul Capablanca, who taught many of the stars, helped to popularise chess, and, prior to his film career, Humphrey Bogart used to make his living from playing the game.

The American champion Bobby Fischer is probably the most remembered player responsible for re-awakening an interest in chess during the 20th century, after beating the Russian Boris Spassky in Iceland in 1972 in a game that was hyped by media comparison to the Cold War.

Some of its more noticeable modern-day fans include the film director Guy Ritchie and his wife, Madonna, and the Hollywood stars Julia Roberts and Steve Martin.

According to figures released by the British Chess Federation, five million Britons now play chess regularly. The federation is keen to gain currency from the young women entering its competitions and is debating seeking support from make-up and fashion companies.

The FIDE president, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov , who is also the president of the Russian Republic of Kalmykia, is leading the international campaign to help to popularise the game.

So far, it has involved him spending 22 million on a lavish complex in his isolated capital city of Elista.