Have you seen people who seem to excel at anything they engage in and make the impossible look effortless? Individuals who make you think, “How does she do it all?” Well, Alex Botez is such a personality.
Alexandra Botez has a decorated chess career, owns a popular streaming channel with millions of followers, and is a rising poker star. Botez is a Woman FIDE Chess Master, a five-time Canadian National Girls’ Chess Champion, and a one-time U.S. Girls’ National Chess Champion.
With a peak Elo rating of 2092, Alexandra has established herself as one of her generation’s most talented female chess players. Now, she is walking the poker path, following in the footsteps of famous personalities like Jennifer Shahade, and she is doing well.
Today’s casino news examines Alex Botez’s life journey and poker achievements since joining the game.
Alex Botez: Brilliance Beyond the Board
Botez was Born into a Romanian family on September 24th, 1995, in Dallas, Texas, but was raised in Vancouver, Canada, by chess-loving parents. Alex’s father introduced her to the game at age six, becoming her first coach and setting her up for her future successes. By age eight (2004), she won her first Canadian National Girls Champion, a title she would claim five times. Botez also became a U.S. Girls National Chess Champion at age 15 after returning to the country.
She won a scholarship to study chess at the University of Texas. However, she declined the offer because she preferred academics over chess. So, she enrolled at Stanford University to study international relations. She joined the chess club and became its first female president, showcasing her leadership skills before graduating in 2017. After graduation, her attention was still fixed on chess, not games like Caribbean Poker.