Alexandra Botez Wins seventh Version Of Kids Vs. Stars

WFM Alexandra Botez obtained off to a shaky begin within the seventh episode of Kids vs. Stars when she discovered herself misplaced in seven strikes towards her 13-year-old Canadian compatriot WFM Ashley Qian. That sport could not be save, however regardless of severe time hassle, Alexandra went on to hit again with wins towards nine-year-old U.S. WCM Abigail Zhou and 12-year-old WCM Larissa Mayorga from Costa Rica. She then clinched a 2.5-1.5 total victory with a tense draw towards one other 12-year-old, Kenneth Alba from Mexico.      

Simul Results

Kids vs. Stars is a ChessChild collection that pits established gamers towards promising younger skills. The Kids gained the primary two editions, however within the final 5 the celebrities have struck again, with wins for GM Anish Giri, GM Daniel Naroditsky, GM David Howell, and WFM Anna Cramling. In reality, it was Anna who handed on the poisoned chalice to Alexandra.

Anna: “I & @alexandrabotez played a match yesterday where if I won the match she had to be the next person to play the kids, so if you do another Star vs. Kids Alexandra Botez will be the next person because I beat her & she promised this! Mike, hold her accountable for that!”😅 pic.twitter.com/ymt6vyz4kJ

— chess24 (@chess24com) October 6, 2025

The format is that the star takes on the 4 children on the similar time, with 65 minutes on the clock and 15 seconds added every transfer, whereas the youngsters every have quarter-hour and 15 seconds a transfer.  

How do you strategy such a match? Alexandra defined: “Most of my strategy involved showing up, and I’m here, so we’ll see where it goes!”

Most of my technique concerned exhibiting up, and I’m right here, so we’ll see the place it goes!

—Alexandra Botez

Strategic concerns have been confronted by an early catastrophe, with Alexandra commenting, “Don’t love completely throwing one of the games so early, but it is what it is!”

Alexandra Botez 0-1 Ashley Qian

Alexandra Botez is now a streaming sensation, collectively together with her sister Andrea, with 1.3 million followers on Twitch and nearly two million subscribers on YouTube, however she began as a gifted Canadian junior who claimed 5 Canadian women titles. 13-year-old Ashley Qian is one other Canadian star, who can boast podium finishes on the Under 10 Pan American Youth Chess Championship and the North American Youth Chess Championship.

It was the teen who gained this battle, selecting up Alexandra’s d-pawn on transfer seven after which delivering a crushing blow with 8…Ne4!.

Alexandra started to delve deep into her choices, however by this stage they have been all unhealthy: “First I saw, ‘wow, I just blundered a pawn on d4!’ and then …Ne4 came, and I thought, this is really embarrassing.” Alexandra added, “She still gave me no chances, so that was really good,” and Qian’s play was certainly flawless.

Alexandra had needed to resign that sport earlier however could not discover how, and whereas no such opening disasters befell on the opposite boards the state of affairs seemed perilous for the extra skilled participant, with moments the place the youngsters had a minimum of a slight edge on all 4 boards. 

Alexandra additionally discovered herself below a minute with three video games nonetheless in play, however the state of affairs would in the end swing in her favor.

Alexandra Botez 1-0 Larissa Mayorga

Chess runs within the household for 12-year-old Larissa Mayorga, whose 16-year-old sister Sofia is the Costa Rican Women’s number-one. Larissa is already a two-time nationwide women champion and, after an over-ambitious opening from Alexandra, she had possibilities to take management.

Instead, Botez hit again and will have saved herself a number of hassle if she’d noticed a compelled sequence beginning with 26.Bxf5!. Distracted by one other sport, nonetheless, the Canadian missed that chance and needed to go on and win the sport yet again.

That checkmate leveled the rating, and shortly Botez was in a position to take the lead.

Alexandra Botez 1-0 Abigail Zhou

Abigail Zhou is barely 9 years outdated, however the U.S. star is already the Pan American Girls Champion within the Under 8, Under 9, and Under 10 classes. She emerged from the opening with a superb place and will have set the board on fireplace with a bishop sac that will have led to speak of a Botez gambit, even when the queen sacrifice can be fully sound! 

Abigail missed that likelihood and stumbled into hassle, however she’d fought again to a place with equal materials earlier than Alexandra accurately switched to threatening checkmate. It labored, and Alexandra not needed to play on increment on a couple of board.

Alexandra Botez ½-½ Kenneth Alba

12-year-old Kenneth Alba from Mexico took bronze within the 2023 North American Under 10 Youth Chess Championship and is rated over 1900 on the FIDE classical, speedy, and blitz ranking lists. He engaged in a fancy battle with Alexandra, who burned up a number of time attempting to work issues out. Here, as an example, transferring a rook and permitting Black to take the knight and double pawns was sturdy. 

13.Nd2?! wasn’t the most suitable choice, and in what adopted Kenneth was at no level objectively in hassle, although Alexandra briefly thought she was delivering checkmate.

In reality, solely needing a draw to clinch the match, she nearly overpressed on the finish, discovering herself a pawn down and on the defensive. There have been methods to stumble into hassle even on the very finish, however she held on to clinch the match.

Alexandra commented: “If I lost to the kids I’d be really embarrassed, and that last game I thought I actually threw and maybe should have lost, so I’ll take it. Even though I’m afraid of kids I hoped to win by a bigger margin, but you know what, a win is still a win!” 

Even although I’m afraid of youngsters I hoped to win by a much bigger margin, however what, a win continues to be a win!

—Alexandra Botez

When IM Jovanka Houska remarked how spectacular it had been for Alexandra to remain calm on the finish, she responded: “I was not calm! I just stopped calculating and started playing by intuition, so I’m sure I made some mistakes there, but at least we didn’t flag.”

“Honestly, good job for the kids, I’m proud of our young talent!” added Alexandra, earlier than the subject turned to who can be subsequent. Can we persuade Alexandra’s sister Andrea to run the gauntlet? “I would love to have Andrea have such a fun experience like this, so I’m going to tell her about it, she’s just getting back from Europe today. I’m going to be honest, I don’t think it’s going to be an easy conversation, but we’ll see what we can do!”

Alexandra: “I would love to have Andrea have such a fun experience like this!” 😀 pic.twitter.com/xLOBm3GQEu

— chess24 (@chess24com) April 27, 2026

Fingers crossed, and we hope you loved the present! 

Kids vs. Stars is an occasion by which the following technology of prodigies challenges established chess gamers and celebrities. On April 27, WFM Alexandra Botez took on WFM Ashley Qian, WCM  Abigail Zhou, WCM Larissa Mayorga, and Kenneth Alba in a clock simul the place she had 65+15 and the youngsters had 15+15, with the successful facet being the primary to 2.5 factors. 

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