Nana Alexandria – a Pillar of Women’s Chess13.10.2009 – Born in Poti, Georgia (USSR), Nana learned chess at the age of four. At ten she started formal lessons and within six months became the girls’ champion of Tbilisi. By the age of twenty she had won the USSR Women’s Championship three times. Traumatically she missed becoming World Champion by tiny margins, but devoted her life to promoting women’s chess. Today Nana Alexandria turns sixty.
Nana Alexandria – a Pillar of Women’s Chess
By Elmer Dumlao Sangalang
Until a few decades ago, women chess players were an obvious minority in the chess playing population. Rated women chess players, an even much smaller entity. FIDE had separate listings of men and women players. The top places in the International Rating List were monopolized my men. And the best women chess players belonged to only a few European countries.
Today, women’s chess has gone a long way. If there’s one particular individual who can be credited for its tremendous growth and development, it’s none other than International Woman Grandmaster Nana Alexandria. From 1986 to 2002, Nana was Chairperson of the Commission for Women’s Chess, FIDE’s permanent committee tasked to promote and develop chess activities for women and the preparation of programs aiming, progressively, at a better representation of women in all aspects of chess activities. She was the ideal choice for the job because of her keen understanding of the means to stimulate interest in chess.
Here is the full article on Chessbase.com.
Did she ever win the women’s world championship?
Of course not. You would hav heard of her then. She wasnt that good.
Nana, my dear, your career’s end is near.
Everything my Nana does is something special made with love.
She takes time to add the extra touch that says, “I love you very much.”
She fixes hurts with a kiss and smile and tells good stories Nana-style.
It’s warm and cozy on her lap
for secret telling or a nap.
And when I say my prayers at night
I ask God to bless and hold her tight.
Cause when it comes to giving hugs
my Nana’s arms are filled with love!
And, if you don’t follow Nana’s loving advice…
She will KILL YOU!
The End.
Nana is not an active player anymore and in that regard yes her carrer has ended, however she has accomplished a lot – being a 3 times USSR champion, playing rigorous match with Maia Chiburdanidze when Maia was on top of the world and drawing it 8:8 (Maia retained her crown due to draw), being many times olympic Champion already are major accomplishmenets. Moreoever, she contributed immensely to womens chess cause in USSR and in the world.