49th Annual Carol of Lights at Texas Tech

November 30, 2007

To celebrate the holiday season Texas Tech holds an annual event called the Carol of Lights. The event starts off with the Texas Tech University Combined Choirs performing selections of classic holiday songs at the Science Quadrangle. When the lighting ceremony commences, Students as well as those who came for the show stand in awe as over 25,000 red, white, and orange lights illuminate the 13 buildings surrounding memorial circle.

This tradition started in 1959 when Harold Hinn came up with the idea and provided the funds to cover the science quadrangle and the administration building with lights. Unfortunately students were away on Christmas break and did not see the display. The next year the Residence Hall Association created the Christmas Sing, which is now known as the Carol of Lights. Today, the Carol of Lights is one of Texas Tech's favorite traditions.

http://www.ttu.edu/traditions/carol.php

TTU Senate Resolution

TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY
Senate Resolution 43.33

(Stating the sentiments of the Student Senate congratulating the Knight Raiders on hosting the prestigious World-Class International Chess Tournament)

WHEREAS, Texas Tech University is hosting their first international tournament, and
WHEREAS, the tournament consists of 10 internationally acclaimed chess players from various countries, and
WHEREAS, this tournament is one of the strongest international invitational tournaments held in Texas since 1972 and the United States in the past decade.
THEREFORE [11]BE IT RESOLVED, that the Student Senate congratulates the Knight Raiders on the accomplishment of holding such a prestigious tournament, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this resolution be spread upon the Journal and that copies be sent to Mr. Kent Hance, Chancellor of Texas Tech University System; Dr. Jon Whitmore, President of Texas Tech University; Dr. Michael Shonrock, Vice President of Student Affairs; Michelle Casady, Editor of The Daily Toreador; and to the students of Texas Tech University.

Authors:
WILLIAMS, S.
BAUMGARTNER
SMITH

TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY
15 November 2007

________________________________
Suzette L. Matthews
President, Student Senate

Chase Watters wins SPICE Cup Open

Watters takes first at Tech chess tournament

Chase Watters won first place in the open chess tournament hosted during Texas Tech's SPICE Cup 2007, the first invitational tournament in Lubbock.

Watters, the president of Tech's chess club, earned a perfect 5-0 score while competing against chess players within the community.
Grandmaster Imre Hera of Hungary, who plans to attend Tech next fall, placed fifth in the SPICE tournament, competing against nine internationally acclaimed chess players from around the world over an eight-day period.

Hera is representing Hungary in the World Chess Federation World Cup this winter in Russia.

Source: Avalanche Journal

NewWise article here.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing you all the special joys of this Thanksgiving season!

TTU SPICE Press Release

News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEDATE: Nov. 21, 2007
CONTACT: Cory Chandler, cory.chandler@ttu.edu
(806) 742-2136

Massachusetts grandmaster wins first Texas Tech invitational tournament

Grandmaster Eugene Perelshteyn of Massachusetts won Texas Tech University’s SPICE Cup 2007, an invitational tournament organized by chess giant Susan Polgar.

Grandmaster Gilberto Hernandez of Mexico placed second in the tournament, one of the strongest international invitational round-robins held on U.S. soil in five years and within Texas borders since 1972.

The event pitted 10 internationally acclaimed chess players – hailing from countries including Poland, Hungary, Mexico and the U.S. – against each other through nine rounds of play over eight days.

“SPICE Cup was a major success, thanks to incredible support from Texas Tech, the entire local Lubbock community and countless sponsors and supporters of the Susan Polgar Foundation,” said Polgar, director of Texas Tech’s Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE). “I am very happy and proud to be able to bring such a prestigious event to this city. It was truly a joint effort.”

As many as 10 million people watched the matches worldwide via Internet, according to institute estimates.

Perelshteyn, who captained the University of Maryland Baltimore chess team to five national titles, scored 6.5 points in nine rounds, tallying four wins and five draws.

In winning, he beat out a field of participants with an average rating of 2,527 – well above the 2,400 required to earn the U.S. Chess Federation’s highest class designation of senior master.

Grandmaster Julio Becerra, two-time MVP of the U.S. Chess League, and Grandmaster Kamil Miton, three-time Polish junior champion and former under-12 junior world champion, tied for 3rd and 4th place respectively.

Grandmaster Imre Hera of Hungary , who in fall 2008 will be the first chess grandmaster to attend Texas Tech, finished in 5th place. Hera was Student Olympic Champion and is now representing Hungary in the World Chess Federation World Cup, held in November and December in Russia.

The SPICE Cup Open was won by Chase Watters, President of the Texas Tech Chess Club, with a perfect 5-0 score.

Polgar is director of SPICE and coach of the Knight Raiders chess team. She has won four women’s world chess championships, five Olympic gold medals and is the only world champion in history to win the triple-crown (classical, blitz and rapid women’s world championships).

Contact: Paul Truong, director of marketing, SPICE, Texas Tech University (806) 742-7742, or paul.truong@ttu.edu.

Chess Life Online covers SPICE Cup

Eugene Wins Spice Cup

By Jennifer Shahade
November 19, 2007
Chess Life Online

Eugene Perelshteyn won clear first in the Spice Cup (Nov.9-16, Lubbock, Texas) with 6.5/9. The Boston-based GM told CLO that he was impressed with the conditions of the event: "It had a very prestigious feel. Susan Polgar and Paul Truong (the organizers) took care of us, and everyone was welcoming us from the mayor to the chancellor at Texas Tech University."

Three of Eugene's four wins from the event were with the Black pieces. His favorite game was against Kamil Miton, who was his main rival for first place during the final stretch. Eugene liked the game because it was a strategic victory in which White did not make a clear error. He was also happy because the opening he played was featured in his book, Chess Openings for Black, Explained. "Roman Dzindzhichasvili deserves all the credit for the ideas. I am just the practitioner." (CLO published this game in our previous story on the Spice Cup , but repeat it below.)

Here is the full article.

SPICE Cup final crosstable

This is the final crosstable with performance ratings of each player.

MonRoi's coverage of SPICE Cup

http://www.monroi.com/ChessTournament/SpiceCup/home.html

Chessville on SPICE Cup

SPICE Cup coverage by Chessville here.

Family fun activity

Father, son match wits on chess board
MARLENA HARTZ
AVALANCHE-JOURNAL

Father and son plot each other's demise in a room so silent soft footsteps feel like the pounding of a drum.

Who will win?

Beside each are signs of triumph: Ivory plastic pawns and rooks beside Zane, 11, and ebony ones beside his father, Tim Winders.
The clock winds on.

The chess board grows barer.

Then, the end: The elder ensnares Zane's queen.

The Winders - Tim 39, Zach, 13, and Zane, 11 - were three of 22 local chess lovers who competed Saturday in a tournament at Texas Tech.

Later, 10 grandmasters and international masters from Hungary, Mexico, Poland and the U.S. filtered in for games of their own.

The quiet room got quieter.

The masters are competing until Friday in the university's first international chess tournament.

Their average rating is 2,527 - above the 2,400 needed to earn the U.S. Chess Federation's highest designation. Not since 1972 have players of such strength competed in a Texas tournament.

"It's being followed worldwide," said Grandmaster Susan Polgar, who opened the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence, or SPICE, at Tech earlier this year.

"Hopefully, it will ignite the chess community in Lubbock and be the first of many chess events (in the city)," said the chess celebrity, who has won five Olympic gold medals and four women's chess championships.

She plans to have at least one or two tournaments of this caliber annually at the university, opening a world unknown to many West Texans.

Here is the full article in the Avalanche Journal.

NY Times final SPICE Cup piece

November 17, 2007, 1:41 am
Perelshteyn Wins Spice Cup
By Dylan Loeb McClain

Eugene Perelshteyn, a grandmaster from Massachusetts, won the Spice Cup, a tournament at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Tex. He led from start to finish, scoring 6.5 out of 9. Gilberto Hernandez, a grandmaster from Mexico, finished second, a half point back. The games from the tournament can be replayed at Monroi.com. The tournament, which was a memorial to Samuel Reshevsky, the Polish-born American grandmaster, was organized by Susan Polgar, chairwoman of the United States Chess Federation, and Paul Truong, Polgar’s husband.

Perelshteyn finished with four wins and no losses, including an eighth round demolition of Blas Lugo, an international master. Lugo played a rare and very sharp variation against Perelshteyn’s French Defense. Lugo sacrificed a pawn in the opening and the resulting position was very double edged. In the ensuing complications, Lugo overlooked a simple tactic that won a couple of pawns. He compounded his error and quickly lost a rook, resigning in a hopeless position.

Here is the full article.

NY Times blogs SPICE Cup

November 12, 2007, 4:41 pm
Perelshteyn Off to Fast Start in Spice Cup
By Dylan Loeb McClain
NY Times

Eugene Perelshteyn, a Massachusetts grandmaster, has a commanding lead after four rounds of the Spice Cup, a tournament at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Tex. The games are being carried live and can be replayed at Monroi.com. The tournament, which bills itself as a memorial to Samuel Reshevsky, a Polish-born American grandmaster who was one of the greatest players of the 1930’s, 1940’s and 1950’s, was organized by Susan Polgar, chairwoman of the United States Chess Federation, and Paul Truong, Polgar’s husband.

Here is the full article.

Chessdom on SPICE Cup

GM Perelshteyn wins SPICE cup
GM Hernandez takes the silver

In an exciting finish of the SPICE Cup, GM Perelshteyn was able to grab the title in front of GM Hernandez, GM Milton, and GM Becerra. The last round fight for the title was between these four players. Trailing by 1/2 point, GM Miton from Poland pushed all the way for a win against GM Hernandez of Mexico. At one point, GM Hernandez only had 4 seconds left on his clock. At the end, GM Miton pushed too hard and lost, giving the championship to GM Perelshteyn of Massachusetts, and second place to GM Hernandez.

This was one of the strongest 10 player RR events in Texas since 1972. It was organized by the always active Susan Polgar.

Here is the full coverage from Chessdom.

Chess Vibes on SPICE Cup

Perelshteyn wins first SPICE Cup
Sunday 18 November 2007, 13.21 CET, by peter

With a score of 6.5 out of 9, Eugene Perelshteyn has won the first SPICE Cup, a tournament held at the Texas Tech University in Lubbock (Texas), United States. The tournament, which was a memorial to Samuel Reshevsky, was organized by Susan Polgar, chairwoman of the United States Chess Federation, and Paul Truong, Polgar’s husband. SPICE stands for “Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence” at the Texas Tech University.

The SPICE program was launched at the University in May 2007, and is headed by Susan Polgar & Paul Truong. Polgar serves as director of SPICE and coach of the Knight Raiders chess team while Truong is the institute’s business manager and assistant coach. The institute includes academic and outreach components and provides a forum for academic research on the game. Researchers across disciplines are allowed to study chess from angles as diverse as artificial intelligence, cognition and women’s studies. More info on SPICE can be found here.

Here is the full article on Chess Vibes.

A big upset in the making?

About Samuel Reshevsky

L to R: Grandmaster Keres, World Champion Smyslov, Grandmaster Reshevsky, World Champion Euwe, World Champion Botvinnik

Samuel Reshevsky: "My strength consists of a fighting spirit, a great desire to win, and a stubborn defense whenever in trouble. I rarely become discouraged in an inferior situation, and I fear no one."

Born Szmul Rzeszewski (Samuel Herman Reshevsky) on November 26, 1911 in Ozorków (once a Russian Empire, today it is a part of Poland), he was considered the top American Grandmaster in his time. He won the U.S. Chess Championship six times (1936, 1938, 1940, 1942, 1946, and 1969). Reshevsky was a Candidate for the World Chess Championship three times (1948, 1953, and 1968).

Reshevsky was a serious contender for the World Championship from roughly the mid-1930 to the mid-1960. He was one of the five chess grandmasters to compete in the World Championship match tournament in The Hague / Moscow 1948 and finished in joint third place with Paul Keres, behind Mikhail Botvinnik and Vasily Smyslov.

In 1950, Reshevsky was awarded the title of International Grandmaster by FIDE, the World Chess Federation, on its inaugural list. He was a regular top board for the USA at the Chess Olympiads. Overall he played in eight events, helping the U.S. team to win the gold in 1937 and bronze in 1974, and winning an individual bronze medal for his performance on board one in 1950.

During his long chess career, Reshevsky defeated seven World Champions: Emanuel Lasker, Jose Capablanca, Alexander Alekhine, Max Euwe, Mikhail Botvinnik, Vasily Smyslov, and Bobby Fischer. He passed away on April 4, 1992 in New York.

Source: Wikipedia and MonRoi

Knight Raiders host SPICE Cup

Check mates: Knight Raiders hosting international chess tourney
Jenna Jones
Issue date: 11/13/07 Section: La Vida

The Texas Tech Knight Raiders chess club and the Susan Polgar Foundation will continue to host the SPICE Cup International Chess Tournament today through Friday.

The Susan Polgar Institute of Chess Excellence will host 10 Grandmasters and International Grandmasters who are competing to win the SPICE Cup.

According to the World Chess Federation Web site, the rank of Grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can attain in his or her career. The tournament is being conducted in memory of Samuel Reshevsky, an International Grandmaster.

Susan Polgar, executive director of SPICE and founder of the Susan Polgar Foundation, said the Grandmasters and International Grandmasters have come from all over the world, including Poland, Mexico, Russia, Cuba and the Ukraine, to compete at Tech this week.

"This tournament will provide excellent recruitment opportunities for Texas Tech," Polgar said. "The matches can be viewed online and will be viewed by over 10 million people."

Polgar said one of the Grandmasters, Imre Hera, is a senior in high school who likely will attend Tech in the fall of 2008. Hera is currently one of the top chess players in Hungary, and he earned the Grandmaster title in July 2007. Hera was the National Student Olympic Champion in 2004 and will represent Hungary in the World Cup later this month.

Polgar said because SPICE was established in Lubbock, the Tech campus is a logical place for the tournament. The tournament is a round-robin format meaning the player with the most points at the end of the tournament will win the cup.

"Spectators are welcome at all of the matches," Polgar said. "There is also an exhibition of chess sets open to the public at the Southwest Collections library."

Here is the full story.

Chess or football?

11/10/07
Chess Or Football... Which One's Getting More Attention?
Nov 10, 2007 05:41 PM CST

The SPICE Cup has brought competitors from across the globe to duke it out on the chess board. At Saturday's football game between Texas Tech and UT the 500,000 people watching will cheer loudly for their team. As for the SPICE Cup, the millions of people watching this event will do so in silence.

Some of the best chess players in the world have converged on Texas Tech's campus for the invitational SPICE Cup. SPICE stands for The Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence and Paul Truong is the director of marketing for SPICE at Tech - the first program of its kind in the world.

"The idea of the SPICE Cup is to bring attention to the university and what we do in terms of our program," said Truong.

"Chess is a combination of being a sport, science and an art," added Susan Polgar the institute and tournaments namesake. And Polgar has quite the chess resume herself. She holds five Olympic gold medals and is the current world chess champion, four times running. Now she shares her wisdom of chess as a Texas Tech professor.

"People have played chess for over 2000 years and still every game is different from another," said Polgar.

This sport draws nearly 700 million people across the globe to chess boards. Whether it's a table top version or the human sized edition, Polgar says this game has a following for good reason.

"It's a great tool for children. It's also a great tool for older people to prevent or delay Alzheimer's disease," said Polgar.

"Everybody from the age of 4 to 94 are playing chess," added Truong.

"It also teaches me multiplication cuz because the chess board is 8 divided by 8," said Tom Shutzman, The second grade national champion.

I asked, "Do you think you'll play chess the rest of your life?"

He replied, "Yeah."

Here is the full story on video.

* A note of interest: I am not the current women's world champion and Tommy is not the current 2nd grade world champion. He is the national 2nd grade champion. Errors like this do happen when dealing with many non-chess reporters.

Strongest International RR event in TX since 1972

November 7, 2007

Texas Tech To Host World-Class International Chess Tournament

Prestigious event is strongest international invitational round-robin held in Texas since 1972 and the United States in the past decade.

Written by Cory Chandler

Texas Tech University’s Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE) will host an invitational tournament Nov. 9-16 in the Matador Room of the Student Union Building.

The 2007 SPICE Cup International Invitational Chess Tournament, held in memory of grandmaster Samuel Reshevsky, is the first international tournament at Texas Tech organized by chess giant Susan Polgar, director of SPICE.

The round-robin event will pit 10 internationally acclaimed chess players – hailing from countries including Poland, Hungary, Mexico, Russia and the U.S. – against each other through nine rounds of play over eight days.

Participants have an average rating of 2,527 – well above the 2,400 required to earn the U.S. Chess Federation’s highest class designation of senior master.

“This prestigious tournament will be one of the strongest international invitational round-robin tournaments held in Texas since 1972 and the United States in the past decade,” Polgar said.

Children from a number of Lubbock schools are invited to attend the event each day to participate in special activities and raffles. SPICE was created in part as a tool for chess education and outreach.

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

The tournament also features an open section, slated for Saturday and Sunday, that will provide local chess aficionados an opportunity to compete for $500 in prizes. The open tournament will consist of three rounds at 10 a.m., 1p.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday and two additional rounds at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Sunday.

Polgar is director of SPICE and coach of the Knight Raiders chess team. She has won four women’s world chess championships, five Olympic gold medals and is the only world champion in history to win the triple-crown (classical, blitz and rapid women’s world championships).

Reshevsky was an American chess grandmaster and author from what is now Poland who won the U.S. Chess Championship six times.
For advance registration in the open section contact Hal Karlsson at (806) 742-3130.

Source: TT Today

The Provost Welcome Letter

For Immediate Release - SPICE Cup

Advisory

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: Nov. 7, 2007
CONTACT: Cory Chandler, cory.chandler@ttu.edu
(806) 742-2136

City, Texas Tech Officials Open Prestigious International Chess Tournament

WHAT: Opening ceremony for the 2007 SPICE Cup International Invitational Tournament

WHEN: 2 p.m. Friday

WHERE: The Matador Room of the Texas Tech University Student Union Building

EVENT: Texas Tech and Lubbock officials including Mayor David Miller will help launch an invitational tournament hosted by the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE).

The 2007 SPICE Cup International Invitational Chess Tournament, held in memory of grandmaster Samuel Reshevsky, will take place from Nov. 9-16 at the Student Union Building. It is the first international tournament at Texas Tech organized by chess giant Susan Polgar, director of SPICE.

The round-robin event will pit 10 internationally acclaimed chess players – hailing from countries including Poland, Hungary, Mexico, Russia and the U.S. – against each other through nine rounds of play over eight days.

Participants have an average rating of 2,527 – well above the 2,400 required to earn the U.S. Chess Federation’s highest class designation of senior master.

Children from a number of Lubbock schools are invited to attend the event each day to participate in special activities and raffles. SPICE was created in part as a tool for chess education and outreach.

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

The tournament also features an open section, slated for Saturday and Sunday, that will provide local chess aficionados an opportunity to compete for $500 in prizes. The open tournament will consist of three rounds at 10 a.m., 1p.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday and two additional rounds at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Sunday.

Contact: Paul Truong, director of marketing, SPICE, Texas Tech University (806) 742-7742, or paul.truong@ttu.edu.

SPICE Cup Trivia

2007 SPICE Cup International Invitational Chess Tournament

This special event will take place November 9-16, 2007 at the Matador Room in the Student Union Building at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. It is organized by the Susan Polgar Foundation, SPICE (Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence), the Knight Raiders and the Provost Office and is dedicated to grandmaster Samuel Reshevsky.

It is a Category 12 event, with an average rating of 2527. This will be one of the strongest international round robin tournaments in the United States in many years. Can you name the last ten player international round robin invitational tournament in the US that was Category 12 or stronger? Please send your answer to SusanPolgar@aol.com. There will be special prizes to three random winners who submit the correct answer. The contest ends at midnight on November 14, 2007.

2007 SPICE CUP International Invitational Tournament
In memory of GM Reshevsky

Category: 12 (2527)

Title Name FIDE rating USCF rating Country

1. Grandmaster Kamil Miton 2628 (2714) Poland
2. Grandmaster Boris Gulko 2571 (2659) USA
3. Grandmaster Julio Becerra 2568 (2633) USA
4. Grandmaster Imre Hera 2544 -------- Hungary
5. Grandmaster Gilberto Hernandez 2536 (2584) Mexico
6. Grandmaster Eugene Perelshteyn 2536 (2592) USA
7. International Master Dmitry Schneider 2502 (2529) USA
8. International Master Manual Leon Hoyos 2495 -------- Mexico
9. International Master Irina Krush 2475 (2512) USA
10. International Master Blas Lugo 2411 (2412) USA

Time Control:

· 40 moves in 90 minutes, followed by 15 minutes for the remainder of the game.
· All moves have 30 second increments.

Schedule:

· November 9 Opening Ceremony - 2pm Round 1 - 4pm
· November 10 Round 2 - 4pm
· November 11 Round 3 - 9am Round 4 - 4pm
· November 12 Round 5 - 3pm
· November 13 Round 6 - 3pm
· November 14 Round 7 - 3pm
· November 15 Round 8 - 3pm
· November 16 Round 9 - 10am Closing Ceremony - 4pm

All games will be broadcast LIVE on http://www.monroi.com/ and ICC (http://www.chessclub.com/)

Can't wait to check out Texas Tech

FIVE MINUTES WITH . . .
Five Minutes With . . . chess champion Rebecca Lelko
Monday, November 05, 2007
Leah Boyd
Plain Dealer Reporter

For Rebecca Lelko, a tournament chess match earlier this year ended with a check. But not because she lost the game.

The 16-year-old Chardon resident won a $36,000 scholarship to Texas Tech University in June after taking first place in her age group at the Susan Polgar International Tournament for girls in Las Vegas.

Rebecca, who is a junior at Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin School, is also ranked as one of the country's top 65 female chess players younger than 21, according to the United States Chess Federation.

How did you start playing chess?

My mom taught my older brother and [me] how to play when I was 4. My brother joined the chess club when he was in elementary school, so of course I wanted to join, too. I started competing in tournaments in third grade to see if I liked it, and I did. My first competition, I didn't really know much. I didn't place, but I did pretty well. So I kept at it.

Why do you find the game appealing?

Sports have never appealed to me. I'm not an athlete, so chess is a way for me to compete. It can get addicting. I like critical-thinking activities, such as reading and puzzles. Math is my favorite subject because it's a lot like chess. They both involve deep thinking.

Did you ever think playing chess would pay your way to college?

No! I was really excited when I found out I was one of the three girls to win a scholarship at the tournament. I found out Texas Tech is really developing its chess program, but I hadn't thought about attending there. I am now! I can't wait to check it out.

Here is the full article.

The Mayor

Lubbock Mayor David Miller expressed his opinion about the position

SPICE reception at the International Cultural Center

5 minute clock simul against Dr. Jim Brink (Senior Vice Provost), Dr. William Marcy (Provost) and Mr. David Miller (Lubbock Mayor)

About 175 came for the official SPICE reception at the International Cultural Center. Among the attendees were Hall of Fame and former Ladies Red Raiders Coach Marsha Sharp, Mayor David Miller, Commissioner Ysidro Gutierrez, Dean Sheryl Santos and many more VIPs.

TTU Release:

A touch of "SPICE" has arrived at Texas Tech University. Please join us as we welcome Ms. Susan Polgar, Director of the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE) and Mr. Paul Truong, Director of Marketing and Public Relations and Assistant Coach of the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE) to our Texas Tech campus.The Office of the Provost extends an invitation to join us for this reception on Thursday, November 1, 2007, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. in the International Cultural Center, Hall of Nations.

There will be a brief chess exhibition between Ms. Susan Polgar and Dr. William Marcy, Provost and Dr. James E. Brink, Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, at 5:00 p.m.

Please join us as we welcome Susan and Paul to our TTU family and cheer on Dr. Marcy and Dr. Brink as they challenge Susan.

News Release
CONTACT: Cory Chandler
DATE: Nov. 1, 2007

Texas Tech Formally Welcomes Chess Champions
Polgar, Truong prepare for first international invitational chess tournament in Lubbock.

Texas Tech formally welcomed chess dynamos Susan Polgar and Paul Truong, who will oversee the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE) and coach the Knight Raiders chess team, during a Thursday reception at the International Cultural Center.

The event presented the first such occasion for red-carpet treatment of the international stars since their May hiring. Polgar and Truong spent the summer establishing the institute and traveling to an international slate of chess-related and academic events.

“This is our opportunity to present these acclaimed individuals to the campus and to the Lubbock community,” said Jim Brink, senior vice provost for academic affairs, noting that SPICE will be involved with Lubbock schools through its K-12 outreach efforts.

The reception also served as a venue to promote the 2007 SPICE Cup International Invitational Chess Tournament, slated for November 9-16 in Lubbock.

Organized by Polgar and Truong, the tournament will have an average participant rating of approximately 2,527, making it an impressive category 12 event. Categories of top-level tournaments are based on the average rating of the participants and are formed within a 25-point range. Players with a rating of above 2,400 are considered senior masters by the U.S. Chess Federation.

“This prestigious tournament will be one of the strongest International Invitational Round Robin tournaments held in the United States in the past decade,” Polgar said.

Polgar is a winner of four women’s world chess championships, five Olympic gold medals, four silver and one bronze. She is director of SPICE and coach the Knight Raiders chess team. She is also the only world champion in history to win the triple-crown (classical, blitz and rapid women’s world championships).

Truong, a multiple-time national champion and is the director of marketing for SPICE and the Knight Raiders assistant coach. He is also the captain of the 2004 US Women’s Olympiad team which captured 2 silver and 2 gold medals, the first ever for the U.S.

SPICE includes academic and outreach components and provides an almost unprecedented forum for academic research on the game.