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Alexandra Meets Kasparov - Click here for more!

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About Alexandra

Alexandra was born in Courbevoie (France) on 4 March 1994, and came to England with her family in 2001. After 3 years at "André Malraux", Ealing's French Primary School, an annex of the French Lycée Charles de Gaulle, she is since September 2004 one of the youngest 6th form students at the French Lycee's College in South Kensington, reputed as being London and the world's best French Secondary School.

Alexandra started playing chess during Summer 2000, and joined her Paris Club (A.E.C.E. Bastille) at the age of six and a half years (she is still licensed to play there).  She won her first trophy in December 2000 (Paris Champion) and won the French National Championship in April 2001 at the age of 7. The move to England and the learning of a new language stalled her chess training, but she is now back in full form.  Alexandra regularly plays weekly blitz tournaments against senior players at the West London Chess Club, and after lessons with Harriett Hunt in 2003, she is now getting private coaching at home from Alexander Cherniaev (Russian GM) and Peter Sowray (English FM). Alexandra is, since August 13, 2004, the new British Under-10 Girls Champion (see below and right).

August 9-13, 2004

Alexandra wins Smith & Williamson British Girls Under-10 Chess Championship in Scarborough

Alexandra (front row with the blue T-shirt and black trousers) participated in the British Chess Championship at the Spa Complex in Scarborough, between August 9 and 13, in the U-10 category (mixed boys and girls). She played six boys and one girl (a win against Stephanie Hale), and scored 4 points out of 7. View Pairing and crosstables here (pdf) or on the BCF website.

June 26, 2004

Alexandra (left, in blue) playing against Fay Birch, one of the top British U-10 girls in  playing for Surrey, at the West London Chess Club in Chiswick, London. Alexandra mated Fay in the 25' game and lost on time in the Blitz match. Alexandra also played a double blitz match against U-16 Martin Durrant, she won one game and lost the other.

Saturday 5th October 2003

Sussex vs Middlesex Girls Friendly at Lindfield

The format of the match was 3 rounds of 7 games played at the rapid play time control of ½ an hour per player per game. Round 1 finished 4½-2½ to Middlesex but with games swinging one way then the other in the final minutes of play, the score could easily have been in favour of Sussex. Round 2 finished 4-3 to Sussex and then came the final exciting round with some very hard fought out games. 

The first few games of Round 3 to finish went to form with the higher boards winning against the lower boards. Abi, Charlotte and Elizabeth winning for Sussex and Kate and Jenna succeeding for Middlesex. Sarah Margolis playing against Alexandra Bottemanne who with 2/2 was favourite to make it 3/3 showed the importance of end game training. Sarah took the opportunity to swap off the pieces down to a K+B+RP vs K where her opponents Bishop was of the opposite colour to her pawns queening square. Sarah then dived her King into the corner and rocked between a8 and b7 for 40 moves until her opponent had to concede the draw. 

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23 June 2002

42nd Richmond Rapidplay - Minor U80

Venue: White House Community Association, Hampton

Full results here

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English Titles - BCF Licence No. 245216K

2004 BCF equivalent to French ELO: 93

2004 BRITISH Under-10 Girls Champion

Scarborough, August 9-13, 2004

View Pairing and crosstables here (pdf) or on the BCF website

See the Ealing Times article

London SCCU Under-9 Girls Champion 2002-3 in December 2002, Harrow University

French Titles (French Licence No. V15753)

2002 French ELO: 1340 - is worth much more now but BCF won't yet give an official grading convertible into an ELO)

April 2002

5th place - French National Championship in HYERES

Under-8 category - (Petite-Poussine 2ème année) 

Grille Américaine (Full results)

(Note: contrary to the UK, Girls and Boys in France play in separate categories, and there is a high number of girls)

Alexandra went to Hyères, where she was automatically qualified, to defend her 2001 Under-8 title. Despite her lack of training (and therefore lack of confidence) and competitive play since our relocation from Paris to London during summer 2001 (no games played since May 2001), Alexandra won 6 games out of 9 (click here to see the notation) and finished on the podium in 5th place.

11-14 April 2001

1st Place - French NATIONAL Champion in AMIENS

Full Results here + Grille Americaine

Under-8 category (Petite-Poussine 1ère année)

View games: Saucey v Bottemanne - Mallet v Bottemanne

Alexandra, front row, in orange !

FRENCH Vice-Champion

Under 18 National 1 Youth Clubs 

May 2001 in Bois-Colombes (played for A.E.C.E. Paris)

View game analysis by Telmo Escobar (Argentinian coach) of Alexandra's win, in the National 1 Final between "AECE Paris" and "Bois-Colombes", against Quentin Bernaud (Elo 1670). Alexandra (Elo 1009*) played White. 

Her win helped the team get a precious point and secure the 2nd place in this French national tournament.

* 1009 is the Elo automatically given by the French Federation to all unrated players - Elo in France is updated in January, May and September

February 2001

1st - Under-8 Champion of "Ile-de-France" 

("Ile-de-France" is a French region which regroups Paris + all 7 departments

around Paris)

After the podium, Alexandra played a friendly match (and lost, obviously!) against French top female player Marie Sebag (ELO 2414), who had appreciated her "style" during the tournament.

December 2000

Paris Champion - Under-8 category 

West London Chess Club, Chiswick Town Hall,

Heathfield Terrace, London W4

Location Map - Visit the club's website

When :

(Seniors): Wednesdays 19.30-22.00

(Juniors) Saturdays 11.15-13.15

Contact:

Mark Lyell

0208-992-3725 (Home) or 07986-534987 (Mobile)

Meri Lyell

07986-088417(Mobile)

ONKOUD Abdelaziz   - (ELO 2381-Fide Master)

Champion of Morocco 1998; Fide Master with 3 International Master norms; over 1000 problems published worldwide (ONKOUD and ANTI-ONKOUD themes). AECE coach and Federal Referee

Philippe Godon (ELO 1998) 

A.E.C.E. Coach and Federal Referee

Also: 

Roger Louvrier-Saint-Mary (ELO 2000) - AECE Coach

Yann Datessen (ELO 1830)  - A.E.C.E. Coach