Chess Blog For Girls

Monday, August 31, 2009

Improve your chess today

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I developed the structured curriculum, personally teaching many of the courses along with other top chess players and professional instructors who will be joining the faculty as the school grows. Polgar Chess University is initially offered in this format:

Courses identified by level - Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced
Three general courses, one at each level, run concurrently
Course lessons are prerecorded lectures that may be viewed at your convenience
A new lesson in each course is offered each week, on Mondays
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More specialized courses, especially for teachers, along with special guests and events, are planned for the future

Please visit www.PolgarChessUniversity.com for more information.

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Thursday, August 27, 2009

Texas Tech Commencement

Here is the link to the transcript of my Texas Tech commencement speech on 5-12-07.

Here is the link to my Texas Tech commencement video which was aired on CSPAN together with former President Bill Clinton and Oprah.

New semester starts at Texas Tech

Today is the first day of the new semester at Texas Tech University. TTU President Guy Bailey greeted the National Collegiate Champion IM Gergely Antal and some members of the SPICE group.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Who says that women can’t play chess well?

Chess Notes
By Harold Dondis and GM Patrick Wolff
August 24, 2009

Turning to national news, who says that women can’t play chess well?

One has difficulty defending that position if the Denker Tournament of High School Champions is any criterion. Abby Marshall of Virginia, who registered 5 consecutive wins against her male opponents and drew her last game with Michael Yang of Minnesota, took 1st place. She is the first female to win this tournament.

In an interview on the USCF’s website, http://www.uschess.org/, she attributed her success to good tactical positions in which she was able to sacrifice pieces against her opponents’ kingside. The Denker Tournament consists of high school champions from each state. This year two females represented their states - Abby from Virginia and Erica Barkell from Idaho. The tournament was founded by the late GM Arnold Denker and is currently strongly supported by his son, Mitchell Denker, a trustee of the US Chess Trust. Abby is a product of Susan Polgar’s All Girls’ Tournaments. These are events for girls 18 and under. She won the All Girls in 2005 and 2006.

Source: Boston Globe

Best selling book "The Fire" now in paperback

Trivia question: Which of my memorable game was used in the best selling book "The Fire" by my friend Katherine Neville?

KATHERINE NEVILLE’S BOOK LAUNCH
THE FIRE: NOW IN TRADE PAPERBACK!
Aug 25, 2009

Welcome everyone! This note is to let you all know that THE FIRE --the sequel to The Eight--is on sale in trade paperback (large format), beginning on August 25, 2009!

THE FIRE: The Bestseller

THE FIRE--my long-awaited sequel to The Eight--has spent more than SIX MONTHS ON BESTSELLER LISTS around the world, including The New York Times (shown below on book jacket), The Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Rocky Mountain News, and The Indie List. It also spent many months on bestseller lists around Europe, with many weeks as Numero Uno in Spain! see film of Spanish Tour

THE FIRE: The Rave Reviews

THE FIRE has been honored by fantastic reviews from prestigious publications all over the world. Here is a smattering of scintillating snatches, just from the USA: Publishers Weekly ("Stellar..."); Booklist ("Entrancing..."); The Washington Post ("The perfect escapist adventure"); The Chicago Sun-Times ("Impresses as much for its literary aspects as for its action, puzzles and suspense"); The Rocky Mountain News ("It was worth the wait"); and Library Journal ("Dan Brown stands on the shoulders of a giant... Ingenious puzzles, enthralling historical ambience, and masterful plot twists abound. More please!")

To read more reviews in more detail on my website please visit the Reviews and Quotes section.

THE FIRE: Ignites at THE NATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL: National Mall, Washington DC
Saturday, September 26, 2009

I am one of a select group of authors who are honored by being chosen to appear at this year's National Book Festival, on the National Mall in the heart of Washington DC. Our Honorary Co-Chairs are Michelle and Barack Obama! I will be presenting at the Fiction and Fantasy Pavilion from 11:35 a.m. to 12:05 noon (along with John Grisham, Jodi Picoult, John Irving and other luminaries!)--and then I will be signing my books at the Borders Book Pavilion from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. For upcoming details of this and future events, please visit my website.

THE FIRE
AUGUST 25, 2009

Monday, August 24, 2009

SPICE Cup A & B

A Group – Category 16 (6-player DRR) – Average rating: 2630.17 – Average age: 20

GM Dmitry Andreikin 2659 - Russia (#6 junior under 20 in the world - Russian Junior Champion) 19

GM Wesley So 2644 - Philippines (#7 junior under 20 in the world - #1 in the Philippines - member of the 2008 Filipino Olympiad team.) 16
GM Varuzhan Akobian 2636 - USA (#6 in the U.S. - 2008 SPICE Cup Co-Champion - 2-time Olympiad Bronze Medalist) 26
GM Yuriy Kuzubov 2631 - Ukraine (#8 junior under 20 in the world - #12 in Ukraine) 19

GM Rauf Mamedov 2626 - Azerbaijan (#5 player in Azerbaijan - member of the 2008 Azerbaijani Olympiad team) 21
GM Jon Ludvig Hammer 2585 - Norway (#2 in Norway behind Magnus Carlsen - member of the 2008 Norwegian Olympiad team) 19

This event will break the U.S. record by a big margin. Last year's SPICE Cup was a category 15 event with average rating of 2605.5. This year's average rating will be over 2630!

B Group – Category 11 (10-player RR): 2507

IM Gabor Papp 2562 - HUN (GM norm - Texas Tech Student in 8/2009)
IM Davorin Kuljasevic 2547 - CRO (2 GM norms - Texas Tech Student in 8/2009)
GM Eugene Perelshteyn 2541 - USA (2007 SPICE Cup Champion)

IM Ray Robson 2527 - USA (1 GM norm - Winner of the 2009-2010 Samford Fellowship)

GM Andre Diamant 2526 - Brazil (2008 Brazilian Champion)
IM Ben Finegold 2513 - USA (2 GM norms)
IM Gergely Antal 2487 - HUN (2 GM norms - Texas Tech Student)

GM Amon Simutowe 2473 - ZAM (#1 player in Zambia, first African GM, board 1 of Zambian Olympiad team)

FM Danny Rensch 2386 - USA (2 IM norms)

All ratings listed are FIDE ratings.

The last spot in B group has been tentatively finalized (pending visa).

SPICE Cup Open and SPICE Cup Scholastic Open are once again two of the events which are a part of the SPICE Cup Chess Festival.

Just as last year, the SPICE Cup will be held on campus at Texas Tech University and is co-organized by SPICE, Susan Polgar Foundation, and Texas Tech University.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Checkmate in Fullerton

Saturday, August 22, 2009
Checkmate in Fullerton with a world champion
Children play four-time chess queen.
By BARBARA GIASONE
The Orange County Register

FULLERTON – Brain power rose to a new level on Friday when four-time Women's World Chess Champion Susan Polgar challenged 21 youths and nine adults, playing 30 boards simultaneously in an exhibition.

Players sat puzzled, some with furrowed brows, as Polgar, 40, strolled calmly from board to board to make her moves in nanoseconds. The games, played at the Fullerton Elks Lodge, lasted 2½ hours until one man – James Williamson of Riverside – played Polgar to a draw.

Sunny Hills High School senior Sean Manross, 17, who won a $36,000 scholarship to Texas Tech at the Susan Polgar Boys and Girls Open World Chess Championships in Las Vegas in June, was among the participants.

At the world tourney, Manross represented the Fullerton Host Lions Club, which also sponsored Polgar's visit to Orange County.
The blonde chess whiz, who is the director of the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence at Texas Tech, stressed in an earlier talk how the game influences life skills and education.

"Chess inspires logical thinking and decision-making," she told the audience before the challenge. "Every move is a change in circumstances like in real life. To have young people see changes is an important skill."

She said kindergarten through third grade is a crucial time for developing thinking processes, and if chess were used more in schools, society would be better educated.

Polgar said 10 years ago in Brownsviille, Texas, one teacher introduced chess in the cash-poor school district. Today, 5,000 children are in the chess program, which also produced a national champion. In addition, Brownsville received a $500,000 federal grant to fund the program, Polgar said.

In Fullerton, Host Lions Club member Pete Baron has organized city chess championships to stimulate critical thinking in the elementary and high schools. Local Lion volunteers have spent more than 2,000 hours in the past eight years supporting scholastic chess.

"I like the strategy in chess," Beechwood School eighth-grader Carlos Suazo said before playing. "It's like war; you have to use your smarts."

Polgar was 4 years old when she first became fascinated with the shapes of her father's chess pieces in their home in Budapest. After her father taught her to play, the challenges drew her in. Months later, she won her first tournament in the 11-and-under competition. By age 15, she was the No. 1 ranked player in the world in her division.

"As a little girl, I realized chess crossed over all boundaries; there was an element of equalness that was important to me," said Polgar, who went on to break the gender barrier as the first woman to earn the title of Men's Grandmaster, win the U.S. Open Blitz Championship three times and coach a university chess team.

She isn't above sharing some of her secrets.

Polgar told the children to first get the knights and bishops out to control the center of the board, to not move the same pieces twice in the beginning, and to put the king in a safety position.

"Chess is the most played game on the Internet, it's an international language and it builds friendships," Polgar added.

And then she shared her motto, "Win with grace. Lose with dignity."

Source: http://www.ocregister.com/

Friday, August 21, 2009

IMPORTANT: Scam Alert!

I just found out that someone created the www.SusanPolgar.org website to promote an event by the name Susan Polgar Junior International. This event is supposed to take place on October 9-12, 2009 in Boston,

Massachusetts.

There is NO such event.
I have NOTHING to do with this "so called" event.
I am NOT organizing this event.
This event is NOT affiliated with the Susan Polgar Foundation.
This event is NOT affiliated with FIDE.
I have never approached FIDE with such event.
This event is NOT affiliated with Rochester Chess.
I have NOT promoted such event on my blog.
I have NOT advertised such event in Chess Life.
Please do NOT send entry fees for this event.

All of my events would be promoted on this blog, Chess Life, and other reputable chess sources. When in doubt, send me an email at SusanPolgar@aol.com.

The perpetrator copied and paste information from my legitimate websites and/or past events to make things look authentic. But This is a complete scam and I am reporting it to the proper authority. If you know who is behind this scam, please let me know immediately so I can forward the pertinent information to the authority.

Thank you!
Susan Polgar

The Diary of Ann Marie Fitch – Part 1

The Diary of Ann Marie Fitch – Part 1

Delaware’s very own Ann Marie Fitch recently traveled to Texas to play in the Susan Polgar National Invitational for Girls. During her trip, Ann Marie kept a journal of her thoughts and adventures. We bring you this journal in three parts…

Techmate II: My Experience at SPNI 2009

I recently traveled to Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX, to attend the 6th annual Susan Polgar National Invitational (SPNI) for Girls. The tournament took place from July 26th until August 1st, and this year it was bigger and better than ever. This was my third year attending the tournament, and the second year that it was held at Texas Tech University. There was a record number of participants, with 60 girls from around the country competing to show their chess prowess. There were also some new, exciting events that weren’t a part of the tournament last year. My score at the tournament was better than last year too. The journal that follows is my experience at the tournament.

July 25th, 2009 – arrival in TX

Today, I flew to Texas with my mom, and there were interesting occurrences as soon as we arrived at the airport. Security at the Philadelphia International Airport had to scan my chess set twice. I though that was a pain, but I would find out the next day that Brianna from Ohio had her clock removed from chess set, and the security guards were pushing the plungers… maybe they suspected that it was something else. We flew from Philadelphia to Dallas/Ft. Worth, and I pulled a prank which involved poking fun at a certain Dallas sports team (those who know me well enough will be able to identify said team) during my three-hour layover at the Dallas/Ft. Worth airport. Luckily, I was still in one piece when we finally flew from Dallas/Ft. Worth to Lubbock. After arriving at Texas Tech University, we checked in at Gordon Hall and received the keys for our dorm.

July 26th, 2009 – Opening Ceremony and Round 1

The opening ceremony of SPNI was today. The ceremony consisted of some speeches and the singing of the national anthem. Then each participant was recognized and received a medallion, a Susan Polgar rookie card, and a bag full of items from the TTU College of Engineering. There were refreshments after the opening ceremony was over, and then the first round of the tournament began. My opponent was Brianna Conley from Ohio. She was rated 1507, and I lost my game to her. We reviewed the game after it was over. Then my mom and I drove around to find the TTU Recreation Center and the new TTU chess park, which would be dedicated the next day.

July 27th, 2009 – Ribbon-Cutting of Chess Park, Round 2, Puzzle Solving, and Lecture

Today was a very busy day. I participated in three different exciting activities besides my round. The first event of the day was the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new TTU chess park. This day made collegiate chess history because TTU became the first college or university to open a chess park. Some of money for the marble chess tables and benches was anonymously donated. There were six tables split into pairs, with three sets of benches. This meant that players could play a regular game of chess or join with three other people for bughouse-style chess. There was also a handicap-accessible table so that people in wheelchairs could play as well. After a few speeches from different members of Texas Tech University, it was time to cut the big red ribbon, and participants of SPNI were appropriately given this honor. After the ribbon was cut, I took two pieces and had one of them signed by GM Polgar as a souvenir.

Here is the full article.

Dana Hannibal

Girl places in national chess contest
By Tarah Campi • Statesman Journal
August 21, 2009

Dana Hannibal, who will be a freshman at Sprague High School this fall, competed July 26-31 at the Susan Polgar National Invitational chess tournament at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.

Her ninth-place finish is the highest finish by an Oregon girl in tournament history.

Dana placed third in the puzzle-solving contest, 10th in speed (blitz) chess and 10th in team chess.

The event was attended by the top 60 players in the United States, as determined by state events.

Source: http://www.statesmanjournal.com/

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Douthitt finishes in eighth place at chess tourney

Douthitt finishes in eighth place at chess tourney
August 19, 2009

Autumn Douthitt, a freshman at Montgomery Central High School, recently returned as the Tennessee representative for the Susan Polgar National Invitational for Girls chess tournament. Autumn won four out of six games, finishing the tournament in a tie for eighth place (19th overall) out of 60 competitors.

SPNI was held at the Frazier Pavilion at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. Each state was allowed at least one representative to compete in six games of chess.

Texas Tech University agreed to award a four-year full TTU academic scholarship — valued at about $75,000 to $85,000 — to the highest-finishing player who has not graduated from high school by August.

Autumn currently studies under National Master Henry Robinson of Charlotte. She is a member of the Montgomery Central High School Chess Team and also participates with the Clarksville Chess Club, which at 7 p.m. Thursdays in the Austin Peay State University library basement.

For more information about the Clarksville Chess Club, to online to www.clarksvillechessclub.org.

Source: http://www.theleafchronicle.com

Monday, August 17, 2009

SPICE Chess Camp at Texas Tech

Here is one of the pictures from the SPICE Chess Camp.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

The secrets of success

Polgar: Interview with chess champions: The secrets of success
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Story last updated at 8/16/2009 - 1:53 am

In this week's column, Rich Rice, Ph.D., associate professor in English at Texas Tech, interviews me, Gergely Antal, and Assistant Head Coach Paul Truong.

Gergely is an international chess master from Hungary who plays for the Knight Raiders at Tech. He was recruited by the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence, and two weeks ago in Indianapolis he won the U.S. Tournament of College Champions, the first national chess championship for Texas Tech.

RR: Congratulation Gergely! Tremendous achievement. Really, something.

GA: Thank you. But this isn't just my win. The national title goes to the Knight Raiders, to SPICE, and to Texas Tech. It's a team effort.

RR: Do you feel extra pressure being the first titled player recruited by SPICE? You're an international master, and now you're being recognized as one of the top players in college chess today.

GA: Not sure if you'd call it pressure; I just wanted to play my best. The confidence Susan has in me is important to my playing. I also wanted to make my teammates, SPICE, and Texas Tech proud. I'm very thankful for everyone's support. Studying and playing in Lubbock has really been a life experience for me.

RR: It's great having you here, Gergely. Susan, what do you look for when recruiting chess players for the team?

SP: A number of things, actually. First, I look for excellent students who take their education seriously, and who would appreciate the opportunity to receive an excellent education at Tech. That's most important. Second, I look for people who really want to learn and grow as individuals and chess players. We work hard. Third, we need team players, good citizens, and people who know the importance of positively representing Texas Tech.

RR: Chess is both art and science, certainly, and it has the ability to help others focus on what they're doing in life. Paul, what does this national championship brought about by Gergely's play mean to SPICE?

PT: In my opinion, this national title is unprecedented in college chess. With such spirited competition in the college chess arena, to win a national championship in less than two years in the development of a program says volumes about Susan's ability to spot talent, recruit and coach. She models excellence. Gergely is part of the first recruiting class. To hit a homerun so soon is very special. It says that we are on the right track, and that this program is heading in the right direction.

RR: What goals do you have for SPICE and the Knight Raiders in coming years?

PT: We have high expectations. Unlike other college sports where there are limits to the number of players in the program, chess is quite different. The more the better. And many young players now want to come to Texas Tech to play chess. No world or Olympic champion has ever run a chess institute or coached a college team before. Texas Tech and SPICE have hosted world-class, prestigious events like the SPICE Cup, SPICE Spring Invitational, and the Susan Polgar National Invitational for Girls. If we're able to continue, we will play a role in significantly increasing the number of highly intelligent students at Tech.

RR: That's great to hear. And what is SPICE doing in the community?

PT: We've been working with Tech, the city of Lubbock, Lubbock Independent School District, Wolfforth Library, and many others. I am confident that SPICE will continue to grow in strength. One of our goals is to make the final four in the upcoming Pan-American Championship, which is the most prestigious national team chess championship in the U.S. Another goal is to work with Region 17 and LISD to promote scholastic chess. We'd like to continue to attract local students to attend college here. We've also been working to develop research projects that investigate correlations between chess and education, between chess and Alzheimer's, between chess and math, chess and computers, chess and engineering ... Winning national championships and developing research agendas can help Tech in its effort to become a tier one university.

RR: These are all very important things. Susan, what is the difference between being a professional player and being the head coach of the Knight Raiders?

SP: Not much, really. I apply some of the same principles to coaching that I've used since I started playing when I was 4. Discipline, diligence, practice, reflective inquiry, integrity, etc. Every coach uses different methods to maximize his or her players' potential for success. I communicate carefully and motivate my players thoughtfully. And, our players are very good. Gergely is one example.

RR: Final question. How do you like Lubbock now that you have been here for almost two years?

SP: I love it! My children love it! We love Texas Tech. We love Lubbock. We love the people we work with. We love the warmth and hospitality of the people in this community. When I came to town back in early 2007 to discuss the idea of moving to Lubbock to start SPICE, I was told that Texas Tech is committed to SPICE for a long, foreseeable future. I plan to be here for a long time and continue a tradition of excellence.

RR: Thank you all for your time and congratulations, Gergely, again, for capturing the first national chess championship for Texas Tech. I hope more will be in our future.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Douthitt "Checkmates" for Tennessee

Douthitt "Checkmates" for Tennessee
Blake Douthitt • Reader Submitted • August 11, 2009

Lubbock, TX, July 26-31, 2009 Autumn Douthitt, a freshman at Montgomery Central High School, recently returned from being the Tennessee representative for the Susan Polgar National Invitational for Girls (SPNI) chess tournament. Autumn finished the tournament in a tie for 8th place (19th overall) out of sixty competitors. She won four out of six games. Roy Manners, Director of the Clarksville Chess Club, praised Autumn as she “represented Tennessee very well against some very tough players.”

This was a tremendous accomplishment for Autumn as SPNI is the most prestigious all-girls event in the United States. The tournament was held at the Frazier Pavilion at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. Each state is allowed at least one representative to compete in six games of chess. These girls represent the best girls in the country. Texas Tech provided competitors free room and board at Gordon Hall for the week. This was a high pressure tournament as Texas Tech University agreed to award a four-year full-ride academic scholarship (to attend TTU) to the highest finishing player who has not graduated from high school by August (value at approximately $75,000-$80,000).

Autumn currently studies under National Master Henry Robinson of Charlotte, TN. She also participates with the Clarksville Chess Club, which meets every Thursday night (7:00) in the basement of the APSU library. The Clarksville Chess Club invites all levels and ages to come and participate. For more information about the Clarksville Chess Club visit www.clarksvillechessclub.org.

Source: http://www.theleafchronicle.com

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Critical endgame pattern

White to move. Is this a win, draw, or loss for White?

8/5p2/8/3k4/5P1P/1p6/pK6/8 w - - 0 1

Wednesday, August 05, 2009

The Excitement Continues at Texas Tech

The Excitement Continues at Texas Tech

The final round of the 6th annual SP National Invitational for Girls concluded on Friday, July 31. Going into the final round, eight players could still mathematically win the championship.

Needing only a draw to clinch clear first, top seed Yang Dai still pushed hard for the win. It almost cost her the championship. Samyukta Bhat fought valiantly. The position was very close and Samyukta actually missed a chance to obtain an overwhelming advantage. But at the end, Yang’s nerve held up and she emerged as the winner! Congratulations to a deserving champion! Here are the three key last round’s games.

Dai, Yang (2057) - Bhat, Samyukta (1740)
Susan olgar National Invitational Lubbock, TX
(6.1), 31.07.2009
Scandinavian Defense [B01]

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.Bb5+ Bd7 4.Bc4 Bg4 5.f3 Bc8 6.Nc3 Nbd7 7.Nge2 Nb6 8.Bb3 Nbxd5 9.d4 e6 10.0–0 Be7 11.Ne4 0–0 12.c3 b6 13.Bc2 Bb7 14.Qd3 g6 15.a3 Nd7 16.c4 N5f6 17.N2c3 c6 18.Bh6 Re8 19.Rad1 Bf8 20.Bg5 Be7 21.f4 Nxe4 22.Nxe4 Nf6 23.Qg3 Nh5 24.Qh3 Nf6 25.Rf3 Nxe4 26.Bxe4 f5 27.Bxe7 Qxe7 28.Bc2 c5 29.d5 exd5 30.cxd5 Rad8 31.Bb3 Kg7 32.Bc4 Rd6 33.Rf2 Qf7 34.Rfd2 Re4 35.b3 Rxf4 36.Qg3 Rxc4 37.bxc4 Qf6 38.Re2 Ba6 39.Qd3 Kf7 40.Kh1 Qh4 41.Qe3 1–0

Here are the top ten finishers from sixty total players:

1. Yang Dai 6.0
2-3. Rachel Gologorsky, Epiphany Peters 5.0
4-7. Linda Diaz, Courtney Jamison, Samyukta Bhat, Joanne Koong 4½
8-19. Alexandra Botez, Dana Hannibal, Victoria Bian, Julia Jones, Michelle Chen, Margaret Hua, Indira Puri, Rebecca Lelko, Apurva Virkud, Sayaka Foley, Autumn Douthitt 4.0

In addition to winning the national championship, Yang Dai and Fiona Lam teamed up to go 5-0 in the bughouse championship. Yang also finished second in the SPNI puzzle solving championship.

Other big winners include

Epiphany Peters of Michigan: Epiphany, member of the 2008-2009 SP all-star girls’ chess team. She won the SPNI puzzle solving championship with a score of 10/10. She also won the SPNI blitz championship with the score of 5/5. She finished in a tie for second with Rachel Gologorsky in the main event.

Rachel Gologorsky of Florida: Rachel, also a member of the 2008-2009 SP all-star girls’ chess team. She finished in the main event in a tie for second place. Rachel and Epiphany also shared the $500 Ursula Foster award to the top girl under 14.

Yang Dai, Epiphany Peters, and Rachel Gologorsky also won scholarships to Texas Tech University. Each scholarship is valued at approximately $36,000 for out of state students.

Courtney Jamison of Texas, 2008 SPNI champion, is about to start her senior year in high school. As the top junior (entering the senior year) of the event, Courtney received a full academic scholarship to Texas Tech University. Even though Courtney won last year, she did not receive this scholarship because she was only a high school sophomore.

Each year, the SPNI participants vote for their favorite player. The one who gets the most votes win the Miss Congeniality award. This year, the Miss Congeniality award goes to Michelle Farell of Oklahoma.

Emily Nguyen of Texas, won the $100 biggest upset prize, courtesy of Mr. Dewain Barber (American Chess Equipment).

Once again, special thanks to all our volunteers, supporters, sponsors, parents and coaches, Texas Tech, the City of Lubbock, TX, Mayor Tom Martin, Visit Lubbock, and everyone else who made this tournament so special.

Here is the full article.

Tuesday, August 04, 2009

Brilliancy: Across the board

Brilliancy: Across the Board
The new outdoor Chess Park on the Texas Tech campus is open for play.
Written by Allison Ralston

Look out Central Park. There’s a new chess park in town.

The Texas Tech University Chess Park is now open for chess lovers to play the game outdoors on Central Park-inspired chess tables between the Student Union Building and the University Library. The chess park is one of the first at a major university in the U.S.

However, Susan Polgar said, the park is more than just a place to play chess.

“When I agreed to come to Texas Tech to start the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE) back in the summer of 2007, some of my goals included promoting the importance of chess in education, chess research and chess outreach, especially within our local community,” said the SPICE director.

Polgar said the chess park is helping fulfill these goals.

The park was funded, in part, by an anonymous donation of $320,000, which is also being used for scholarships to attract chess players to the university.

Sandia Construction helped curb costs by donating the project’s overhead and profit.

“Sandia’s financial contribution comprised roughly 25 percent of the total project cost,” said Jason Hodges, the Texas Tech System landscape architect, who oversaw the project. “Plans for the chess park would have been shelved without Sandia’s generosity.”

Texas Tech is already known in the chess world by hosting the Susan Polgar National Invitational for Girls and the SPICE cup, and Polgar thinks the chess park will only add to the university’s chess credibility.

“This is one way to show the world that Texas Tech and Lubbock care about improving the quality of education for young people, by using chess as a critical, effective, but inexpensive tool to accomplish that mission,” Polgar said.

“Now everyone can enjoy this beautiful chess park at a magnificent location on campus. This is a historic moment for this wonderful university.”

Story produced by the Office of Communications and Marketing.

http://today.ttu.edu/2009/08/chess-park-at-texas-tech/

1	Kamsky, Gata (12528459)	NY	USA	2799
2	Onischuk, Alexander (12625186)	VA	USA	2764
3	Nakamura, Hikaru (12641216)	NY	USA	2759
4	Shulman, Yury (12741541)	IL	USA	2712
5	Ehlvest, Jaan (12514557)	NY	USA	2697
6	Akobian, Varuzhan (12740522)	CA	USA	2695
7	Seirawan, Yasser (10509459)	WA	USA	2693
8	Hess, Robert L (12749774)	NY	USA	2677
9	Christiansen, Larry M (10460921)	MA	USA	2662
10	Kaidanov, Gregory (12543746)	KY	USA	2643
11	Benjamin, Joel (10102511)	NJ	USA	2641
12	Lenderman, Alex (12787646)	NY	USA	2638
13	Stripunsky, Alexander (12715435)	NJ	USA	2628
14	Ibragimov, Ildar (12576446)	CT	USA	2626
15	Shabalov, Alexander (12544264)	PA	USA	2624
16	Becerra, Julio J (12778049)	FL	USA	2616
17	Friedel, Joshua Edward (12593986)	NH	USA	2612
18	Gulko, Boris (12473035)	NJ	USA	2609
19	Finegold, Benjamin P (11264417)	MI	USA	2603
20	Kudrin, Sergey, (11257585)	CT	USA	2602
21	Polgar, Susan Zsuzsa (12452240)	TX	USA	2598
22	Fishbein, Alexander (12077910)	NJ	USA	2597
23	Khachiyan, Melikset (12827326)	CA	USA	2596
24	De Firmian, Nick E (10469007)	FOR	USA	2595
25	Moran, Augusto (12563207)	NY	USA	2591
26	Perelshteyn, Eugene (12627196)	MA	USA	2588
27	Yermolinsky, Alex (12534917)	SD	USA	2584
28	Goldin, Alexander (12556822)	KY	USA	2574
29	Sevillano, Enrico Manalili (12650696)	CA	USA	2569
30	Ivanov, Alexander (12513936)	MA	USA	2566
31	Root, Douglas D (10452881)	TX	USA	2565
32	Shankland, Samuel L (12852765)	CA	USA	2564
33	Duque, Raymond D (12470979)	TX	USA	2559
34	Robson, Ray (12847250)	FL	USA	2553
35	Kraai, Jesse (12442362)	CA	USA	2552
36	Gonzalez, Renier (12843801)	FL	USA	2550
37	Fedorowicz, John P (10604737)	NY	USA	2544
38	Ludwig, Daniel (12717400)	FL	USA	2543
39	Altounian, Levon (12625289)	AZ	USA	2538
40	Ippolito, Dean J (12445752)	NJ	USA	2535
41	Rohde, Michael A (10047871)	NY	USA	2530
42	Smith, Bryan G (12602587)	PA	USA	2528
43	Gurevich, Dmitry (12212800)	IL	USA	2523
44	Ashley, Maurice A (12357030)	NY	USA	2515
45	Lakdawala, Cyrus F (11486738)	CA	USA	2513
	Sagalchik, Gennady (12565070)	NY	USA	2513
47	Schneider, Dmitry (12577462)	NY	USA	2510
	Milman, Lev (21012681)	NY	USA	2510
49	Lapshun, Yury (12548533)	NY	USA	2504
	Bhat, Vinay S (12551720)	CA	USA	2504

1	Polgar, Susan Zsuzsa (12452240)	TX	USA	2598
2	Zatonskih, Anna (12873912)	NY	USA	2496
3	Krush, Irina (12543137)	NY	USA	2478
4	Goletiani, Rusudan (12807449)	NY	USA	2437
5	Foisor, Sabina-Francesca (14012260)	MD	USA	2390
6	Baginskaite, Camilla (12716466)	CA	USA	2356
7	Abrahamyan, Tatev (12851435)	CA	USA	2334
8	Rohonyan, Katerine (12973020)	WA	USA	2331
9	Melekhina, Alisa (12726115)	PA	USA	2301
	Shahade, Jennifer (20058274)	PA	USA	2301
11	Zenyuk, Iryna (12846035)	NY	USA	2281
12	Battsetseg, Tsagaan (12719650)	MD	USA	2265
13	Epstein, Esther (12515912)	MA	USA	2209
14	Fan, Yun (14024290)	IN	USA	2201
15	Marinello, Beatriz (12537449)	NY	USA	2200
16	Marshall, Abby (12784803)	VA	USA	2181
17	Airapetian, Chouchanik (12629918)	WA	USA	2144
18	Eynullayeva, Roza (12817693)	MA	USA	2109
19	Sagalchik, Olga (12565069)	NY	USA	2107
20	Vicary, Elizabeth (12477355)	NY	USA	2106
21	Itkis, Hana (12667543)	NJ	USA	2061
	Dai, Yang (12897613)	VA	USA	2061
23	West, Vanessa A (12744619)	CA	USA	2056
24	Levina, Anna (12660143)	NY	USA	2052
25	Kats, Alena (12980885)	NY	USA	2032
26	Liu, Jennie S (12830124)	NJ	USA	2029
27	Chiang, Sarah (13091081)	TX	USA	2022
28	Teasley, Dorothy (10074258)	NY	USA	2014
	Mcvay, Karsten A (12744370)	NJ	USA	2014
30	Parrilla, Medina (12782436)	NY	USA	2004
31	Matlin, Anna R (12876169)	NJ	USA	2003
32	Root, Alexey Wilhelmina (10374651)	TX	USA	2000
	Jamison, Courtney (12746751)	TX	USA	2000
34	Mateer, Amanda Rae (12752032)	AZ	USA	1986
35	Livschitz, Louiza (12680221)	CA	USA	1981
36	Robinson, Darrian (12925651)	NY	USA	1980
37	Datta, Anjali (12783131)	TX	USA	1966
38	Kerr, Julia K (12696374)	TX	USA	1965
39	Litvak, Eve V (12799901)	NJ	USA	1963
40	Weiss, Annie (12590952)	NY	USA	1962
41	Lee, Megan (12902833)	WA	USA	1961
42	Skidmore, Jennifer M (12457851)	MI	USA	1958
43	Sobel, Simone (12607573)	CA	USA	1957
44	Yang, Sylvia Siyuan (12909161)	TX	USA	1951
45	Acon, Jennifer C (13313093)	CA	USA	1935
46	Ginzburg, Anna (12758604)	NY	USA	1909
47	Rodriguez, Eunice (12691412)	FL	USA	1908
48	Dimitrijevic, Vesna (12436451)	MA	USA	1907
49	Maffeo, Nicole (12808137)	NY	USA	1903
50	Zhu, Caroline (12888833)	TX	USA	1901