The final SPICE Cup line up

2007 SPICE Cup International Invitational Chess Tournament
In memory of Grandmaster Samuel Reshevsky
November 9 - 16, 2007
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, Texas

The average rating of this tournament will be approximately 2527, which is a category 12 event. This prestigious tournament will be one of the strongest International Invitational Round Robin tournaments in the United States in the past decade.

The FIDE time control will be 40 moves in 90 minutes + 15 minutes after move 40. There will also be a 30 second increment starting from move 1.

The International Arbiter and Chief TD will be IA Frank K. Berry.
The assistant Chief TD will be Mr. Jim Berry, USCF VP.

1. GM Kamil Miton 2628 POL
2. GM Boris Gulko 2571 USA
3. GM Julio Beccerra 2568 USA
4. GM Imre Hera 2544 Hungary
5. GM Gilberto Hernandez 2536 Mexico
6. GM Eugene Perelshteyn 2536 USA
7. IM Dmitry Schneider 2502 USA
8. IM Manuel Leon Hoyos 2495 Mexico
9. IM Irina Krush 2475 USA
10. IM Blas Lugo 2411 USA

Average: 2527

All games will be broadcast LIVE on http://www.monroi.com/

This will be a very special event for the young people in Lubbock. We are inviting a number of children from various local schools to come to this event each day and there will be special activities, raffles and gifts for them. It will be a thrill for these young people to meet many chess stars. My goal is to introduce chess to every child in Lubbock, Texas.

We are still looking for more sponsors as we have not reached our goals yet. But we are getting there and it is real close. If you know of potential sponsors or would like to be a sponsor yourself, please contact me. All our sponsors will be listed in the special tournament Program Book as well as on a number of websites.

I would like to thank everyone in advance for your support for this very special event. For more information, please contact me at SusanPolgar@aol.com. Donations / Sponsorships can be made by checks or via PayPal by clicking here.

2007 SPICE Cup International

2007 SPICE Cup International Invitational Chess Tournament
November 9 - 16, 2007
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, Texas

The average rating of this tournament will be approximately 2527, which is a category 12 event. This will be one of the strongest International round robin tournaments in the United States in many years. The FIDE time control will be 40 moves in 90 minutes + 15 minutes after move 40. There will also be a 30 second increment starting from move 1.

The International Arbiter and Chief TD will be IA Frank K. Berry.
The assistant Chief TD will be Mr. Jim Berry, USCF VP.

1. To be announced shortly
2. GM Boris Gulko 2571 USA
3. GM Julio Beccerra 2568 USA
4. GM Imre Hera 2544 Hungary
5. GM Gilberto Hernandez 2536 Mexico
6. GM Eugene Perelshteyn 2536 USA
7. IM Dmitry Schneider 2502 USA
8. IM Manuel Leon Hoyos 2495 Mexico
9. IM Irina Krush 2475 USA
10. IM Blas Lugo 2411 USA

All games will be covered LIVE on http://www.monroi.com/

SPICE activity update

Through the special invitation by Assistant Superintendent Jack Booe, I attended the Administrative Staff Meeting earlier this morning. I was asked to address all the principles, assistant principles and key educators about the importance of chess and education, chess in the schools, and how chess can help children acquire many critical skills which can help them in school and in life.

There are approximately 55 schools (up to 12th grade) in Lubbock with approximately 28,000 students. This is one of the goals of SPICE. We hope to be able to introduce chess to every child in Lubbock.

Chess Blog Carnival

www.ChessDiscussion.com will be the host of Chess Blog Carnival in November. In less than 2 months, the chess discussion forum has nearly 700 members! It is absolutely free. If you are not already a member, you can go here to register for a free account. It takes about 30 seconds or so to create a new account. You get to choose your own handle and password. See you at www.ChessDiscussion.com.

2007 SPICE Cup Open

Nov 10-11, 2007
5 Round Swiss- USCF rated – G/60

Lubbock, TX
Texas Tech Campus
Matador Room, Student Union Bldg.

Prizes: $500 in prize funds

Winner $200
2nd $100
Top U-1800 $50-$25
Top U-1500 $50-$25
Top U-1200 $50
Top Scholastic - trophy

All prizes are based on minimum 30 paid entries (If, fewer than 30 entries, we will return 60% of the entry fees in prizes).

Trophies top finishers in each category.

Entry Fee: $20 if received by Nov 3, $30 by Nov 9, $40 on-site.
Students: $5 off. Knight Raiders (active members who have paid full years dues): $10 off.
Limited to the first 80 entries.

This will be a Texas Chess Association (TCA) event. Hence non-TCA members will be charged an additional $1 tournament fee (that goes to the TCA).

Rounds: Saturday 10am - 1pm - 4pm - Sunday 10am - 4pm

Contact Information: For advance registration please contact Dr. Hal Karlsson by e-mail at chess@ttu.edu or phone 806-742-3130. Or leave a message with SPICE at 806-742-7742.

Please pay by check made out to the Knight Raiders chess club.

Mail check to SPICE, TTU Plaza, Suite 304-B, Box 45080, Lubbock, TX 79409-5080. You can also pay via PayPal. The name of the PayPal account is Knight Raiders Chess Club (business account).

10 things about Texas Tech

7. In May, Tech checkmated its rivals by hiring the Billie Jean King of chess. Susan Polgar was the first woman to qualify for the World Chess Championship and to earn the title of Grandmaster. She will SPICE up the sport at Tech, running the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence .

6. Lubbock is Roswell, N.M., without the nuts. In 1951, dozens of sane people, including three Tech professors, saw blue lights in the city and around north Texas. One year later, the incident was chronicled in Life magazine.

5. Charles Hardin “Buddy” Holley was born in Lubbock. He dropped the “e,” picked up a guitar and wrote classics like “That’ll be the Day” and “Not Fade Away.”

4. When college student-athletes sign their national letters of intent to secure their scholarships, they should thank Dr. J. William Davis, former chairman of Tech’s Athletic Council. Davis devised the letter, which was adopted in 1964.

3. Tech’s first mascot was slaughtered and eaten by the football team. A black calf was given to the team after its first victory in 1925. Soon after, it was killed and barbecued.

2. A statue of Will Rogers and his horse, Soapsuds, is positioned precisely on Tech’s campus. Situated 23 degrees north from west, Soapsuds’ rear faces toward Texas A&M.

1. Former Tech punter Charlie Calhoun holds one of the most unbreakable records in college football: most punts in a game. In 1939, he punted 36 times for 1,318 yards. Tech tied Centenary (La.) 0-0 in a driving downpour. Calhoun punted 33 times on first down.

Here is the full list.