Chess: It's a Girl thing Summer Camp

Announcing:

First annual CHESS: It’s a GIRL thing Special Summer Camp

(in conjunction with the famous Science: It’s a Girl thing Camp and the Susan Polgar All-Star Girl’s Chess Camp) at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX

July 21-24, 2008

For information, please email: Chess@ttu.edu
Phone: 806-742-7742

The Susan Polgar National Invitational for Girls will be held on July 27-August 1 at Texas Tech University.

SP All-Star Training

The first annual Susan Polgar All-Star Girl's Training will be held at the prestigious New York Athletic Club in New York City. It will take place from July 24 - 27 between 10 AM and 4 PM each day.

Here is the list of the players who qualified for this special training:

Age 7 - 1400:
Xiang, Evan 7 TX 1452

Age 8 - 1500:
Xiang, Ellen 9 TX 1696

Age 9 - 1600:
Zhu, Caroline 9 TX 1637
Chen, Michelle 9 MA 1611
Chiang, Sarah 9 TX 1584

Age 10 - 1700:
Yang, Sylvia 10 TX 1806
Zhurbinskiy, Eve 10 NJ 1599

Age 11 - 1800:
Kuzniatsova, Alena 11 NY 1776
Qiu, Katherine 11 TX 1719
Robinson, Darrian 11 NY 1711
Anna Matlin 11 NJ 1808

Age 12 - 1900:
Dai, Yang 12 VA 1942
Liu, Jennie S 12 NJ 1836

Age 14 - 2100:
Jamison, Courtney 14 TX 2002

Age 15 - 2150:
Melekhina, Alisa 15 PA 2182
Marshall, Abby 15 VA 2048

Age 17 - 2250:
Ross, Laura 18 NY 2252

Age 18 - 2300:
Abrahamyan, Tatev 18 CA 2293

Congratulations to all who have made it!

Here is the direction to the NYAC.

Here is the dress code for the NYAC.

New York Athletic Club 180 Central Park South, New York, NY 10019 http://www.nyac.org/

The Xiang Sisters - Susan Polgar All-Star Team Members

Ellen Xiang —1696 (Highest rating 1714):

2004 Champion of 2004 Texas Region V Scholastic Championship K-1 Section

2005 Champion of 2005 Texas All-Girls Championship Primary Section

2006 2nd in 2006 Susan Polgar All-Girls National Chess Championship 3-5 Grade Section

2006 Represented the US at the 2006 World Youth Championship in Batumi

Evan Xiang —1452 (Highest rating 1484):

2005 Champion of 2005 Texas All-Girls Championship K-1 Section

2005 Tied 2nd in 2005 National Scholastic Championship 1st Grade Section

2006 1st in 2006 Susan Polgar All-Girls National Chess Championship K-2 Section

2006 Represented the US at the 2006 World Youth Championship in Batumi

Congratulations to Ellen and Evan, the first ever sisters to qualify for the Susan Polgar All-Star Chess Team!

Sylvia Yang - Susan Polgar All-Star Team Member

Sylvia Yang, 10 years old, Texas - 1762 (Highest rating 1819)

Sylvia has only been playing chess for 3 years and yet she achieved so much!

She represented the United States at the World Youth Championship twice (2005 and 2006). She is one of a very few girls to also qualify for the All American Team . Sylvia won the 2006 National Scholastic Championship in Orlando, Florida.

Congratulations to Sylvia!

Caroline Zhu - Susan Polgar All-Star Team Member

Caroline Zhu, TX - 1681 (Highest rating 1697)

I started playing chess when I was in kindergarten. I learned to play the game in the after school where we had a group chess lesson. I won the 1st place trophy and cup in the Texas Girls Scholastic Chess Championship when I was eight years old in 2004.

From then on, my parent realized that I might have some talent in chess, and send me to take chess lessons from GM Babakuli Annakov at his home. He is a great teacher. I’ve enjoyed taking chess lessons, and learn a lot from him with plenty of fun. I won 2nd place in the 9th Annual Grade Championship Nov. 2005, got 1st place in the Texas Region III Scholastic Chess Championship in January, 2006. I also received 2nd place in the US Junior Open in July, 2006.

I love to play chess and win trophies. I will keep practice and win more and bigger trophies.

Congratulations to Caroline!

Michelle Chen - Susan Polgar All-Star Team Member

Michelle Chen, 9 MA 1636 (Highest ever rating 1659)

I started to learn chess when I was almost six. About a year later, I started to go to chess tournaments and began my trophy collections. I started playing adults about a year ago. Playing adults is fun and help improving my chess skills. Recently, in February 2007, I won in tiebreakers in a first place tie in the MA state championship for 11 & under. I also won first place for fourth grade in MA grade chess championship. I love to play chess and hope to beat a master soon. Besides playing chess, I also enjoy playing the piano and building LEGOS.

Alisa Melekhina - Susan Polgar All-Star Team member

Alisa Melekhina - 2149 (Highest ever rating 2186)

Women FIDE Master (WFM) at 9

2-Time USA Girl's Champion:
1. Winner of the first annual 2004 All-Girls National Chess Championships in Chicago, May 15 - 16, 2004 (12 and under section)
2. Co-Champion at second annual 2005 Susan Polgar National Invitational Championship for Girls (under 19)

2001 Pan-American Chess Champion (G/U10) in Argentina
2002 Pan-American Silver Medalist (GU12) in Argentina
2006 Pan-American Silver Medalist (GU16) in Ecuador
2001 World Girl's Under 10 Championship in Spain, 4th place
2004 World Girl's Under 14 Championship in Greece, 4th place
2006 World Girl's Under 16 Championship in Georgia, 4th place

Yang Dai - Susan Polgar All-Star Team Member

Yang Dai - 1930 (Highest ever rating 1956)

Co-champion of 2007 VA SCHOLASTIC CHAMPIONSHIPS K-8 champion section
Co-champion of 2006 VA SCHOLASTIC CHAMPIONSHIPS K-8 champion section
3rd place in 2006 National Elementary Championships K-6 championship
Top rated girl under age 13 in 2006
Qualified as a team member for the 2006 World Youth Championship
Qualified as a team member for the 2005 World Youth Championship
Participated in the 2005 Susan Polgar National Invitational for Girls as the Top girl (K-6 section) in 2005 Supernationals

Alena Kuzniatsova - Susan Polgar All-Star Team Member

Alena Kuzniatsova - 1883

2006 Champion of America in in the girls under 12 section
Represented the US at the 2006 World Youth Championship in Batumi