Background
She was born in Manila, Philippines.
She was born in Manila, Philippines.
Caoili began playing chess at the age of six. The following year, she scored 5.5/9 in the strong Conca Della Presolana tournament in Italy. In 2004 Caoili transferred chess federations to represent Australia.
Caoili played for Philippines in the Women"s Olympiads of 1998 and 2000.
She represented Australia in the same competition in 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012. Caoili was one of the celebrity dancers in the fifth season of
Caoili has been in a relationship with one of the world"s top chess grandmasters, Levon Aronian since 2006, and got officially engaged in spring 2015.
She speaks several languages fluently, and studied for a Doctor of Philosophy at a German university on "Russian foreign policy, especially its economic and business relations with Armenia on a state and individual level". She works as a consultant for a global consultancy firm.
Since 2013, she has lived and worked in Armenia.
In 2000, on her 14th birthday, she won the Asian under-16 girls" championship in Bagac, Philippines. At one point during 2002, she achieved a FIDE rating in excess of 2300, but this has been in decline since she scaled down her chess activities to concentrate on her studies. In 2009 she won the London Classic Women"s Invitational tournament with 8/9, two points ahead of the runner-up. In an episode of the television show Deal or Number Deal she won a car for the home competition entrant.
