Wednesday, September 22, 2010

27 teams still perfect at 2010 Women's Olympiad


Rk.SNoTeamTeamGames + = - TB1 TB2
115SlovakiaSVK220048,0
216GermanyGER220048,0
317SerbiaSRB220048,0
42ChinaCHN220048,0
53UkraineUKR220048,0
64GeorgiaGEO220048,0
78IndiaIND220048,0
810PolandPOL220048,0
914RomaniaROU220048,0
106United States
USA220048,0
1119NetherlandsNED220048,0
121Russia 1RUS1220048,0
135Russia 2RUS2220048,0
149HungaryHUN220047,0
1518CubaCUB220047,0
1627CroatiaCRO220047,0
1728ArgentinaARG220047,0
1830ItalyITA220047,0
1926AzerbaijanAZE220046,0
2012BulgariaBUL220046,0
2155SwedenSWE220046,0
2223IsraelISR220046,0
2320Czech RepublicCZE220045,0
2422LatviaLAT220045,0
2537KazakhstanKAZ220045,0
2642MoldovaMDA220045,0
2713SloveniaSLO220045,0

Full standings here: http://www.chess-results.com/tnr36796.aspx?art=0&lan=1&flag=30&m=-1&wi=1000
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Friday, September 17, 2010

Chess, chess, and more chess


SPICE Cup FIDE Rated Open
November 5-7, 2010

Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX
806-742-7742

6SS, G/90 with 30 second increment.
FIDE/USCF rated
One Section $2,000 based on 40 paid entries: $1000-$500-250-150-100
Open to all FIDE rated players and USCF 1600 and higher

Limit to the first 50 registrants!

Reg: 9-10:30am 11/5.
Rounds: 11/5 11am and 4pm
11/6 10 am and 3 pm
11/7 9 am and 2 pm
No byes in the final 2 rounds.

Entry Fees: US players with FIDE rating $50 / without FIDE rating $75 if rec'd by November 2. $25 more on site.
Titled players and foreign FIDE rated players free, $50 deducted from prize.

Check payable to:
Texas Tech SPICE
6923 Indiana Avenue (Suite 154)
Lubbock, TX 79413

Players in the SPICE Cup FIDE Rated Open will have a chance to play alongside with the players in the SPICE Cup Invitational A and B Group in the final 3 days!

There is also an open tournament for everyone, including players under 1600, schedule for the weekend before.


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Spice Cup Open Chess Championship
Saturday, October 30, 2010
A 4 Round Swiss System Tournament (Game/45)

Event Site: TTU (Student Union Building) Lubbock, TX
Contact Info:
806-742-7742 E-mail: Spice@ttu.edu

Description of Tournament: A USCF rated event. Open to all USCF members. You may join online or on site on 10/30 before the start of the event.
Registration: On-site registration and check in 9-10am. All players must check in by 10:15am.
Round schedule: Saturday 10:30am- 12:15pm - 1:30pm and 3:15pm.
Entry Fee: $25 received by 10/25. $35 on site. K-12 or TTU students $10 off.
Prizes: $150-$100-$50 Top Under 1600 $50 Top U-1200 $50 based on 24 paid entries.

Other: Chess sets and boards will be provided. Bring your own clock if you have one.

Please send Entry Blank and Fees to TTU-SPICE at Box 45080 Lubbock, TX 79409-5080.

Entry Form: Please PRINT all information and make check / money order to TTU-SPICE.


Name: ______________________________Phone: (_____) ___________ SPICE Cup Open 2010
Address: _____________________________ City/State:______________ Zip:_____________
Email:________________________________ DOB: ____________Section________________
USCF Rating (if any) _______USCF ID#:______________ Amount Enclosed (No cash, please) $____


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SPICE Cup Invitational A & B Group

The 2010 SPICE Cup will take place on Thursday, October 28 - Sunday, November 7 (B group ends on November 5) at the beautiful campus of Texas Tech University. This prestigious event is growing bigger every year. It is the highest rated international invitational tournament in U.S. history to date.

To make the tournament a lot more exciting, the SPICE Cup committee has unanimously voted to adapt the following new rules for the A group:

- No draw offer allowed prior to move 30
- A win = 3 points, a draw = 1 point, and loss = 0 point

The format of the A group will once again be a 6-player DRR (category 16) event. The average FIDE rating of the A group is 2631, which is tied with the 2009 SPICE Cup A group.

GM Zoltan Almasi (HUN) 2707 (#2 in Hungary)
GM Alexander Onischuk (USA) 2688 (#3 in the U.S., former U.S. Champion)
GM Wesley So (Philippines) 2668 (#1 in the Philippines)
GM Georg Meier (Germany) 2659 (#2 in Germany)
GM Ray Robson (USA) 2539 (Youngest American GM)
GM Eugene Perelshteyn (USA) 2528 (winner of 2007 SPICE Cup)

The B group will be a 10-player (category 10 - 2486 / 22375) RR event. The players confirmed for the B group are:

GM Davorin Kuljasevic (2555 - Croatia) Texas Tech Knight Raider
GM Ben Finegold
(2534 - USA)
IM Gegerly Antal (2526 - HUN) Texas Tech Knight Raider
GM Andre Diamant (2498 - Brazil) Texas Tech Knight Raider
GM Anatoly Bykhovsky
(2497 - Israel)
Texas Tech Knight Raider
IM Irina Krush
(2490 - USA) US Women's Champion
IM Dean Ippolito
(2469 - USA)
IM Danny Rensch
(2404 - USA)
FM Darwin Yang
(2402 - USA)


GM norm will be 6/9 and IM norm will be 4/9.

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Lahno leads Women's World Blitz at the half


After 15 (of 30 rounds), GM Lahno of Ukraine (married to my friend GM Robert Fontaine of France, an excellent reporter/journalist for Europe Echecs, the #1 French chess media source) is leading the 2010 Women's World Blitz Championship, 1 point ahead of former WWC Stefanova.

Lahno is a very strong and talented player. Unfortunately, she does not receive the recognition she truly deserves. Maybe this will be a breakthrough event for her. However, just keep in mind that no lead is safe in blitz and anything can still happen tomorrow with 15 more games to play.

Here are the full standings at the half:

No.TitleNameFed.FIDELocal12345678910111213141516Total
1GMLahno, KaterynaUKR25392539X1110100=111111111.5
2GMStefanova, AntoanetaBUL255125510X1111111=1=1=0010.5
3GMKosintseva, TatianaRUS2573257300X0111001=111119.5
4WGMGunina, ValentinaRUS24652465001X1010011110119.0
5GMKoneru, HumpyIND259325931000X100111=11=19.0
6GMKosteniuk, AlexandraRUS2524252400010X110011==118.0
7IMGaponenko, InnaUKR24692469100010X=10=111108.0
8IMMuzychuk, AnnaSLO25352535101110=X=0=0=1018.0
9GMSebag, MarieFRA24992499=011010=X10=01017.5
10IMKrush, IrinaUSA249024900=0001110X01101=7.0
11IMSkripchenko, AlmiraFRA2464246400=000==11X0=11=6.5
12IMKosintseva, NadezhdaRUS256525650=00=001=01X10=16.0
13IMMuzychuk, MariyaUKR2464246400000=0=10=0X1115.5
14WGMPaikidze, NaziGEO237623760=010=0001010X105.0
15GMZhukova, NataliaUKR249924990100=001100=00X15.0
16WGMNebolsina, VeraRUS23602360010000100==0010X4.0

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Opportunity at Texas Tech


Would you like to study in the United States?

Here is your opportunity at a major university!

With over 30,000 students, Texas Tech University offers 150 undergraduate degree programs through 11 academic colleges, a graduate school and a school of law. We also offer more than 100 master’s degree programs and over 50 doctoral degree programs.

Texas Tech students come from all 50 states in the U.S. and more than 90 foreign countries. Scholarships at undergraduate and graduate levels to chess players are available!

SPICE (Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence) at Texas Tech University was founded by Grandmaster Susan Polgar in 2007. This is the first chess institute of its kind in the world. The goal of SPICE is to be the premier center for chess education, research, technology, and outreach; be a leader in promoting chess as a vehicle for enriching the education of children; to be a leader in promoting women’s chess; to support and promote competitive chess; as well as to support one of most elite chess programs.

SPICE website: http://www.spice.ttu.edu/ – email: spice@ttu.edu

Texas Tech University
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Sunday, September 12, 2010

Life-changing moments of a future world chess champion


Life-changing moments of a future world chess champion
Posted: September 11, 2010 - 11:33pm
Lubbock Avalanche Journal

The question of the week is can I point to a single experience in my life, which I can define as having contributed to who I am or what I do today?

The answer is I can probably point to at least three different occasions that greatly impacted my life. The first one was when I was around 4 years old. That was when I discovered the game of chess and my life has never been the same since. Here is what my husband Paul Truong wrote in an article for a major chess website a few years back.

“Since Susan is too modest to talk about herself, I was asked to do it. I have known Susan since we were teenagers. She is one of the nicest people you could ever meet. The same goes for her two sisters, Sofia and Judit. This is from my personal knowledge of an interview with Susan.” — Paul Truong

Susan took up the game quite by accident. One day, when she was not even 4 years old, Susan came across a chess set in the family house and developed a curiosity for it. At the age of 4, Susan won her first “official” tournament, the Budapest Championship for girls under 11, scoring a perfect 10 wins in 10 games.

Susan’s father, Laszlo, a chess enthusiast, understood his daughter’s special potential. He helped her with her chess, but his knowledge was very limited. Therefore, he hired trainers to help her. The Polgars, an average Hungarian family, had to work very hard just to survive. So, they saved as much as possible and gave up everything to give their daughter this opportunity.

Due to the logistical situation and financial hardship of the family, it would have been awkward for her two younger sisters to afford to develop a major interest other than chess. So in a way, Susan paved the road for her two sisters. Susan had to put in a lot of hard work. The more success she had in international competitions, the more financial rewards the family received. Eventually, her parents gave up their jobs to help Susan’s career on a full-time basis. When Sofia and Judit were old enough to learn chess, Susan helped to train her sisters.

Susan speaks seven languages. This is a great help when she travels abroad. These languages have also played a big role in getting her published as a chess columnist worldwide. Her first book, published by a German firm, was released when she was only 16. Right after Susan turned 15, she became the No. 1-ranked woman in the world, higher than Gaprindashvili and Chiburdanidze, legendary women’s world champions, even though she was the youngest player among the top 25 women players in the world. But success did not come easy.

There were many pitfalls (such as having to face religious, gender and age discrimination, and much more) on the way to the top. But Susan worked hard to overcome each and every one of them.

At 16, Susan’s rating was higher than Anatoly Karpov, one of the greatest world champions of all time, at the same age. The following year at age 17, Susan became the highest-rated player for men or women younger than 18 years old. That in itself is an incredible achievement.

With a stellar career that includes four World Championship titles (1981 World Champion-Girls under 16, 1992 Women’s World Rapid Champion, 1992 Women’s World Blitz Champion, 1996 Women’s World Champion), 10 Olympic Medals (five gold, four silver and one bronze), becoming the first woman to ever qualify for the Men’s Zonal for the World Championship as well as the first woman to “earn” the overall grandmaster title, Susan could not have done it alone.

She was fortunate to have the unconditional love and support of her family. Laszlo and Klara basically gave up their lives for Susan and her two sisters. Susan, Sofia and Judit not only are close sisters, they are also each other’s best friends. They supported each other through the good time and bad.

The second life-changing moment occurred on Sept.11, 2001. Paul and I were supposed to have an important business meeting near the World Trade Center in New York City around the time when the planes by the terrorists struck the Twin Towers.

A day or two before the meeting was supposed to take place, the other party requested to have the meeting pushed back by a few hours. If this did not happen, who knows what would have happened to us.

That was when my perspective and goals changed. I knew in my heart that I had to do more to make a bigger positive impact for future generations. Shortly after that, I founded the Susan Polgar Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, to promote chess with all its educational, social and competitive benefits throughout the United States, for young people of all ages, especially girls.

Because of this life-changing moment, I made it my personal mission to help kids do better in the classroom and in life, the best way I know how. I want to give them a head start, a positive start in their young lives. Since then, my foundation has awarded over $1 million in chess prizes and scholarships to young chess players, on behalf of our many sponsors and supporters.

The third life-changing moment in my life took place in November 2005 when I got an invitation from Hal Karlsson, Ph.D., a chess enthusiast, a student adviser to the Knight Raiders, and an associate professor of geosciences at Tech, to come to Lubbock to give a lecture and conduct various chess exhibitions. I have done hundreds of these events in my life and there was no way that I could have known that less than two years later, I would relocate to this wonderful city with my family to start SPICE.

I have been to more than 50 countries and most states in the U.S. But I could not be more proud to call Lubbock home. This city still maintains the small-town hospitality, West Texas charm and friendliness, while it offers big-city convenience. It is a wonderful place to raise a family.

There are other life-changing moments but these are the three that stick out in my life the most.

Source: http://lubbockonline.com/

Thursday, September 09, 2010

Texas Tech - From Here, It's Possible!

The school was established in 1923. Today, Texas Tech University has more than 39,000 students and 18,000 faculty / staff from over 100 countries. The main campus in Lubbock, Texas has 30,049 students.


Texas Tech University comprised a vast 1,850 acres, but elegant Spanish Renaissance-style buildings and attractively landscaped grounds give the campus an old-fashion collegial feel. Located in Lubbock, Texas Tech enjoys the area’s High Plains climate and four distinct seasons.

Texas Tech offers students a choice of more than 150 bachelor’s, 100 master’s, and 50 doctoral programs. Faculty members are nationally known for their work in a wide variety of fields. It is the ONLY institution in Texas with a graduate school, a law school, and a medical school in the same location as the main undergraduate campus. Overall, there are 14 colleges at Texas Tech University with 62 academics departments and 198 degree programs.

More than 400 clubs and organizations provide enrichment outside of the classroom.

Texas Tech also many other locations such as San Angelo, El Paso, Spain, and Germany, etc. It is expected to be designated as a tier one university soon.

Gender breakdown:

Undergraduate: Approximately 56% male - 44% female
Graduate & Professional: Approximately 52.5% male - 47.5% female
New Transfer Students: Approximately 57% male - 43% female

Top countries:

1. USA
2. India
3. China
4. Mexico
5. South Korea
6. Canada
7. Taiwan
8. Nigeria
9. Turkey
10. Nepal

SPICE (Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence) was established in 2007. It is the only established university chess institute in the United States and possibly in the world. The goal of SPICE is to work with our friends and colleagues to enhance chess, education, technology, and research, etc.

Why should a student / chess player come to Texas Tech?

Here are just a few of the many benefits:

1. To receive top notch education.
2. To receive world class intense chess training.
3. To have the opportunity to compete in multiple major SPICE chess tournaments (SPICE Cup, SPICE Spring Invitational, Get Smart! Play Chess!, Lubbock Open, and many more) every year.

SPICE is a premier center for chess education, research, technology, and outreach.

The goal of SPICE is to:

- Recruit outstanding undergraduate and graduate students to TTU and TTU-HSC

- Provide a substantial amount of scholarships to chess players

- Be a world leader in promoting women's chess

- Support the nation's most elite chess programs

- Promote chess as vehicle for enriching the education of children

- Serve as a center for chess education and research

- Support and promote competitive chess at the college level

Monday, September 06, 2010

Saturday, September 04, 2010

Knight Raider chess team members thrive on and off the board


Knight Raider chess team members thrive on and off the board
Posted: September 4, 2010 - 11:01pm
Lubbock Avalanche Journal

The question of the week is how important is it for me to recruit excellent students for the Texas Tech Knight Raider chess teams?

The short answer is it is very important. Here are my criteria which I addressed in a previous column:

• Professionalism (Will the recruit take pride in what he/she does and give his/her all?)

• Work ethic (Will the recruit be willing to put in maximum effort academically and in chess training?)

• Coachability (Will the recruit be willing to be coached to improve his/her chess strength? There is no perfect chess player. Every player has room to grow.)

• Team player (Will the recruit put the team concept above personal accolades in team competition? Team unity and chemistry are extremely important for success.)

The accumulative grade of the Texas Tech Knight Raiders chess teams (A team, B team, and women’s team) last year was approximately 3.28, with 3 players earning a perfect 4.0. They also have a wide range of majors such as economics, finance, math, electrical engineering, psychology, law, Spanish, English, political science, biotech, and microbiology, etc.

In addition to getting good grades, they also worked hard to improve their chess skills. Through the special SPICE training program, the 13 active members of the A team, B team, and women’s team gained nearly 1,100 rating points in this short time. That is an average improvement of nearly 90 rating points per player! Their vast improvement resulted in winning five national, two state, and one regional chess championships in less than two years.

Besides a busy academic and chess schedule, many members of the Knight Raiders also volunteered countless hours teaching and promoting chess in the Lubbock community through schools, libraries, and senior centers, etc. I am very proud of my players and we will work hard to continue the tradition of excellence on and off the chess board.

BBC radio program

Last week I was on the hour long BBC radio program “World Have Your Say” with host Ros Atkins, former No. 1-ranked table tennis player in the UK Matthew Syed, former Utah Jazz NBA star John Amaechi, and others.

The very interesting topic was “Is there such a thing as natural talent?”

To listen to this entire show, visit www.ChessDailyNews.com and click on the “BBC Radio Special” icon.

Local chess activities

The new school year has started and chess is in full swing again. Below is the information for upcoming events:

• “Super Saturday” SPICE Fun Chess; Sept. 25 to Oct. 16.

Two levels: Novice and Intermediate.

Class dates: Sept. 25; Oct. 2, 9 and 16 (four sessions).

Hours: 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. at Texas Tech’s administration building.

Instruction will be provided by members of the Texas Tech Knight Raider Chess Team, based on Grandmaster Susan Polgar’s chess curriculum and direct guidance.

Registration fee: $79 by Sept. 20, after add $20 late fee. Send registration form to: Texas Tech University, SPICE, Box 45080, Lubbock, TX 79409.

For information, go to: www.spice.ttu.edu or email spice@ttu.edu

• Sixth “Get Smart! Play Chess!” Open: Oct. 23.

A Four-Round Swiss System Tournament (Game/30).

Event Site: Science Spectrum 2579 S. Loop 289.

• Spice Cup Open Chess Championship; Oct. 30.

A Four-Round Swiss System Tournament (Game/45).

Event Site: TTU Student Union.

• Spice Cup 2010 Scholastic Chess Championship; Oct. 30.

A Four-Round Swiss System Tournament (Game/30).

Event Site: TTU Student Union

• SPICE Cup FIDE Rated Open; Nov. 5-7.

A Six-Round Swiss System (G/90 with 30 second increment).

Open to all FIDE rated players and USCF 1600 and higher.

Event Site: Tech student union.

2010 SPICE Cup Chess Festival


SPICE Cup FIDE Rated Open
November 5-7, 2010

Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX
806-742-7742

6SS, G/90 with 30 second increment.
FIDE/USCF rated
One Section $2,000 based on 40 paid entries: $1000-$500-250-150-100
Open to all FIDE rated players and USCF 1600 and higher

Limit to the first 50 registrants!

Reg: 9-10:30am 11/5.
Rounds: 11/5 11am and 4pm
11/6 10 am and 3 pm
11/7 9 am and 2 pm
No byes in the final 2 rounds.

Entry Fees: US players with FIDE rating $50 / without FIDE rating $75 if rec'd by November 2. $25 more on site.
Titled players and foreign FIDE rated players free, $50 deducted from prize.

Check payable to:
Texas Tech SPICE
6923 Indiana Avenue (Suite 154)
Lubbock, TX 79413

Players in the SPICE Cup FIDE Rated Open will have a chance to play alongside with the players in the SPICE Cup Invitational A and B Group in the final 3 days!

There is also an open tournament for everyone, including players under 1600, schedule for the weekend before.

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SPICE Cup Open Chess Championship
Saturday, October 30, 2010
A 4 Round Swiss System Tournament (Game/45)

Event Site: TTU (Student Union Building) Lubbock, TX
Contact Info: 806-742-7742 E-mail: Spice@ttu.edu

Description of Tournament: A USCF rated event. Open to all USCF members. You may join online or on site on 10/30 before the start of the event.
Registration: On-site registration and check in 9-10am. All players must check in by 10:15am.
Round schedule: Saturday 10:30am- 12:15pm - 1:30pm and 3:15pm.
Entry Fee: $25 received by 10/25. $35 on site. K-12 or TTU students $10 off.
Prizes: $150-$100-$50 Top Under 1600 $50 Top U-1200 $50 based on 24 paid entries.

Other: Chess sets and boards will be provided. Bring your own clock if you have one.

Please send Entry Blank and Fees to TTU-SPICE at Box 45080 Lubbock, TX 79409-5080.

Entry Form: Please PRINT all information and make check / money order to TTU-SPICE.

Name: ______________________________Phone: (_____) ___________ SPICE Cup Open 2010
Address: _____________________________ City/State:______________ Zip:_____________
Email:________________________________ DOB: ____________Section________________
USCF Rating (if any) _______USCF ID#:______________ Amount Enclosed (No cash, please) $____

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SPICE Cup Invitational A & B Group

The 2010 SPICE Cup will take place on Thursday, October 28 - Sunday, November 7 (B group ends on November 5) at the beautiful campus of Texas Tech University. This prestigious event is growing bigger every year. It is the highest rated international invitational tournament in U.S. history to date.

To make the tournament a lot more exciting, the SPICE Cup committee has unanimously voted to adapt the following new rules for the A group:

- No draw offer allowed prior to move 30
- A win = 3 points, a draw = 1 point, and loss = 0 point

The format of the A group will once again be a 6-player DRR (category 16) event. The average FIDE rating of the A group is 2631, which is tied with the 2009 SPICE Cup A group.

GM Zoltan Almasi (HUN) 2707 (#1 in Hungary on the current LIVE rating list)
GM Alexander Onischuk (USA) 2688 (#3 in the U.S., former U.S. #1 and Champion)
GM Wesley So (Philippines) 2668 (#1 in the Philippines)
GM Georg Meier (Germany) 2659 (#2 in Germany)
GM Ray Robson (USA) 2539 (Youngest American GM)
GM Eugene Perelshteyn (USA) 2528 (winner of 2007 SPICE Cup)

The B group will be a 10-player (category 10 - 2486 / 22375) RR event. The players confirmed for the B group are:

GM Davorin Kuljasevic (2555 - Croatia) Texas Tech Knight Raiders
GM Ben Finegold
(2534 - USA) 2009 SPICE Cup B group co-champion
IM Gegerly Antal
(2526 - HUN) Texas Tech Knight Raiders
GM Andre Diamant (2498 - Brazil) Texas Tech Knight Raiders
GM Anatoly Bykhovsky
(2497 - Israel) Texas Tech Knight Raiders
IM Irina Krush
(2490 - USA) 2010 U.S. Women's Champion
IM Dean Ippolito
(2469 - USA) Famous chess coach
IM Danny Rensch
(2404 - USA) Famous chess coach
FM Darwin Yang
(2402 - USA) One of the most talented young players in the U.S.

GM norm will be 6/9 and IM norm will be 4/9.