SPICE hosts 2nd annual Lubbock Open

March 30, 2009
SPICE Hosts 2nd Annual Lubbock Open Scholastic Chess Championship

Texas Tech University's Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE) will kick off the 2nd Annual Lubbock Open Scholastic Chess Championship at 11 a.m. April 18 at Monterey High School.

Written by Jessica Benham

Texas Tech University’s Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE) will kick off the 2nd Annual Lubbock Open Scholastic Chess Championship at 11 a.m. April 18 at Monterey High School.

The championship is a four-round Swiss System Tournament and will be rated by the United States Chess Federation (USCF).

Games are played in four sections including primary (K-2), elementary (K-5), middle school (K-8) and high school (K-12).

Paul Truong, director of marketing for SPICE, said the tournament is the flagship open chess tournament for the city of Lubbock.

“In its first year, the Lubbock Open drew 109 players,” Truong said. “We aim to consistently increase the number of participants each year. Our goal is to reach 500 players for this championship within the next five years and eventually reach the 1,000 player mark.”

Trophies will be awarded to the top 10 individuals and top three teams in each section. Special chess prizes also will be awarded to the top three finishers and top female in each section.

Awards will be handed out at the end of the last game around 4:30 p.m.

On-site registration and check in will take place from 9 -10:30 a.m. Registration is $10 before April 1, and $20 after. A valid USCF membership is required for registration and can be obtained at http://www.uschess.org/ or on the day of the tournament before 10 a.m.

Source: http://today.ttu.edu

Hess came, played and conquered

Polgar: Hess came, played and conquered the 2009 Grandmaster Invitational
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Sunday, March 29, 2009
Story last updated at 3/29/2009 - 2:09 am

He came. He played. He conquered. That was what 17-year-old International Master Robert Hess from New York did over spring break at the 2009 SPICE Spring Grandmaster Invitational. This very strong six-player double round robin tournament took place from March 16-22 in the Southwest Collection building at Texas Tech.

For his spectacular play, Robert impressively earned his second Grandmaster norm with three rounds to spare and clinched at least a tie for first with two rounds to go. He clinched clear first the day before the tournament ended. I expect Robert to earn his final Grandmaster norm and title before the end of this year.

The other young phenom in this tournament was 14-year-old Ray Robson of Florida. He also showed incredible promise by scoring four impressive victories, including three against Grandmasters. After a rough start with just half point in the first four games, Ray stormed back by scoring four and a half points in his final six games to finish with an even score.

Here are the final standings:

1. International Master Robert Hess (USA) 7.0 points in 10 games

2. Grandmaster Giorgi Kacheishvili (Georgia) 6.0

3. Grandmaster Timur Gareev (Uzbekistan) 5.5

4. International Master Ray Robson (USA) 5.0

5. Grandmaster Dashzegve Sharavdorj (Mongolia) 3.5

6. International Master Gergely Antal (Hungary) 3.0

More than 150 pictures from the 2009 SPICE Spring Invitational have been uploaded. You can view them at http://picasaweb.google.com/SPICEChess/SPICESpringInvitational09#

Here are some interesting statistics about the SPICE Spring Invitational:

• Out of the 30 games played - more than 10 rounds - 60 percent were decisive while only 40 percent were drawn.

• Surprisingly, Black won more than White, 18 versus 12.

• Mongolian GM Dashzegve had the biggest fighting spirit with 484 total moves in 10 games, followed by Hess with 381 moves, Robson with 349 moves, Kacheishvili 339 moves, Antal with 310 moves and Gareev with 306 moves.

1. e4 was played 17 times while 1.d4 was played 11 times. Only two games were started with other moves (one with 1.c4 and one with 1.Nf3).

Source: http://lubbockonline.com/stories/032909/col_415824067.shtml

Over 150 pictures posted

Click here to view more than 150 pictures from the 2009 SPICE Spring Invitational.

Aiming for the GM title

SPICE Hosts Spring Invitational

Top chess players to compete at Texas Tech's International Grandmaster Chess Tournament.

Written by Jessica Benham

Texas Tech University’s Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE) will host the International Grandmaster Chess Tournament March 16-22.

Opening ceremonies for the event will take place at March 16 at the Southwest Collection/ Special Collections Library.

Norwegian Chess Official Morten Sand will be on hand for the opening ceremony and the first round of the tournament. Sand is General Council to the World Chess Federation, and is the first representative from the World Chess Federation to visit Lubbock.

“It’s a great honor for SPICE and Texas Tech that the International Chess Federation is watching us and sending a representative to report on the tournament,” said Polgar, who described the tournament as one of the most prestigious of its kind to be held in the U.S. this year.

Sand comes to Lubbock to meet with Polgar and other members of SPICE as part of a research and fact finding mission to strengthen Norway’s bid to host the 2014 Chess Olympiad in Tromse, Norway.

International Master (IM) Gergely Antal, member of Texas Tech’s Knight Raiders, and 14-year-old Ray Robson, one of the youngest IM’s in the U.S., are among the participants in the tournament, both of whom will be competing to earn their Grandmaster (GM) status.

Other participants include IM Robert Hess from the U.S., GM Giorgi Kacheishvili from Georgia, GM Dashzegve Sharavdorj from Mongolia and GM Timur Gareev from Uzbekistan.

“It’s wonderful that Texas Tech and SPICE are able to attract players from all over the world to come play here,” said Paul Truong, communications director for SPICE. “Back in 2007 no one had heard of Lubbock in terms of chess, and now we have lots of super stars of chess saying ‘please invite us to come.’ It really says something about how far SPICE has come along in the past year and a half.”

The public is invited to attend the free event.

Source: http://today.ttu.edu/2009/03/spice-hosts-spring-invitational/

Mayor Martin

March 13, 2009

Dear Friends:

It is my pleasure to welcome you to Lubbock for the prestigious SPICE Spring Invitational International Grandmaster Tournament. We are honored to host this unique event, which is one of the strongest chess tournaments of its kind held in the United States in the past decade.

Players from all over the world were invited to the event, and I applaud the Susan Polgar Institute (SPICE) at Texas Tech, The Susan Polgar Foundation (SPF), and the Knight Raiders for hosting the event and raising awareness of chess.

We are proud to have you here, and I wish you the best of luck in the competition. I know it will be an exciting and challenging seven days.

Sincerely,
Tom Martin
Mayor

Get Smart! Play Chess!

Polgar: Players come from various distances to take part in tournament

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Sunday, March 15, 2009
Story last updated at 3/15/2009 - 1:38 am

The first-ever Get Smart! Play Chess! tournament was held at the Science Spectrum. About 85 players took part in this very exciting event at a wonderful venue.

Even though most of the players are from the local areas, some came as far as Odessa and Albuquerque.

All participants received either free passes to the museum or tickets to the IMAX Theater.

This event was a collaboration among SPICE, Lubbock Science Spectrum, the Knight Raiders and the Susan Polgar Foundation.

The winners were:

K-2

1. Brian Mulligan 4 points (out of 4 games)

2. Vincent Viner 3 points

3. John Thomasson 3 points

4. Anna Runquist 2.5 points

5. Luis Gonzalez 2 points

K-5

1. Andrew Chavez 4 points

2. Leeam Polgar 3 points

3. Joaquin Munoz 3 points

4. Robert Trevino 3 points

5. Jose Sanchez 3 points

K-8

1. Quinton Smith 3.5 points

2. Isaiah Andrade 3.5 points

3. Eirik Haraldsson 3 points

4. Manuel Garcia 3 points

5. Ben Travis Webb 3 points

K-12

1. Shane Metzler 4 points

2. John Wright 3.5 points

3. Abraham Lin 3 points

4. Marcelo Rosales 3 points

5. Gilbert Reyna 3 points

K-5 Unrated

1. Ryan Hernandez 4 points

2. Juwan Drones 3 points

3. Nathaniel Riddle 3 points

K-12/Adult Unrated

1. Tim Griesdorn 4 points

2. Taylor Cassity 3 points

3. Tucker Marberry 3 points

Open Section

1. Tommy Polgar 4 points

2. Sam Capoycan 3 points

3. Marcelo Rosales Sr. 3 points

• Top Sibling Team: Tom Polgar and Leeam Polgar

• Top Parent/Child Team: Marcelo Rosales Jr. and Marcelo Rosales Sr.

• Top Coach/Student Team: Michael Orndorff and Brian Muligan

Special thanks to James, Monica, Abbie, Stephanie, Hal, Gergely, Jerry, Rich, Jenna and everyone else who helped made this event happen.

Here is the link to more than 80 pictures from the tournament: http://picasaweb.google.com/SPICEChess/00ScienceSpect rumSelect.

• New Atrium Chess Club: The club meets 5-6:30 p.m. Wednesdays at the Science Spectrum.

This will be a time for kids and their parents to get together to play chess and learn informally with other kids and their parents. There is no charge, but kids should have a parent/responsible adult with them.

Monica and Abbie will be on site to supervise. Some of the Knight Raiders Chess Club members and I will drop in from time to time to help out.

Please note that the museum itself closes at 5 p.m. We get to use the atrium area.

We hope this will give the kids a chance to practice, play and learn the rules so that they can participate in upcoming events. Even if tournaments are not your thing, they can develop their game.

• Knight Raiders Chess Night: Members of the Texas Tech Knight Raiders are meeting at Barnes & Noble (Slide and the Loop) every Friday night from 6-9 p.m.

• SPICE Spring Invitational International Grandmaster Tournament: March 16-22 at Texas Tech University Southwest Collection Building

Two of the most talented young American talents, 14-year-old International Master Ray Robson and 18-year-old International Master Robert Hess, will take part in the second-highest rated international double round robin tournament in the United States this year. The highest rated event is the 2009 SPICE Cup, which will also take place at Texas Tech this fall.

Ray and Robert are both aiming to earn the needed Grandmaster norms to obtain their Grandmaster titles. Please check the SPICE Web site for the exact time of each round. Don't miss your opportunity to meet the chess stars.

FIDE Category: 11

Average rating: FIDE 2505 / USCF 2560

Number of players: 6

Title; Name; FIDE; USCF; Country

1. IM Ray Robson 2455 2546 USA

2. IM Gergely Antal 2493 2502 Hungary

3. GM Timur Gareev 2581 2630 Uzbekistan

4. GM Dashzegve Sharavdorj 2429 2470 Mongolia

5. IM Robert Hess 2483 2527 USA

6. GM Giorgi Kacheishvili 2590 2685 Georgia

• SPICE Spring Open Chess Championship, March 21. A rated five-round Swiss System Tournament (Game/30)

Event Site: Texas Tech English Department Building

Games are played in three sections: Elementary (K-5), Middle / High School and (K-12) / Adults.

• Lubbock Open (Scholastic and Adults), April 18. A rated four-round Swiss System Tournament (Game/30)

Event Site: Monterey High School.

Description of Tournament: A USCF rated Individual and Team Scholastic Championship and Open tournament.

Games are played in five sections: Primary (K-2), Elementary (K-5), Middle School (K-8), High School (K-12) and Open Section.

For more information of all these events, go to www.SPICE.ttu.edu.

• Susan Polgar World Open for Boys and Girls

The Susan Polgar World Open for Boys and Girls will take place at the Las Vegas International Chess Festival, June 4-7 at the South Point Hotel and Spa. There will be more than $150,000 in college scholarships and chess prizes.

• June 4, the Susan Polgar International Chess Camp (for all ages)

• June 5, free lecture by Susan Polgar

• June 5, a tandem simul by Susan Polgar against up to 70 players

• June 5, the Susan Polgar World Open Chess Puzzle Solving Contest for Girls and Boys

• June 6, the Susan Polgar World Open Blitz Chess Championship for Girls and Boys

• June 6-7, the Susan Polgar World Open Chess Championship for Girls and Boys

For more information, call 742-7742; e-mail spice@ttu.edu; or go to www.SPICE.ttu.edu

Source: Lubbock Online

SPICE hosts another major chess event

SPICE Hosts Spring Invitational
By ssthormess

The 2009 SPICE Spring Invitational will feature six of the top chess players from around the world including one from Texas Tech.

Texas Tech University’s Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE) will host the International Grandmaster Chess Tournament March 16-22.

Opening ceremonies for the event will take place at March 16 at the Southwest Collection/ Special Collections Library.

Norwegian Chess Official Morten Sand will be on hand for the opening ceremony and the first round of the tournament. Sand is General Council to the World Chess Federation, and is the first representative from the World Chess Federation to visit Lubbock.

“It’s a great honor for SPICE and Texas Tech that the International Chess Federation is watching us and sending a representative to report on the tournament,” said Polgar, who described the tournament as one of the most prestigious of its kind to be held in the U.S. this year.

Sand comes to Lubbock to meet with Polgar and other members of SPICE as part of a research and fact finding mission to strengthen Norway’s bid to host the 2014 Chess Olympiad in Tromse, Norway.

International Master (IM) Gergely Antal, member of Texas Tech’s Knight Raiders, and 14-year-old Ray Robson, one of the youngest IM’s in the U.S., are among the participants in the tournament, both of whom will be competing to earn their Grandmaster (GM) status.

Other participants include IM Robert Hess from the U.S., GM Giorgi Kacheishvili from Georgia, GM Dashzegve Sharavdorj from Mongolia and GM Timur Gareev from Uzbekistan.

“It’s wonderful that Texas Tech and SPICE are able to attract players from all over the world to come play here,” said Paul Truong, communications director for SPICE. “Back in 2007 no one had heard of Lubbock in terms of chess, and now we have lots of super stars of chess saying ‘please invite us to come.’ It really says something about how far SPICE has come along in the past year and a half.”

The public is invited to attend the free event.

Source: http://totusmund.us/spice-hosts-spring-invitational

March 16-22, 2009
Texas Tech University Southwest Collection Building
Lubbock, Texas

FIDE Category: 11
Average rating: FIDE 2505 / USCF 2560
Number of players: 6

Here is the order from the drawing of lots:

Title - Name - FIDE - USCF - Country

1. IM Ray Robson 2455 2546 USA
2. IM Gergely Antal 2493 2502 Hungary
3. GM Timur Gareev 2581 2630 Uzbekistan
4. GM Dashzegve Sharavdorj 2429 2470 Mongolia
5. IM Robert Hess 2483 2527 USA
6. GM Giorgi Kacheishvili 2590 2685 Georgia

SPICE hosts Spring Invitational

SPICE hosts Spring Invitational
March 13, 2009 10:48 AM CDT

LUBBOCK, TX (TTU) - The 2009 SPICE Spring Invitational will feature six of the top chess players from around the world including one from Texas Tech.

Texas Tech University's Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE) will host the International Grandmaster Chess Tournament March 16-22.

Opening ceremonies for the event will take place at March 16 at the Southwest Collection/ Special Collections Library.

Norwegian Chess Official Morten Sand will be on hand for the opening ceremony and the first round of the tournament. Sand is General Council to the World Chess Federation, and is the first representative from the World Chess Federation to visit Lubbock.

"It's a great honor for SPICE and Texas Tech that the International Chess Federation is watching us and sending a representative to report on the tournament," said Polgar, who described the tournament as one of the most prestigious of its kind to be held in the U.S. this year.

Sands comes to Lubbock to meet with Polgar and other members of SPICE as part of a research and fact finding mission to strengthen Norway's bid to host the 2014 Chess Olympiad in Tromse, Norway.

International Master (IM) Gergely Antal, member of Texas Tech's Knight Raiders, and 14-year-old Ray Robson, one of the youngest IM's in the U.S., are among the participants in the tournament, both of whom will be competing to earn their Grandmaster (GM) status.

Other participants include IM Robert Hess and GM Dashzegve Sharavdorj from Mongolia, GM Giorgi Kacheishvili from Georgia, and GM Timur Gareev from Uzbekistan.

"It's wonderful that Texas Tech and SPICE are able to attract players from all over the world to come play here," said Paul Truong, communications director for SPICE. "Back in 2007 no one had heard of Lubbock in terms of chess, and now we have lots of super stars of chess saying ‘please invite us to come.' It really says something about how far SPICE has come along in the past year and a half."

The public is invited to attend the free event.

Story produced by the Office of Communications and Marketing

Source: http://www.kcbd.com/

Building strong chess programs in Texas

Brownsville ISD Schools Are Building The Strongest Chess Program In Texas
(Posted Today 04:51 pm)

Chess coaches Eddie Payne and Daryl Inman interviewed numerous coaches and parents of Hanna High School and other South Texas attendees during this fall’s Texas Grade Championship in Houston on November 22-23. The goal was to discover the secret to South Texas’ domination in scholastic chess.

Among those interviewed was Dan DeLeon, a long time chess advocate, father of chess competitors in state events, the owner of The Chess Store that opens a sales room at state events, and a man who is very knowledgeable as to how southern Texas teams are building their chess programs.

Payne and Inman learned from DeLeon and confirmed with other sources how this most southern county in Texas has achieved dominance in scholastic chess from elementary through high school levels. As one would expect, the basic reason for success is money, but most of the money is from government grants.

First, money is provided from the ISD’s budget: Brownsville ISD has committed itself to greatness in chess in many ways. They provide a $400,000 budget, which is spread over 65 schools in their district. The money pays for equipment, books, DVDs, and registration fees for tournaments. This budget came into play after a group of candidates for the ISD Board successfully ran on a “pro-chess slate.”

Second, professional chess players have become involved: San Benito High School (of the Brownsville ISD) has contracted with Alphonso Almeida, an International Master with a USCF rating of over 2,400 points to coach and train their students.

In recent years, Susan Polgar, women’s world chess champion, visited the Brownsville area and was very engaged in chess programs in the local schools and with clinics that she provided. Her influence impacted female chess players heavily, while stimulating desire to play chess among all students. Currently, Polgar is working to build a strong West Texas chess program through work with Texas Tech.

Third, financial support is given to chess instructors: Brownsville ISD provides a $2,000 stipend for their chess coaches for each 25 active chess players. When the 26th and 51st players are added, a second and a third coach are hired, respectively, with this stipend. These stipends are in support of time spent in training programs during school and for overnight trips to tournament events.

Fourth, financial support is given for state and national tournaments to winning schools: When the Brownsville schools compete in regional tournaments, their top two schools receive full funding to send the two winning teams to the Texas championship tournaments. The funding pays for all players, coaches, and one parent per student for transportation, rooms and meals to the event.

When Brownsville schools finish in the top two positions in Texas state championship events, they receive full funding to national chess championships for players, coaches, and one parent per student. Hanna Elementary School’s six grade team is the reigning national champion.

Fifth, funding is sought outside of the local tax payers: By combining Title One and Migrant Worker funding into an “enrichment program,” Brownsville pays for after school training in a variety of activities including band, flag football, intramural basketball, art, chess, field hockey, and other enrichment events.

The Brownsville district is seeking funds from the 21st Century Project, a federal government grant that is under state control as an “enrichment program.” These monies permit after school training and a summer camp of one month duration for the chess program as a part of the various other sports and arts. The fund pays for equipment, books, DVDs, and other supplies for chess. Additionally, college students used for instruction are paid $18 per hour and licensed teachers are paid $21 per hour for their work in the after-school and in the summer camp programs.

“In the past three years, another southern ISD, Corpus Christi, has received four government grants for ‘enrichment programs.’ Each grant was for $3 to $5 million dollars,” said DeLeon, a resident of that city. Enrichment programs are available to all students who may participate in flag football, intramural basketball, art, chess, field hockey, or other events to broaden the experience and development of all students who wish to attend. No one is denied access to the enrichment programs. “This is not a ‘latch-key program’; it is a legitimate attempt to improve the culture and experience of the students,” said DeLeon.

Brownsville ISD is actively in a quest for government funds for enrichment programs. They have used some of their grant money, some tax dollars, and all donations to chess to build a chess program that provides champions and highly rated players in the United States Chess Federation ratings. They are a force to deal in competitions and are growing at a faster rate than most schools in the state in their cultural programs, one of them being chess.

Brownsville ISD has found the money to make it happen.

“By comparison,” says Coach Payne, “we are not hurting. We have raised sufficient money to buy books, DVDs, and chess equipment. The ISD, thankfully, has awarded the chess program a modest budget that covers our pressing expenses for state tournaments and the ISD has paid for Think Like a King, a software tool that trains students and manages in-school club activities. We are very grateful for this support, without which we would be contained to an in-school program only.

“However, to pay for trips to a national championship event, to create a summer camp and employ University of Dallas chess champions to visit and teach, and to have other quality programs of instruction, the chess program is lacking in funds. We can’t expect a small ISD to make this happen. If we get funding of this level, we must source out grants and federal funding. Money is out there for this type of quality enrichment event; we just have to source it.”

Mexia can be proud of the accomplishments of the high school chess team. In the calendar year 2008, the chess team placed fourth in the Texas Scholastic Chess Championship—Junior Varsity, first in the SFA Spring Invitational Tournament, third for the seniors in the Texas Grade Championship, and third for the juniors in the Texas Grade Championship.

In 2009, the team has won first place in the Region III Chess Championship which includes all teams from Mexia to Oklahoma to the Louisiana border. Also, the Blackcats have a 5-1 record in match play since August, losing only a very tight match to Klein of Houston, a previous state champion with a 21 year program under the same coach.

A total of 13 trophies were won in the past twelve months and were on display at the February school board meeting. Yes, the chess team has made Mexia proud!

Source: http://www.mexiadailynews.com/

SPICE / TTU award scholarships

Polgar: Tournament awards more than $250,000 in scholarships, prizes
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Sunday, March 01, 2009
Story last updated at 3/1/2009 - 1:58 am

The 2009 Susan Polgar National Open Chess Championship for Girls and Boys (K-12) took place Feb. 13-15 in Peoria, Ariz., a suburb of Phoenix. More than 200 young players from 15 states competed for more than $250,000 in college scholarships (Texas Tech and Texas A&M Kingsville), and prizes in eight sections.

In the Girls Primary section, Diamond Shakoor of Ohio scored a perfect 7-0 to win the title, a Dell laptop and digital chess clock.

In the Girls Elementary section, Kristen Sarna of Texas and Aiya Cancio of Arizona tied for first with 6 points. They had to play a blitz playoff game (each player only had 5 minutes to complete the entire game) to decide who would win the Dell laptop. Sarna won the coin toss and she chose black, which was unusual since white has a natural advantage in chess. It was a very exciting game but Sarna pulled out at the end to score the win. This was gratifying for her as her family had to drive more than 17 hours to Peoria.

Local girl Sayaka Foley of Peoria, Ariz., scored 6 points to win the Girls Middle School section and a Toshiba laptop. Sayaka represented Arizona at the 2008 Susan Polgar National Invitational for Girls, which was held last July at Texas Tech.

Rebekah Liu of California was one of the two girls to score a perfect 7-0 to win the Girls High School section, a Dell laptop and a digital chess clock.

By winning their sections, Diamond, Kristen, Aiya, Sayaka and Rebekah automatically qualified for the 2009 Susan Polgar National Invitational for Girls to be held at Texas Tech on July 26-31.

Winston Zeng, a second-grader from Arizona, scored 7-0 in the Boys Primary section to win a Toshiba laptop and a digital clock.

Tommy Polgar of Murfee Elementary School in Lubbock scored 6.5 points to win the Boys Elementary section and a Dell laptop. In addition to the main event, Polgar won the National Open Puzzle Solving Championship overall section with the score of 10 out of 10. He also tied for first in the National Open Blitz in his section. His brother, Leeam, won his section in the National Open Puzzle Solving Championship. In spite of having only two players (a team usually has at least three), Tom and Leeam captured third place in the National Elementary team division for Murfee.

Dipro Chakraborty of Arizona scored 6.5 points to win the Boys Middle School section and a Toshiba laptop.

Andy Lin of Arizona scored 6.5 points to win the Boys High School section and a Toshiba laptop.

Chakraborty, Andy, Liu and Foley were also awarded scholarships to Texas Tech (each valued at $36,000 for out-of-state students).

Source: http://lubbockonline.com/stories/030109/col_399791611.shtml