TTU Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE)

SPICE to Host Fifth Annual Lubbock Open

2012-01-16T15:34:00.001-06:00

(PressZoom) - Texas Tech University, the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE), the Susan Polgar Foundation and the Knight Raiders will host the fifth annual Lubbock Open, a five-round Swiss system tournament, open to all ages. This event is a U.S. Chess Federation-rated individual tournament.

All events will be held Saturday (Jan. 28) at the Lubbock Science Spectrum (2579 S. Loop 289). A United States Chess Federation (USCF) membership is required and can be obtained online at uschess.org or on site.

On-site registration and check-in will be held from 9 to 10:15 a.m. All pre-registered players must check in by 10:15 a.m.

Entry fees are $15 before Jan. 20, $20 before Jan. 27 and $25 on site.

For more information call (806) 742-7742 or visit SPICE.ttu.edu.

Find Texas Tech news, experts and story ideas at media.ttu.edu and on Twitter @TexasTechMedia.

Chess is fun

2011-12-03T06:14:00.001-06:00

8-year-old Palmdale girl is already chess champion
By Christina Villacorte, Staff Writer
Posted: 12/03/2011 01:00:00 AM PST

Giggling under a pink hat bedazzled with sequins, 8-year-old Gia Peterson scanned the chessboard, wiggled her fingers and declared triumphantly, "Checkmate."

Her opponent, a news photographer, never stood a chance.

The Palmdale second-grader is a national chess champion, dominating the K-3 age group in the prestigious Susan Polgar World Open for Boys and Girls in 2010 and 2011.

She placed third in 2009, her first year of competition.

She's also the youngest in the country to win a high school tournament at age 6.

The previous record-holder was a 7-year-old boy in 1987 - who happens to be her half-brother.

"It doesn't matter how old you are," Gia said on a recent afternoon.

"I can think up to 11 moves in advance."

During the last World Open, held near Chicago in October, she beat a rival whose coaches were both grand masters.

The match lasted no more than half an hour. The year before, Gia took home a grand prize that included a college scholarship.

Her father celebrated the feat.

"Gia has talked about becoming a doctor," said Richard Peterson, a former financial analyst and chess tutor who became disabled in 2003 after sustaining a brain injury when a trailer collapsed on him.

"In no way is chess the goal - it is just a tool for the kids to get to where they really want to go," Peterson added. "It trains their minds, gives them critical thinking skills, and that's something that's simply not taught in school."

Gia's siblings - 12-year-old Michail, 10-year-old Dante, and 6-year-old Jayani - also are accomplished players, even though the youngest is still learning how to read and write. They also have a half-brother and a half-sister, both adults who were national champions in their youth.

All four of them won trophies during a scholastic chess tournament in Ridgecrest, Kern County, last month. Their combined record: 19-0.

"Chess is fun," said Dante, a three-time regional champion in his age group, whose signature strategy involves taking over the space in a chessboard until his opponent has nowhere to go.

Dwight Morgan, who has organized children's chess tournaments in Ridgecrest for 40 years, considers the Peterson kids - particularly Gia and Dante - among the best he's seen at their age.

"A couple of tournaments ago, Gia won the high school section and bested boys and girls from ninth grade through 12th grade," he said. "It was quite something to see these tall kids, 13 to 18 years old, holding small trophies while the petite Gia, who was only 8, had the biggest trophy of them all."

"To see a young girl doing so well is really great for the sport as far as encouraging other girls," he added, noting boys have tended to dominate the game.

Gia and Dante are the most competitive in the family. They partnered once and outscored rival teams with four players each.

It was Dante who brought chess back into the household after his father's accident.

"I didn't want to play chess because the pain was just awful," Richard Peterson said. "Whenever I tried to concentrate, it would make my head throb."

Dante, then a kindergartner, pursued his chess passion on his own and eventually "dragged" his mother, Deepika, to local tournaments. Soon, she was taking the rest of the children as well.

"Dante really wanted to go, but I remember when (then preschooler) Gia first sat down to play, she was so scared of all the people around her that she started crying," Deepika said.

The owner of a trophy-making business, Deepika tried to comfort the children if they got upset after a loss by telling them, "If you want a trophy, I'll make you one."

She never actually resorted to creating those consolation prizes though, because the children soon started winning regularly.

They honed their chess skills by reading books, solving problems on an educational CD, and competing online with adults.

Despite all that, the children are well-rounded, getting A's at school and playing tag and other activities with their peers.

Their family room has a huge collection of trophies and medals in one corner. More awards are stored in boxes inside the garage.

Peterson, who began to recover from his brain injury in 2008, hopes those accomplishments will ensure a bright future for the children, though he hopes the game will not be the sole pursuit of their adult lives.

"We want chess to be an avenue to other things," he said.

Source: http://www.dailynews.com

Knight Raider Shines on the World Stage

2011-11-16T12:09:00.003-06:00

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE: Nov. 16, 2011

CONTACT: Karin Slyker, karin.slyker@ttu.edu

(806) 742-2136

Knight Raider Shines on the World Stage

Grandmaster Georg Meier, co-captain of the Texas Tech University Knight Raiders, has defeated a former top 10 world professional chess player, Sergei Movsesian of Armenia. The win came in the final round of the 2011 European Team Championship.

Meier, a freshman from Germany, tied for second place last month in the 2011 SPICE Cup at Texas Tech, along with Cuban Grandmaster Leinier Doniguez, a former World Blitz champion.

Meier also tied for first and beat Grandmaster Le Quang Liem of Vietnam in the playoff at the 2011 SPICE Cup Blitz Championship.

“One of the top young talents in the world, Meier is the best German-born player in the past two decades,” said Paul Truong, marketing director for the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE). “Last year, he decided to give up his very lucrative professional career with Baden Baden, the top club team in Chess Bundesliga, to join the SPICE program at Texas Tech.”

He is now being trained by Grandmaster Susan Polgar, winner of four Women’s World Championships and five Olympiad Gold Medals.

Meier will play board one for the Texas Tech Knight Raiders, the No. 1 ranked collegiate team in the nation with four Grandmasters, at the 2011 PanAm Collegiate Championship in Dallas in December. He will also lead the Knight Raiders in their title defense at the 2012 Final Four in Washington, D.C.

Full standings of the 2011 European Team Championship can be found here: http://euro2011.chessdom.com/etcc-2011-standings-open-section.

A photo of Meier and Polgar is available here: https://picasaweb.google.com/SPICEChess/0SPICECup2011B#5667585805572112706

Find Texas Tech news, experts and story ideas at www.media.ttu.edu and on Twitter @TexasTechMedia.

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

SPICE in Texas gets U.S. out of chess backwater

2011-11-01T07:29:00.001-05:00

SANDS: SPICE in Texas gets U.S. out of chess backwater
By David R. Sands
The Washington Times
Tuesday, November 1, 2011

We can claim the Super Bowl, the World Series and three of golf’s four “majors,” and we have played host to eight Olympics. But when it comes to staging big-time chess events, the U.S. is something of a backwater.

The 1995 Kasparov-Anand match at New York's World Trade Center was the first world championship played on American soil in 88 years. The most storied U.S. tournaments - Cambridge Springs 1904, New York 1924, New York 1927, Santa Monica 1966 - occurred decades ago. On the topographical chess atlas of the world, obscure burgs such as Wijk aan Zee, the Netherlands; Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia; and Linares, Spain, tower over New York and Los Angeles.

So for patriotic reasons if nothing else, it’s nice to report on the fifth annual SPICE Cup, staged last month in Lubbock, Texas, by Texas Tech University and the Susan Polgar Foundation. The strongest of the three round-robin invitationals there had an average rating of 2656 and docked in as a Category 17 event.

In the hard-fought Group A event, rising Vietnamese star GM Le Quang Liem justified his 2710 top rating by eking out a victory over Cuban GM Leinier Dominguez Perez and German GM Georg Meier. Israeli GM Anatoly Bykhovsky and Italian IM Roberto Mogranzini shared top honors in Group B, and popular U.S. GM Ben Finegold finished alone in first in Group C.

Liem needed a last-round victory over Dominguez Perez, who beat him in the first half of the tournament, to secure first place. He pulled it off - just barely.

Full article here.

Fifth annual SPICE Cup hosts chess players from around world

2011-10-23T23:15:00.006-05:00

Fifth annual SPICE Cup hosts chess players from around world
Daily Toreador
8:29 pm, Sun Oct 23, 2011
By Greg Lindeman
Staff Writer Daily Toreador - Dept. of Student Media, Texas Tech University

The fifth annual Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence Cup, a chess tournament, is taking place on Texas Tech’s campus from Oct. 15-25.

The SPICE Cup looks to promote chess and its educational, social and competitive benefits throughout the United States.

In this year’s tournament, the ‘A’ group is the highest rated international invitational in United States history and also includes three groups of grandmaster tournaments.

There are players from all over the world at the tournament, including the top national nine- and 10-year-olds, said Susan Polgar, a former Olympic champion, world champion and the director of the SPICE Cup.

“Six of the 26 in the top three are Texas Tech students,” Polgar said. “This tournament started in 2007 and became a tradition afterwards.”

The grand prize is $6,000 and second place will take home $3,000.

“Cooperation with the Susan Polgar Foundation, a non-profit organization, and Texas Tech arrange to bring visibility and information about chess,” Polgar said. “The games of the top three groups are being shown live, with an expected 30 million views worldwide.”

The tournament saw some of the top players from France, Germany, Cuba and Vietnam competing at a high level.

This tournament gave players chances to refine their skills as they played the best international players, Polgar said.

Ananya Roy, former vice president of the Knight Raiders and a junior political science major from Atlanta, Ga., said she practiced before the event by doing puzzles and playing online.

“My dad and brother used to play and I picked it up,” Roy said. “I played in clubs, and my coach saw potential. Ever since then, I began playing competitively.”

The tournament is in the rank order style where players are paired with people who are at a similar level. When they lose, they become paired with another person who lost. There is no elimination in the traditional sense and the winner will be the chess player with the highest rank at the end of the tournament.

To become a grandmaster, players need to acquire three or more “norms,” which are chess achievements based on performance, tournament ratings and winning a certain number of games against a grandmaster, said Josh Osbourn, a senior English major from Kentucky.

“I practiced with puzzles and I review the opening moves,” Osbourn said. “There are theories for opening moves that can give you an edge. They may not win you the game, but they give you a chance to put yourself in a better position by knowing how to start the game.”

Osbourn’s father showed him how to play when he was five years old, but he did not start playing competitively until high school. He has since gone on to national tournaments and now the SPICE Cup.

“I played one game today so far,” Osbourn said. “I feel that I did well. I play two more games tomorrow since I took a bye yesterday.”

The ‘A’ group will continue to play until 6 p.m. Tuesday when the closing ceremony for the group will officially end the two-week event.

Source: http://www.dailytoreador.com

2011 SPICE Cup

2011-10-19T14:41:00.002-05:00

Prestigious International Chess Tournament Underway
October 19, 2011
SPICE Cup 2011 is being held in the Matador Room at the Student Union Building.
Written by Melanie Hess
www.TTU.edu

SPICE Cup 2011, the most prestigious international invitational chess tournament in the U.S., is in full swing at Texas Tech this week (Oct.15-25).

In the Matador Room of the Student Union Building, respected players from all over the world are participating in the fourth annual invitational, including six of Texas Tech’s own Knight Raiders.

Paul Truong, Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE) marketing director, said the invitational’s “A” group marks SPICE Cup 2011 as the highest-rated international invitational in U.S. history.

“It is like bringing the Super Bowl or Wimbledon to Texas Tech and Lubbock,” Truong said. “More than 30 million people in over 170 countries follow this event online and through various media sources.”

The tournament includes a World Chess Federation (FIDE) Rated Open, a scholastic event and an open competition. Spectators are welcome and admission is free.

The six Knight Raiders competing are as follows:

Group A: Grandmaster Georg Meier of Germany.

Meier is a freshman and the no. 2 ranked player in Germany. He represents Germany in the Olympiad, World Cup and other major events.

Group B: Grandmaster Anatoly Bykhovsky of Israel and Grandmaster Denes Boros of Hungary.

Bykhovsky played top board for Texas Tech last year and helped the Knight Raiders win the Final Four for the first time.

Group C: Grandmaster Andre Diamant of Brazil, International Master Vitaly Neimer of Israel and Senior Master Faik Aleskerov of Azerbaijan.

Diamant and Aleskerov were key members of the national championship team last year.

In addition to being the current national champions, the Texas Tech Knight Raider team is currently ranked no. 1 in the country.

“No school has ever achieved this honor in just three years of competing in Division I competition,” Truong said. “Susan became the first female head coach earlier this year to lead a men’s Division I team to the national championship. Now she is the first female head coach to lead the no. 1 ranked team in the nation.”

Truong said events like the SPICE Cup not only bring strong players from all over, but also help the Knight Raider team to stay sharp and defend its title. Hosting such prestigious events helps Texas Tech to recruit top-caliber players.

SPICE Cup 2011 in progress

2011-10-18T17:19:00.002-05:00

SPICE Cup 2011 is in progress

Tuesday, 18 October 2011 16:20
www.FIDE.com

The 5th annual SPICE Cup, the highest rated international RR invitational tournament in U.S. history, is currently ongoing in Lubbock, Texas.

The 2011 SPICE Cup A group takes place on October 15-25. The B and C groups take place on October 15-19. The FIDE Amateur Rated Open will take place on October 21-23. All sections are being held on the beautiful campus of Texas Tech University.

Official website

Live games with computer analysis

Group A round 3 standings:

1. GM Le Quang Liem 2717 (VIE) - 2.5
2. GM L. Dominguez 2710 (CUB) - 2.0
3-4. GM Yury Shulman 2608 (USA) and GM Ray Robson 2583 (USA) -1.5
5. GM Georg Meier 2648 (GER) (Texas Tech Student) - 1.0
6. GM Sebastien Feller 2668 (FRA) - 0.5

Group B round 5 standings:

1. GM Anatoly Bykhovsky ISR 2521 - 4.0
2. IM Roberto Mogranzini 2439 ITA - 3.5
3-5. IM Mackenzie Molner 2453, IM Darwin Yang 2439 and IM Enrico Sevillano 2490 - 3.0
6. GM Denes Boros 2508 HUN (Texas Tech Student) - 2.5
7-8. IM Marc Arnold 2505 and GM Mesgen Amanov 2541 TKM - 2.0
9-10. IM Lev Milman 2452 and IM Dean Ippolito 2477 - 1.0

Group C round 5 standings:

1. GM Ben Finegold 2489 - 4.0
2. GM Joshua Friedel 2518 - 3.5
3. IM Levon Altounian 2429 - 3.0
4-7. GM Eugene Perelshteyn 2534, GM Andre Diamant 2505 BRA (Texas Tech Student), IM John Bartholomew 2440 and IM Vitaly Neimer 2373 ISR (Texas Tech Student) - 2.5
8-10. FM Kayden Troff 2306, SM Faik Aleskerov 2316 AZE (Texas Tech Student) and SM Matthew Herman 2414 - 1.5

2011 SPICE Cup Amateur FIDE Rated Open

2011-10-17T07:42:00.001-05:00

Information about the 2011 SPICE Cup Invitational

2011 SPICE Cup Amateur FIDE Rated Open
October 21-23, 2011

A 6 Round Swiss System Tournament
Event Site: Texas Tech University (SUB) Lubbock, TX
Contact Info: 806-742-7742 E-mail: Spice@ttu.edu

Description of Tournament: A USCF and FIDE rated Individual Chess Tournament. Games are played in one section. Open to all ages, limited to players rated 1600 USCF (and above) and all FIDE rated below 2200.

Time control: 60 minutes per player with 30 second increment per move, starting the first move.
On-site registration: 2:30pm -4:00pm on October 21. All players must check in by 4:30pm. Bring clock if you have one! No byes in the final two rounds.

Round schedule:

October 21 Round 1: 5pm
October 22 Round 2: 10am Round 3: 2pm Round 4: 6pm
October 23 Round 5: 10am Round 6: 2pm

Entry Fees: Players with FIDE Rating $25, without FIDE rating $40 received by 10/16, $25 more on site. A valid USCF membership required. Registration is limited to the first 50 entries!

Prizes: Prize fund $750 based on 30 paid entries. 1st $250 2nd $150 3rd $100 4th $150 5th $100.

Prize giving ceremony will be held shortly after the end of the last game which is around 6pm.

Please send Entry Blank and Fees to: Susan Polgar Foundation, 6923 Indiana Avenue #154 Lubbock, TX 79413

Additional information on www.SPICE.ttu.edu

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FIDE Open Entry Form: Please PRINT all information and make check/money order to SPF.
Name: ________________________ Phone: (_____) ________School___________
Address: __________________________ City/State: ____________ Zip:_________
Email: ____________________________ DOB: ______Section________________
USCF Rating_____USCF ID#:_________FIDE#_______Amount enclosed __Check#___

Here is the SPICE Cup Schedule: http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/2011/09/spice-cup-2011-schedule.html

Teach them Math, Science, and Chess

2011-10-16T11:28:00.001-05:00

Maybe Teach Them Math, Science and Chess
By JAMES WARREN
New York Times
Published: October 15, 2011

The 120 elementary school children sat so quietly and intently that you might have assumed this was a mass detention period.

But it was chess, not confinement, in an Oak Brook hotel ballroom on Columbus Day. And the lessons learned might assist school leaders everywhere, including those attempting a systemwide resuscitation for Rahm Emanuel, Chicago’s very disciplined, if impatient, mayor.

“My dream is to get in front of education decision makers and convince them to make chess part of the curriculum for K through second grade,” said Susan Polgar, the star of the show. “That’s when thinking patterns and habits are formed. It should be mandatory, like physical education.”

Ms. Polgar, 42, was a Hungarian chess prodigy taught by her psychologist father after she stumbled on chess pieces in a closet at home. At age 4, she stunned Budapest by winning the 11-and-under category in the city championships, sitting on phone books and pillows to reach across the board.

She was the first woman to become a grandmaster and the first to qualify, in 1996, for what was still known as the Men’s World Championship. She was one of the three highest-ranked female players for more than two decades, traveling the world and winding up fluent in seven languages.

I’d made my way to the Susan Polgar Foundation’s World Open Championship for Boys and Girls with an ulterior motive: to explore why boys dominate every class or tournament to which chess-ignorant me has taken my 7-year-old son.

“It’s interesting,” said Ms. Polgar. “Socially, I think, they’re not supported enough, so in general girls drop out of chess by fourth and fifth grades,” she said as 5-to-9-year-olds competed nearby.

When she was a girl, “it was very much ingrained that women were not able to play,” Ms. Polgar said. “A lot of experts and elite players believed that we were not physically able to do it, our brain was not big enough or that we couldn’t keep quiet long enough.”

She became an advocate for girls, especially through the Susan Polgar Foundation, which she founded while living in New York. She’s now in Lubbock, Tex., with her husband and their two children, where she runs the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence at Texas Tech University.

The foundation supports chess for boys and girls, but especially girls, and sponsors events nationwide. The institute lures young players, with the university offering scholarships and excelling in college tournaments.

Ms. Polgar’s mantra is that chess teaches discipline, analytical thinking, time management, focus and patience — skills that can be useful throughout life. She cites countries, like Armenia, where chess is either a mandatory part of school curriculums, especially in the early elementary years, or strongly encouraged.

It cuts across socioeconomic divides, exemplified by impressive performances of high-poverty students in Brownsville, Tex., who have whipped privileged Manhattan rivals — “kids who get individual lessons from grandmasters,” she said — and shown how “a boost in self-confidence can change lives.”

Indeed, there is no shortage of hedge fund managers and corporate leaders who are chess players, some of whom link the habits of mind learned at chess with their success. As we fret about China’s economic success, we might note that it’s a growing chess force, including four female world champions in 20 years.

Last week’s tournament in Oak Brook brought children from all over the country; perhaps 70 percent were boys. Many of the children were Asian-Americans, including Ashley Ceohas, 6, of Wilmette, the child of a Chinese-American mother who smilingly swore to me that she was “not a Tiger mom!” as her daughter segued from a chess match to drawing a crowd as she played a nearby piano beautifully.

“She’s aware of there being more boy players,” said her mother, Yijia Ceohas. “But we tell her anything boys can do, girls can do better. And she knows that Susan Polgar’s dad said geniuses are not born but made through hard work.”

My investigation into the gender divide led me to Shiva Maharaj, a private investor who teaches the game throughout the Chicago area, including a free Saturday morning session that my son has attended at the Edgebrook Library on the Northwest Side.

Mr. Maharaj had students competing in Oak Brook and cited an American Girl mentality of parents, referring to the store that sells high-priced dolls and accessories. He sees the parents succumbing to cultural stereotypes of daughters being pretty rather than intellectually empowered.

I’ve watched him teach diverse groups of children, mostly boys, and effectively insist they sit up straight, concentrate, take time to assess problems critically and learn to deal with losing. He offers seemingly creative solutions to challenges faced on the board.

On the heels of the impressive inaugural Chicago Ideas Week, here’s a free idea for its energetic, ambitious promoters: a panel next year on “American Education: Should We Make a Move to Chess?”

Source: http://www.nytimes.com

Chess' greatest challenge: girls

2011-10-02T08:18:00.000-05:00

Chess' greatest challenge: girls
The Virginian-Pilot

By Lisa Suhay

In the world of chess, boys are always in, but U.S. Chess Federation numbers confirm girls are out the minute they hit the teens. Where is Heidi Klum when girls need her most? We need the fashion-forward players as model minds to keep girls in the game of chess rather than dropping out in droves as they reach puberty.

In fact, overall, chess is crying out for a fashion edit.

Of the 700 million chess players worldwide, 45 million are Americans. Half of those are children. Next Saturday, National Chess Day, will be a sad reminder that teen girls are losing an opportunity for a life map to critical thinking and scholarships.

We don't have to lose girl players to the Terrible Ts: Twitter, Twilight and tween angst. We can change the approach for girls and decrease their hasty exit.

Not surprisingly, of the 1,100 International Grandmasters in the world, only two dozen are women. The United States has only one - Susan Polgar, who is Hungarian-born and naturalized. Only 1 percent of the U.S. Chess Federation's adult membership is female.

Despite the fact that Heidi Klum, Christina Ricci, Sandra Bullock, Salma Hayak and Madonna all play, the stereotypical public image of chess is still one of stuffy exclusivity, populated by disheveled, older men with seriously quirky natures.

As an official IOC Olympic sport, chess makes curling look sexy.

It's a team sport. In high school, a student can letter in chess. As Norfolk's new superintendent of schools, Richard Bentley, embarks on the creation of a state chess league that will make that possible for students here, statistics show we will see those letters mainly on boys' jackets.

But after attending the five-day Susan Polgar Foundation Girls' Invitational in Lubbock, Texas, and staying in the dorms with the girls, I now have a better handle on how to help our girls here.

In five sleepless nights as I sat in the hallways packed with boards, clocks and girls ages five to 18, breathing in the scent of nail polish remover, I learned a lot about little girls who can tear you up on the 64 squares while painting their toenails ice blue, listening to an iPod, texting, singing, giggling, gossiping and munching apple chips.

It is both a humbling and mildly terrifying experience to have an adorable 6-year-old girl multitask and checkmate you into oblivion. Which I suspect is the reason behind the programs by the American Association of University Women, the Carnegie Center and others to get girls into science, technology, engineering and math. Ladies, we need to talk. Let's do coffee across a chess board and I think we can fix all our problems.

Even at the tournament, the girls were relaxed, happy and exchanging little tokens of esteem, very unlike the mixed boy/girl tournaments I have seen over the years where you can cut the gender anxiety and head-games with a battle ax.

If chess is going to be redesigned to be more girl-friendly, as experts like Dr. Alexey Root have suggested, it should start with non-rated girls' tournaments. Rating tournaments merely encourages a toddlers-in-tiaras-worthy conflict of superior and inferior labels. Girls don't need more labels. They're already coping with body-image hate, acne and boys.

To keep girls in, we need to focus on the game. To bring more boys and girls from our state into the game and build their critical-thinking skills, focus and life strategies, a group of community partners has formed, including: the NPS' superintendent, the Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk State and Old Dominion universities, teachers, parents, The Virginian-Pilot and the Carnegie Math and Science Initiative for Girls. The group is called the Norfolk Initiative for Chess Excellence. That means we are N.I.C.E.

When people come to Norfolk, we will teach them to play the N.I.C.E. way, starting March 2-3 at Virginia's first-ever all-girl state chess championship. All Virginia girls ages 5-18 can enter for free, rated or unrated, and play for scholarships. And we will give a free chess-in-education seminar for teachers while the girls play.

We are going to send fun, free, unrated, rewarding chess down the runway and see how it scores.

Guest columnist Lisa Suhay runs a free community partnership - Norfolk Initiative for Chess Excellence (N.I.C.E.) in Virginia. Email: Lsuhays2@cox.net.

Source: http://hamptonroads.com

UIL Invitational Chess Puzzle Solving

2011-09-21T23:15:00.000-05:00

Saturday, September 24, 2011 at the Science Spectrum

Sections: K-3, 4-5, 6-8, 9-12 Grades

Entry fee is only $5!

On-site registration: 9:00 am-12:15 pm | Competition: 12:30 pm-1:00 pm

Awesome chess prizes for the winners in each section!

Info: SPICE 806-742-7742 or email SPICE@ttu.edu

Please register and send Entry Blank and Fees to TTU-SPICE send to: SPICE Box 45080 Lubbock, TX 79409-5080.

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Entry Form 9-24-11- UIL: Please PRINT all information and make check/money order to TTU-SPICE

Name: ____________________ Phone: (_____) _______School___________
Address: _______________________ City/State: __________ Zip:_________
Email: ________________________ DOB: __________Section___________

8th “Get Smart! Play Chess!” Open

2011-09-21T23:10:00.001-05:00

8th “Get Smart! Play Chess!” Open
Saturday, September 24, 2011

A 4 Round Swiss USCF Rated Tournament (Game/30)

Event Site: Science Spectrum 2579 S. Loop 289, Lubbock, TX

Contact Info: 806-742-7742 E-mail: Spice@ttu.edu

Description of Tournament: An open tournament for all players. USCF membership required.
Registration: On-site registration and check in 8:30am-10:00am. All players must check in by
10:15am. Late arrival will receive a ½ point bye for the first round. Chess boards and sets
provided, bring clock.

Round schedule: 10:30am - 12:00pm - 1:30pm and 3:00pm.

Entry Fee: $15 by 9/16, $20 by 9/22; after or onsite $25. K-12 or TTU students $15. Entry fee includes access to the museum OR one free IMAX movie.

Prizes: 1st $125 2nd $75 3rd $25Top U-2000 $50 Top U-1600 $50.
All prizes are based on 20 paid entries.

Please send Entry Blank and Entry Fee to Susan Polgar Foundation at 6923 Indiana Ave. #154 Lubbock, TX 79413.

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9-24-11 Open Entry Form: Please PRINT all information and make check to Susan Polgar Foundation.

Name: ___________________________Phone: (_____)______________
Address: ___________________ City/State:________________ Zip:_____
Email:__________________________________DOB:_______________
USCF ID# and expiration date:__________ USCF Rating (if any) ___________
Sibling Team_______ Parent/Child Team______ Student/Coach Team_______
Amount paid_________Check#______Cash_______ Bye request R1 R2 R3 R4

8th “Get Smart! Play Chess!”

2011-09-21T23:00:00.002-05:00

8th “Get Smart! Play Chess!”
Fall Scholastic Chess Championship
Saturday, September 24, 2011

A 4 Round Swiss System Tournament (Game/30)

Event Site: Science Spectrum, 2579 S. Loop 289 Lubbock, TX
Contact Info: 806-742-7742 E-mail: Spice@ttu.edu

Description of Tournament: A USCF rated Individual and Team Scholastic Championship
Games are played in five sections: Primary (K-2), Elementary (K-5), Middle School (K-8), High School (K-12) and Novice section K-12 (no USCF membership required). There is a total of 30 minutes maximum per player per game.

On-site registration and check in 8:30am-9:30am. All players must check in by 9:45am. Later arrival will receive a ½ point bye for the first round.

Round schedule: 10:15am -11:30am-1:15pm and 2:30pm

UIL Invitational Puzzle-Solving at 12:30pm.

Entry Fees: $10 received by 9/16; $15 received by 9/22, or on site $20. A valid USCF membership required in all sections, except Novice K-12. It can be obtained at www.uschess.org or onsite on 9/24 until 10am. The entry for the UIL Puzzle Solving is $5.

Prizes: Trophies for top 3 finishers in each section. Trophies to top 3 school teams in each section.

Special valuable chess prizes to the top overall finisher in each section sponsored by the Susan Polgar Foundation! Team prizes are based on the top 3 individual scores from the same school within the same section. Also special trophy for top Sibling, top Parent/Child and top Coach/Student teams. Prize giving ceremony will be held shortly after the end of the last game which is around 3:45pm.

Chess boards and sets will be provided. Bring a chess clock if you have one.

Please register and send Entry Blank and Fees to TTU-SPICE send to: SPICE Box 45080 Lubbock, TX 79409-5080. Additional information on www.spice.ttu.edu

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Entry Form 9-24-11: Please PRINT all information and make check/money order to TTU-SPICE

Name: ___________________ Phone: (_____) __________School_______
Address: _____________________ City/State: ____________ Zip:_______
Email: ___________________________ DOB: ________Section________
USCF Rating (if any) ____USCF ID#:___ Amount Enclosed (No cash, please) $__
Sibling Team_Parent/Child Team_ Student/Coach Team_Bye request R1 R2 R3 R4

Do not violate the Opening Principles of Chess

2011-09-21T11:57:00.001-05:00

Los 5 principios básicos de la apertura – No rompas estos principios

No rompas estos principios

http://www.clasesdeajedrez.net/2011/09/21/principos-basicos-apertura/

Susan Polgar

Avalanche Journal

Aquí están todos los principios de apertura que todos los jugadores principiantes e intermedios deberían seguir.

1. Controlar el centro!
El centro del tablero incluye las casillas e4, d4, e5, and d5. Cuando comienza una partida, hay que poner peones en el centro y ocupar la mayor cantidad de casillas posible.

2. Desarrollar las piezas lo más antes posible.!
Saca tus caballos y tus alfiles. Esto debe ser hecho en las primeras 6 a 7 movidas, antes de que intentes darle jaque mate a tu rival.

3. Enroca lo más antes posible!!
Mantener a tu rey protegida es esencial para evitar perder rápido. No te olvides, si te tu rey esta descubierto, te va a costar ganar. Después de enrocar, es importante conectar las torres desarrollando a tu dama

4. Mantener tus piezas defendidas!
No dejes tus piezas colgando, o sea sin protección. Cada pieza que tenes es valiosa, así que no olvides protegerlas. Proteger significa que si tu rival captura, podrás recapturarlo.

5. Divertirte, gana con finesa y perder con dignidad!
Esta es mi lema en el ajedrez. Primero y ante de todo, el ajedrez debe ser divertido. A veces se pierde y a veces se gana, pero es parte del juego. Cuando se gana, sé un caballero, se respetuoso y no burles de tu rival. Cuando pierdas, se mas caballero aun, dale la mano y felicítalo. Esto a la larga, te llenara de buenas amistades.

A continuación, se puede ver qué sucede cuando no se respetan los principios mencionados.:

Tarrasch, Siegbert – Mieses, Jacques [C10]

Match Game 3, Berlin 1916

1.d4 e6 2.e4 d5 Esta es la apertura Francesa

3.Cc3 dxe4 4.Cxe4 Cd7 5.Cf3 Cgf6 6.Ad3 Ae7 7.0-0 Cxe4 8.Axe4 Cf6 9.Ad3 Hasta aquí todo es normal, en esta posición las negras deberían enrocar.

9…b6? Un error critico de las negras. Es imprescindible enrocar lo más temprano posible. Las negras pagaran caro por este error, miremos como las blancas se aprovechan.

10.Ce5! Las negras se encuentran en un problema serio. Si desarrolla su Alfil a b7, las blancas jugaran Ab5y las negras no podrán enrocar. Mieses se da cuenta de esto y decide enrocarse, aunque ya es muy tarde y Tarrasch logra sacar ventaja.

10…0-0 si10…Ab7 11.Ab5+

11.Ac6 Una Buena jugada! Veremos porque brevemente.

11…Dd6 si 11…Dd7 12.Df3 Ab7 13.Cxe7+ Dxe7 14.Dxb7+-; 11…De8 Esta variante rara es la mejor par alas negras 12.Cxe7+ Dxe7 13.Df3 Tb8 14.Dg3 Las blancas tienen una ventaja posicional fuerte con la pareja de alfil apuntando al enroque del rey negro.

12.Df3! Otra Buena jugada! Las blancas amenazan un jaque descubierto con Nxe7+ (descubriendo el ataque destapan la dama de f3 contra la Torre negra en a8.)

12…Ad7 La única jugada. 12…Ab7 13.Cxe7+ Dxe7 14.Dxb7y las negras se encuentran con una pieza de menos.

13.Cxe7+ Porque las blancas cambian un caballo active y bueno por un alfil negro malo. La respuesta es que las blancas ven una clavada mortal para la jugada siguiente. Sin buena razón este cambio es malo.

13…Dxe7 14.Ag5! Amenazando 15.De4! Cxe4 16.Axe7. Las negras no tienen manera de salir de la clavada.

14…Tac8 15.Tfe1 Agregando otro pieza a la acción, para tener un ataque ganador es necesario traer todas las piezas en juego 15.De4 hubiese sido menos preciso para las blancas puesto que 15…Cxe4 16.Axe7 Tfe8 17.Axe4 Txe7 +=

15…Tfe8 si 15…c5 16.Dh3 h6 17.Axh6 gxh6 (17…c4 18.Axg7 Axg7 19.Dg3+ Rh8 20.Dh4+ Rg7 21.Dg5+ Rh8 22.Dh6+ Rg8 23.Ae5) 18.Dxh6 cxd4 19.Dg5+ (19.Te5? Tc5) 19…Rh8 20.Te4 y las negras deben entregar a su dama para evitar el jaque mate.

16.Dh3! Estas jugada crea otra amenaza. Puesto por la clavada del caballo, el peón h7 esta vulnerable. Las blancas combinan la presión contar el peón h7 con el Alfil de D3 y Dh3; mientras tanto el alfil de g5 está atacando al caballo de f6 que es el único defensor de h7.

16…Dd6? La posición de las negras es muy crítica. Esta jugada incluso empeora todo 16…h6 17.Axh6 gxh6 18.Dxh6 Df8 19.Dxf6; 16…g6 17.Dh4 Rg7 18.Te4!; 16…e5 17.Axf6 Axh3 (17…Dxf6 18.Dxd7; 17…gxf6 18.Dxh7+ Rf8 19.Dh8#) 18.Axe7 Txe7 19.gxh3; 16…c5 17.Axh7+ Rf8 18.Ae4 Rg8

17.Axf6 Eliminado al protector de h7

17…gxf6 18.Dh6! Las negras piensan sacarle el escape a f8 y luego e7, con el rey cortado. La siguiente jugada es muy instructiva, cuando estas al ataque no hay que dejar que tu rival se escape.

18…f5 si 18…Dxd4 19.Axh7+ Rh8 20.Ag6+ Rg8 21.Dh7+ Rf8 22.Dxf7#

19.Te3 Acercando la torre a la acción, y sacrificando el peón de d4. Mientras tanto, las piezas negras no están coordinadas para defender al rey.

19…Dxd4 si 19…f6 20.Tg3+ Rf7 21.Dg7#; 19…Rh8 20.Th3 Rg8 21.Tg3+

20.c3 Atacando la reina, obligada a defender a la casilla g7, próximamente se encontrar sin casillas. Yo prefiero Tg3, puesto que ataca al rey. 20…Rh8 Ahora jugaría 21.c3 transponiendo a lo que sucedió en la partida. 21…De5 22.f4 Ahora la dama no tiene casillas para defender a g7. Las negras rinden
1-0

Resumen:

Que aprendimos de esta partida?
1. No rompas con los principios de la apertura. Asegúrate de enrocar lo más antes posible, las negras no lo hicieron en la jugada nueve y pagaron caro.
2. Cuando atacas, utiliza tus piezas, acercando a la torre al ataque las blancas ganaron

Articulo Original – GM Susan Polgar

SPICE Cup 2011 Scholastic Chess Championship

2011-09-19T18:07:00.002-05:00

SPICE Cup 2011 Scholastic Chess Championship
Saturday, October 22
A 4 Round Swiss System Rated Tournament (Game/30)

Event Site: TTU Student Union Building, Lubbock, TX
Contact Info: 806-742-7742 E-mail: Spice@ttu.edu

Description of Tournament: Games are played in one section: K-12. There is a total of 30 minutes maximum per player per game.

On-site registration and check in 9-10am. All players must check in by 10:15am.

Space is limited to the first 50 entries.

Round schedule:
Round Start time Round Start time
1 10:30 AM 3 1:30 PM
2 11:45 PM 4 2:45 PM

Entry Fee: $10 received by 10/14, $15 on site on 10/22.

Prizes: Trophies for top 3 finishers K-5, 6-8 and 9-12 grades. Trophies to top school teams in each grade section. Team prizes are based on the top 3 individual scores from the same school, within the same grade section.

Please send Entry Blank and Fees to TTU-SPICE Box 45080 Lubbock, TX 79409-5080

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Entry Form: Please PRINT all information and make check / money order to TTU-SPICE.
Name: _________________ Phone: (_____) ____________School___________
Address: _____________________ City/State:__________ Zip:______________
Email:__________________________ DOB: _____________Section_________
USCF Rating (if any) ____USCF ID#:_______ Amount Enclosed (No cash, please) $___

Super Saturday SPICE Fun Chess Classes

2011-09-19T09:59:00.002-05:00

October 29 – November 19, 2011
Two levels: Novice and Intermediate

Class dates: October 29 & November 5, 12 and 19 (4 sessions)
Hours: 11:00 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. on Saturdays at TTU’s Doak Hall – Room 119

Instruction will be provided by members of the nationally ranked Texas Tech Knight Raider Chess Team, based on Grandmaster Susan Polgar’s very popular and highly effective chess curriculum and direct guidance. Focus will be on chess tactics and UIL puzzle-solving.

Registration fee: $79 by October 22, after add $20 late fee.

Please send registration form to: Texas Tech University, SPICE, Box 45080, Lubbock, TX 79409.

For information, please go to: www.spice.ttu.edu or email spice@ttu.edu or call 806-742-7742.

2011 SPICE Cup Amateur FIDE Rated Open

2011-09-14T21:17:00.002-05:00

Information about the 2011 SPICE Cup Invitational

2011 SPICE Cup Amateur FIDE Rated Open
October 21-23, 2011

A 6 Round Swiss System Tournament
Event Site: Texas Tech University (SUB) Lubbock, TX
Contact Info: 806-742-7742 E-mail: Spice@ttu.edu

Description of Tournament: A USCF and FIDE rated Individual Chess Tournament. Games are played in one section. Open to all ages, limited to players rated 1600 USCF (and above) and all FIDE rated below 2200.

Time control: 60 minutes per player with 30 second increment per move, starting the first move.
On-site registration: 2:30pm -4:00pm on October 21. All players must check in by 4:30pm. Bring clock if you have one! No byes in the final two rounds.

Round schedule:

October 21 Round 1: 5pm
October 22 Round 2: 10am Round 3: 2pm Round 4: 6pm
October 23 Round 5: 10am Round 6: 2pm

Entry Fees: Players with FIDE Rating $25, without FIDE rating $40 received by 10/16, $25 more on site. A valid USCF membership required. Registration is limited to the first 50 entries!

Prizes: Prize fund $750 based on 30 paid entries. 1st $250 2nd $150 3rd $100 4th $150 5th $100.

Prize giving ceremony will be held shortly after the end of the last game which is around 6pm.

Please send Entry Blank and Fees to: Susan Polgar Foundation, 6923 Indiana Avenue #154 Lubbock, TX 79413

Additional information on www.SPICE.ttu.edu

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FIDE Open Entry Form: Please PRINT all information and make check/money order to SPF.
Name: ___________________ Phone: (___) ______School________
Address: _____________________ City/State: ________ Zip:______
Email: __________________________ DOB: ____Section________
USCF Rating___USCF ID#:___FIDE#___Amount enclosed __Check#___

Special game analysis

2011-09-05T20:28:00.000-05:00

There were many fighting and exciting games is the Round 3 of the World Cup. Sergey Shipov annotates the most interesting fragments.

The main sensation occurred at the first table. Despite all the achievements of Judit Polgar, people still tend to underestimate her. Which, of course, benefits her at the board...

J. Polgar — S. Karjakin

If the Black’s bishop arrives to b7, White’s hopes are gone, so she needs to hurry.

20.e6! Bxe6 21.Bxc7

The White’s bishop breaks to the queenside pawns. In order to defend Black need to solve a tricky study. Sergey did not succeed.

21...f6?

Insufficient is 21...Bd7 22.Bb8 Bc6 23.Nc3 (23.Re1 Kd8 24.Bxa7 Kc7) 23...Bxf3 24.gxf3 a6 25.Nd5 Bd8 26.Bc7!

The only solution is to bring the h8-rook to the 6^th rank: 21...Rh6! 22.Bb8 a6 23.Ba7 Bd8 24.Nc3 Bd7 25.Nd5 Re6 with equality.

22.Bb8 a6 23.Ba7

I did not understand why the opponents ignored the following simple line: 23.Bc7!? b5 24.Nxc5! with the idea 24…Bxc5? 25.Rd8+, and Black loses an exchange.

23...Bd8 24.Nc3!

Here Karjakin began to think again, but it was already too late.

24...Kf7

Black probably miscalculated the following line: 24...Ne7 25.Na4 Nc8, missing an unexpected blow 26.Bxb6! Nxb6 27.Nxb6 Bxb6 28.Rd6 with a healthy extra pawn for White.

25.Na4 b5 26.Nxc5 Bc8

The magic of the bishop pair could create an impression that Black survives even without a pawn, but Polgar can cast the anti-spell.

27.cxb5 axb5 28.a4!

Simple and strong.

28...bxa4 29.bxa4 Re8 30.Rb1 g5?!

The last inaccuracy. More stubborn is 30...Re2!, and White cannot win by straightforward means: 31.Rb8 Nd6 32.Bb6 (32.Nxh4?! Re1+ 33.Kh2 Bc7!) 32...Bxb6 33.Rxb6 Ne4 34.Nxe4 Rxe4 35.a5 Ra4 — the a5-pawn is stopped.

31.Bb6! Be7 32.a5 Bxc5 33.Bxc5

The opposite-colored bishops don’t affect the evaluation here because of the passed pawn.

33...Re6 34.Rb6 Ng7

Or 34...Rxb6 35.Bxb6 Ke6 36.Bd8!

35.Be3 Nf5 36.Rb8 Re8

Here is a nice line: 36...Nxe3 37.Rxc8 Nd5 38.Rc5 Nf4 39.Rxg5! fxg5 40.Nxg5+ Ke7 41.Nxe6 Nxe6 42.a6 Nc7 43.a7 Kd7 44.g4, and White wins.

37.Ra8 Bb7

Black probably loses after 37...Bd7 38.Rxe8 (38.Ra7!?) 38...Kxe8 39.a6 Nxe3 40.fxe3 as well.

38.Ra7 Re7 39.Bc5 Rd7 40.a6 Bc6 41.Rxd7+ Bxd7

Black easily survives, if we remove the knights from the board, but it is not going to happen.

42.Nd2! Ke6 43.Nc4 Bc6 44.Nb6 Nd6 45.Bxd6 Kxd6 46.a7 Kc7 47.a8Q Bxa8 48.Nxa8+ Kb7 49.f4!

And the king collects Black’s pawns. Black resigns.

More analysis here.

The "Unofficial" TTU Mascot Video

2011-08-24T19:40:00.002-05:00

The Knight Raiders are features at the SPICE Chess Park on campus at the 11th minute

UIL Invitational - Chess Puzzle Solving

2011-08-24T14:03:00.000-05:00

UIL Invitational - Chess Puzzle Solving

Saturday, September 24, 2011
at the Science Spectrum

Sections: K-3, 4-5, 6-8, 9-12 Grades

Entry fee is only $5!

On-site registration: 9:00 am-12:15 pm | Competition: 12:30 pm-1:00 pm

Awesome chess prizes for the winners in each section!

Info: SPICE 806-742-7742 or email SPICE@ttu.edu

Please register at www.spice.ttu.edu (and then click on Events on the left hand side) or send Entry Blank and Fees

to TTU-SPICE send to: SPICE Box 45080 Lubbock, TX 79409-5080.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Entry Form 9-24-11- UIL: Please PRINT all information and make check/money order to TTU-SPICE.

Name: _____________________ Phone: (_____) _________School____________
Address: ___________________ City/State: _____________ Zip:___________
Email: ______________________________ DOB: _________Section___________

8th “Get Smart! Play Chess!” Open

2011-08-24T14:01:00.001-05:00

TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY
Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE)
The Susan Polgar Foundation
and the Knight Raiders present

8th “Get Smart! Play Chess!” Open
Saturday, September 24, 2011

A 4 Round Swiss USCF Rated Tournament (Game/30)
Event Site: Science Spectrum 2579 S. Loop 289, Lubbock, TX
Contact Info: 806-742-7742 E-mail: Spice@ttu.edu

Description of Tournament: An open tournament for all players. USCF membership required.

Registration: On-site registration and check in 8:30am-10:00am. All players must check in by
10:15am. Late arrival will receive a ½ point bye for the first round. Chess boards and sets
provided, bring clock.

Round schedule: 10:30am - 12:00pm - 1:30pm and 3:00pm

Entry Fee: $15 by 9/16, $20 by 9/22; after or onsite $25. K-12 or TTU students $15.

Entry fee includes access to the museum OR one free IMAX movie.

Prizes: 1st $125 2nd $75 3rd $25Top U-2000 $50 Top U-1600 $50. All prizes are based on 20 paid entries.

Please send Entry Blank and Entry Fee to Susan Polgar Foundation at 6923 Indiana Ave. #154 Lubbock, TX 79413

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9-24-11 Open Entry Form: Please PRINT all information and make check to Susan Polgar Foundation.

Name: _________________________Phone: (_____)__________
Address: ________________ City/State:____________ Zip:_____
Email:____________________________________DOB:_______
USCF ID# and expiration date:________USCF Rating (if any) ______
Sibling Team_____Parent/Child Team___ Student/Coach Team____
Amount paid____Check#_____Cash_____ Bye request R1 R2 R3 R4

8th “Get Smart! Play Chess!” Fall Scholastic Chess Championship

2011-08-24T13:59:00.002-05:00

TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY
Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE)
The Susan Polgar Foundation
and the Knight Raiders present

8th “Get Smart! Play Chess!” Fall Scholastic Chess Championship
Saturday, September 24, 2011
A 4 Round Swiss System Tournament (Game/30)

Event Site: Science Spectrum, 2579 S. Loop 289 Lubbock, TX

Contact Info: 806-742-7742 E-mail: Spice@ttu.edu

Description of Tournament: A USCF rated Individual and Team Scholastic Championship
Games are played in five sections: Primary (K-2), Elementary (K-5), Middle School (K-8), High School (K-12) and Novice section K-12 (no USCF membership required). There is a total of 30 minutes maximum per player per game.

On-site registration and check in 8:30am-9:30am. All players must check in by 9:45am. Later arrival will receive a ½ point bye for the first round.

Round schedule: 10:15am -11:30am-1:15pm and 2:30pm

UIL Invitational Puzzle-Solving at 12:30pm.

Entry Fees: $10 received by 9/16; $15 received by 9/22, or on site $20. A valid USCF membership required in all sections, except Novice K-12. It can be obtained at www.uschess.org or onsite on 9/24 until 10am. The entry for the UIL Puzzle Solving is $5.

Prizes: Trophies for top 3 finishers in each section. Trophies to top 3 school teams in each section.

Special valuable chess prizes to the top overall finisher in each section sponsored by the Susan Polgar Foundation! Team prizes are based on the top 3 individual scores from the same school within the same section. Also special trophy for top Sibling, top Parent/Child and top Coach/Student teams. Prize giving ceremony will be held shortly after the end of the last game which is around 3:45pm.

Chess boards and sets will be provided. Bring a chess clock if you have one.

Please register at www.spice.ttu.edu (and then click on Events on the left hand side) or send Entry Blank and Fees to TTU-SPICE send to: SPICE Box 45080 Lubbock, TX 79409-5080.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Entry Form 9-24-11: Please PRINT all information and make check/money order to TTU-SPICE.

Name: _________________________ Phone: (_____) ________School___________
Address: __________________________ City/State: ____________ Zip:_________
Email: ________________________________ DOB: ______Section_____________
USCF Rating (if any) _____USCF ID#:______ Amount Enclosed (No cash, please) $_____

Sibling Team____Parent/Child Team____ Student/Coach Team___ Bye request R1 R2 R3 R4

Big National Chess Day Celebration on October 8th!

2011-08-23T10:03:00.000-05:00

Big National Chess Day Celebration on October 8th! There will be many additional surprise events during the tournament!

The 2011 SP World Open for Boys and Girls has moved from Las Vegas (in June 2011) to Chicago (in October 2011) per the request of many parents and coaches. I expect this event will be bigger and better than ever! I would like to thank the organizer of the LV Chess Festival for hosting this event in previous years. The North American Chess Association will be the new host this year.

Susan Polgar World Open for Boys and Girls 2011
October 7 – 10, 2011
Doubletree Hotel – Oakbrook, IL

Over $100,000 in Chess Prizes and Scholarships

Register Online Now

7R Swiss System; 8 sections: (K-3), (4-5), (6-8), (9-12)

Time Controls:	(K-3) G/30 + 5/sec delay (4-5) G/45 + 5/sec delay (6-8) G/45 + 5/sec delay (9-12) G/60 + 5/sec delay


Round Times:	(K-3) Sat/Sun 11am, 1pm, 3pm; Mon 10am (4-5) Sat/Sun 11am, 1:30pm, 4pm; Mon 10am (6-8) Sat/Sun 11am, 1:30pm, 4pm; Mon 10am (9-12) Sat/Sun 11am, 2pm, 5pm; Mon 10am


Side Events:	Bughouse – Friday 7:30pm Puzzle Solving – Saturday 7:30pm Blitz – Sunday 7:30pm

Ongoing Side Event: Walk-in simul presented by the Chicago Blaze US Chess League team. Done with your game or waiting for your child to finish? Take on a member of the Chicago Blaze between the hours of 12pm and 6pm!

Additional side events to be listed closer to event date. Please check the tournament website for more details.

All equipment will be provided (boards, sets, clocks). Organizer provided equipment must be used. Equipment will be on discounted sale upon tournament completion for school clubs and parents to purchase.

Cajun Chess will be equipment vendor onsite.

All 4th – 12th grade participants who are not a current member of the US Chess Federation will receive a 1-year free membership (no magazine option) included with their tournament entry fee.

All (K-12) participants will receive a free 1-year membership to ChessKid.com (a $49.95 value!)

Prizes
(Boys and Girls – All sections)

All 4th – 12th grade participants who are not a current member of the US Chess Federation will receive a 1-year free membership (no magazine option) included with their tournament entry fee.

All (K-12) participants will receive a free 1-year membership to ChessKid.com (a $49.95 value!)

1st place: Netbook Computer
2nd place: $250 in Chess Prizes
3rd place: $175 in Chess Prizes
4th place: $100 in Chess Prizes

1st place in 9-12 to receive scholarship to Texas Tech University!

Trophies to top 15 individuals
Trophies to top 4 school teams*
Trophies to top 4 club teams*

Certificate of Participation for all players

Tournament Fees

$45 post-marked by 8/27/2011
$50 post-marked by 9/10/2011
$55 post-marked by 9/24/2011
$60 thereafter and onsite

Side events are each $15 mailed in with entry or $20 on-site

Register Online Now

Payments to be mailed to (payable):

North American Chess Association
4957 Oakton Street Suite 113
Skokie, IL 60077

Questions: sevan@nachess.org
or call 847.423.8626
Mention Polgar Tournament in your message

* Top 4 player scores count toward school team prizes; school team trophies awarded in each section; Top 4 player scores count towards club team prizes; club team trophies awarded overall (not based on sections).

Doubletree Hotel – 1909 Spring Road – Oakbrook, IL 60523 – 630.472.6000
$79 room rate; must call hotel directly and ask for North American Chess rate.

First SPICE Training of the new semester

2011-08-19T15:58:00.001-05:00

Training session with GM Bykhovsky, GM Meier, GM Boros, SM Aleskerov

The 2011 Texas Tech Knight Raiders A Team

2011-08-18T22:15:00.001-05:00

L to R: Dr. Hal Karlssson (Iceland), SM Faik Aleskerov (Azerbaijan), GM Anatoly Bykhovsky (Israel), Me, GM Georg Meier (Germany), IM Vitaly Neimer (Israel), GM Denes Boros (Hungary), GM Andre Diamant (Brazil)

Checkmating Hardship

2011-08-05T00:22:00.000-05:00

SPICE Checkmates Hardship
August 4, 2011

The Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence Invitational was a life-changing event for two young women.

Written by Melanie Hess

At Texas Tech, chess represents more than a challenging game and checkered board.

For two young women who visited Texas Tech last week to participate in the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE) Invitational, it was a life-changing event. Meet Dyhemia Young and Vanita Young.

Dyhemia, age 15, has spent most of her life in the California foster care system. She was selected as a wild-card invitee by Susan Polgar. The SPICE invitational was Dyhemia’s first officially rated tournament. Vanita, a 17-year-old who lost both of her parents by her early teens, currently lives in Pennsylvania with her grandparents. Vanita beat out 600 other young women in her state to win a spot at the Polgar invitational.

But there was one problem. In the few weeks leading up to the invitational, neither girl was in a position to pay for travel expenses.

SPICE and many other generous donors, namely Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith and Pennsylvania U.S. Rep. Bob Brady, helped sponsor the two young ladies, and at the end of the competition, Dyhemia and Vanita were awarded out-of-state scholarships worth up to $40,000 to attend Texas Tech once they graduate high school.

Dyhemia and Vanita, who are not related, recently shared their experiences of their time at Texas Tech with Texas Tech Today.

Q & A:

How did you feel when you found out you had been invited?

Dyhemia: It’s been really exciting. I was just, wow. That’s all I could say. “Wow! For real? Really?”

Vanita: I was definitely more excited than nervous. Since I was top at state, I had a big head for a while. I thought I could beat anybody, but when weeks turned into days, I got nervous.

How did you feel about the support you received from so many people?

D: When they asked me that question before, I nearly started crying. When I started talking about Susan, I never, ever, ever thought I was going to meet her in person. And then I met her, and now I’m teary-eyed because I’ve been here all week, and now I’m fixing to leave. I have learned so much.

How was your time with Susan Polgar?

D: I’d always heard of her. People spoke very highly of her, and then when I met her when we got off the plane, we talked. She gave me a ride all the way to the dorm and showed me around. She gave me some gifts, and I got so emotional I nearly cried. Well, I did cry. I was so emotional today. I think I cried about four different times for just about ten minutes straight. I’ve really enjoyed my time being here.

Again, I’m speechless. Susan, I think you know I am very thankful and happy to have you in my life. Oh my gosh, I’m going to have tears again, but Susan has done a lot for me while I’ve been here, and I am most definitely going to keep in touch with her when I do leave. I think so highly of her.

V: You would not believe the first time I saw her. I was at middle school nationals in Fort Worth and I was in the elevator with her. I was running late, and I didn’t know who she was at the time. I was in eighth grade. Then later people were talking about her and I asked, “Who’s Susan Polgar?” and they said, “top female,” and they showed me her and I was like, “Wait, I was on the elevator with her!”

What kind of training did you receive last week?

D: My class was kind of like Vanita’s, but she’s a higher level. We mainly focused on puzzle solving and basically making sure you know the main key things when you open, making sure you know your openings and key pieces, making sure each move you do is either to attack, or you’re defending. Then we played against each other in class using the tactics and notations. I had to learn notations. I don’t use them well, but I do know how to notate now.

It was like a 180-degree turn around from when I got here. My first game, it was like I was playing blitz. For real, I got down to the end and had to resign because the girl didn’t want to draw, and I knew I was going to lose. Then my second game was way better. I was down a bishop. I could have won if I had a bishop, but it was a good game. I gave the girl a run for her money. The game I played after that, I won. And the one I just played, I lost. But I had the girl show me the moves that I made that I should have not done. Luckily, she was my friend, so she was able to show me.

V: We had a lot of training this week. They were three-hour classes each, four classes altogether. We did a lot of analyzing, deep analyzing, and imagining things in your head without looking at the board. It was fun.

What was your favorite experience about last week?

D: I finally won a game! Oh, and I have my face on my own chess board. It’s my face on the board, and it says Dyhemia Young Cinderella! It has a list of all the people that helped me get here.

V: Meeting female chess players and working with top chess players. Susan and her husband have been amazing this week. I’ve learned so much from them in thinking steps ahead in my game. You know, when he said the tactic of visualize the pawn? I’d never thought of looking at the board like that, so I definitely learned something new.

What are your plans after high school?

D: Oh yeah. I’m going to college, I am going to college!

At first I didn’t know anything about Texas Tech, so I couldn’t really give an answer of whether I wanted to come here or not, but now I’ve read the brochure and spent some time here. I will always keep Texas Tech in mind, especially since I know I’d be on the same campus as Susan. I know if I needed anything, I could just call her and be like, “Susan, can you please come to my dorm? I need help!”

V: I definitely plan on going to college. I wouldn’t mind going to Texas Tech because I want to be in computer science as a computer engineer, and I want to be part of Susan’s chess team.

Polgar on Dyhemia and Vanita

Polgar said both girls represent hope for many other young women in difficult situations.

Speaking specifically about Dyhemia’s story, Polgar said last week’s experience was not only life changing for Dyhemia, but for many others.

“I think Dyhemia is a very special girl. The way I look at it is that she’s just one of the many Cinderella potentials, and her story can inspire thousands of other girls in difficult situations that they are in. It can become hope and encouragement.”

Source: http://today.ttu.edu

Savanna Naccarato places 9th out of 46 at the 2011 Susan Polgar Girls Invitational

2011-07-30T11:34:00.001-05:00

Savanna Naccarato (center) with her mother, Rachelle (left), and GM Susan Polgar (right). Photo courtesy of the Susan Polgar Foundation.

by Jeff Roland

Reports started coming in a few days ago from Frank Niro (an Idaho resident), Tournament Director of the 8th Annual Susan Polgar Girls Invitational held this year at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, July 24-29, 2011. Savanna Naccarato, an 8th grader from Sandpoint, Idaho was at one point, one of only four girls tied for first place after three rounds (with three rounds remaining) in this prestigious event. In round 4, and round 5, Savanna lost her games to higher ranked players, and won in the 6th round to end up with 4 points, and a 9th place (out of 46 players) finish. This is an outstanding result for an 8th grader in her first attempt.

Savanna qualified to play in this event by tying for first place in the 2011 Idaho Scholastic Girls Championship held in Boise, this past February.

Savanna and her family are very appreciative of all the support they have had for Savanna to represent Idaho at this event. The Bonner County Daily Bee helped promote a fundraiser yard sale, that actually brought in $800 toward expenses (some people dropped off money and didn't even buy anything at the yard sale -- they just wanted to support Savanna. And also community clubs and businesses and friends gave their support as well. The Spokane Chess Club also contributed as did the Idaho Chess Association.

Special thanks goes to Savanna's coach, National Master, John Graves, from Washington State, who has really worked hard and done a fabulous job preparing Savanna for this event. During the event he even called and texted between rounds.

Click here for May 11, 2011 article by Cameron Rasmusson, Staff for the Bonner County Daily Bee.

The event finished on July 29, 2011. Click Here for the crosstable.

http://www.idahochessassociation.org/index.asp

http://www.bonnercountydailybee.com/news/local/article_aeb6ba7a-7b94-11e0-bc1b-001cc4c002e0.html

SP Girls' Invitational Final Standings

2011-07-30T11:23:00.002-05:00

Final standings

##	Name	ID	Rtng	Post	-1-	-2-	-3-	-4-	-5-	-6-	Tot	TB-M	TB-S	TB-O	TB-C
1	Apurva Virkud	13464694	1967	1987	W21	W20	W7	W8	W2	W6	6	20	23	90	21
2	Mandy Lu	13907446	1761	1778	W34	W13	W3	W9	L1	W10	5	22	24	90½	19
3	Kristen Sarna	13102097	1591	1620	W38	W23	L2	W18	W8	D4	4½	19½	21½	76½	16½
4	Maggie Feng	14105448	1728	1714	L23	W40	W29	W12	W9	D3	4½	18	19½	72	14½
5	Maraani Kamphorst	14521372	1815	1819	Z43	U---	W43	W15	W29	W13	4½	10½	10½	41½	12½
6	Claudia Munoz	13481236	1872	1856	W27	D19	W11	D10	W7	L1	4	21	24	86	16
7	Katherine Davis	14381402	1668	1667	W26	W30	L1	W11	L6	W18	4	20	22½	83	15
8	Clarissa Abella	13528222	1692	1685	W25	W24	W18	L1	L3	W19	4	19½	22½	84	16
9	Savanna Naccarato	14207292	1600	1607	W40	W44	W14	L2	L4	W24	4	19	20½	71	16
10	Evelyn Chen	13547567	1501	1552	D29	W17	W19	D6	W22	L2	4	18½	21	81½	15½
11	Diamond Shakoor	13972728	1293	1393	W36	W16	L6	L7	W28	W20	4	17½	19½	71	14
12	Vanita Young	13835092	1461	1478	W41	L14	W25	L4	W34	W22	4	16	17½	60½	13
13	Rebecca Deland	13470414	1349	1390	W45	L2	W23	D14	W21	L5	3½	19½	20	69	13½
14	Annastasia Wyzywany	13984743	1801	1763	W32	W12	L9	D13	D19	D15	3½	18	20½	74	14
15	Amelia Wyzywany	13984737	1466	1451	L30	W37	W34	L5	W25	D14	3½	16	18	59	11½
16	Sadia Qureshi	14024572	1607	1562	W33	L11	D30	W17	L20	W29	3½	15½	17½	62	12
17	Aiya Cancio	13850035	1255	1265	D31	L10	W33	L16	W40	W21	3½	15	16½	58	10
18	Heather Young	13153973	1345	1368	W39	W22	L8	L3	W23	L7	3	14	20½	75½	13
19	Ashritha Eswaran	14044705	1484	1491	W46	D6	L10	W31	D14	L8	3	14	20	69½	12½
20	Cheryl Liu	12848066	1580	1547	W37	L1	W32	L21	W16	L11	3	13	21	71½	12
21	Mina Takahashi	14333584	1254	1263	L1	W38	W26	W20	L13	L17	3	13	21	69½	12
22	Cristina Pieve Ferrer	14697376	1674	1620	W28	L18	W27	W24	L10	L12	3	13	20	70½	13
23	Logan Schoonover	14163285	1015	1084	W4	L3	L13	W36	L18	W33	3	13	19½	69½	10
24	Joy Chen	13499884	1295	1293	W35	L8	W28	L22	W26	L9	3	13	19	69	12
25	Tori Whatley	13269020	1006	1018	L8	W33	L12	W42	L15	W35	3	11½	16½	55½	9
26	Rea Katarina Chroneos	14431605	921	1031	L7	W35	L21	W27	L24	W34	3	11	17	61	9
27	Anjana Murali	14490650	1179	1178	L6	W46	L22	L26	W32	W30	3	11	17	55½	8
28	Bryn Dolan	14090925	928	938	L22	W39	L24	W35	L11	W37	3	10	16	55	9
29	Elisabeth Gondolo	13236653	593	826	D10	W31	L4	W30	L5	L16	2½	17	22	73	11
30	Isabel James	13435414	1124	1155	W15	L7	D16	L29	W31	L27	2½	15	19	65½	10
31	Sneha Chikkala	13008090	1271	1208	D17	L29	W36	L19	L30	W40	2½	11½	15	56	8
32	Chenyi Zhao	14465305	1082	1052	L14	W41	L20	D40	L27	W36	2½	11	14½	48½	7½
33	Helen Vaughn	13832662	864	838	L16	L25	L17	W39	W42	L23	2	12½	16	50	5
34	Alexandra Mann	14138695	1021	995	L2	W45	L15	W43	L12	L26	2	12	17	59	8
35	Ananya Murali	14692845	Unr.	729	L24	L26	W37	L28	W43	L25	2	12	15	49½	6
36	Marleah Mullen	14417932	101	240	L11	W42	L31	L23	W39	L32	2	11	15	48½	7
37	Sarah Cheatham	14220140	622	625	L20	L15	L35	W45	W38	L28	2	10½	14	43½	5
38	Janna Borg	13284210	645	584	L3	L21	L39	W41	L37	W42	2	9½	14	44½	4
39	Faith Munoz	13999788	320	367	L18	L28	W38	L33	L36	W45	2	9½	12½	39	5
40	Esther Whitney	14084916	823	830	L9	L4	W45	D32	L17	L31	1½	13	17½	57	5½
41	Jade Hibdon	13967740	339	316	L12	L32	L42	L38	D45	W43	1½	7	11	35	2
42	Dyhemia Young		Unr.	111	L44	L36	W41	L25	L33	L38	1	10½	13½	33	4
43	Aksithi Eswaran	14583755	503	445	Z5	H---	L5	L34	L35	L41	1	5½	10½	29	4½
44	Mary Kerr	14437867	179	231	W42	L9	U---	U---	U---	U---	1	1	5	20	6
45	Jenaye Hibdon	13967755	338	297	L13	L34	L40	L37	D41	L39	½	9	12½	39	1
46	Evelyn Kerr	14201134	574	572	L19	L27	U---	U---	U---	U---	0	3	6	20	0

About 400 pictures here: https://picasaweb.google.com/SPICEChess/SPGirlsInvitational2011

Not even a black eye is going to keep me from winning

2011-07-27T01:01:00.001-05:00

Students use chess to help them learn skills needed for success

Posted: July 27, 2011 - 12:30am | Updated: July 27, 2011 - 12:34am

By CHANA ELGIN

AVALANCHE-JOURNAL

If life is a game, two Young girls are on their way to success.

Meet Dyhemia and Vanita Young. Although not related, and besides their last names, the two have more in common than one may think.

Both are charter school students; both have been involved with child services and both are skilled in the game of chess.

“I’ve been playing chess since I was in sixth grade, so probably 12 years old,” Vanita said. “I used to just move the pieces, but one day it clicked and all started making sense.”

The 17-year-old from Philadelphia is in Lubbock this week attending the Texas Tech Susan Polgar Girls Invitational. The top-rated girl from each state is invited to Texas Tech for three days of intensive training and three days of tournament play. Special invitations were also sent to a select group of girls, including Dyhemia.

Opening ceremonies for the eighth annual tournament begin today at 9:30 a.m. Players’ ages range from 5-18 years old.

Vanita is calm, but smiles when her logical skill level is discussed.

“I hope I’m going to win.”

Dyhemia cannot be ignored when she enters a room. Sixteen years old, hair loosely pulled back in a ponytail, the California teen said she is ready to play.

“I look at my life as a chess game,” Dyhemia said. “I need my pieces - my family - to be protected.”

Currently residing in a group home in San Francisco, Dyhemia said her journey to Lubbock was not a normal one.

In a news release sent to local media, it was revealed the help of a missing persons unit was needed to track down Dyhemia for an invitation to be received at all.

“I was just in between homes at the time,” she said. “I am stunned people went to the trouble they did to get me here.”

Dyhemia said Jada Pinkett-Smith’s agent sent her group home’s leader a text explaining an interest on behalf of the celebrity to assist in the trip for Dyhemia financially.

U.S. Sen. Bob Brady of Pennsylvania acted in a similar way offering to send Vanita to the invitational inspired by the aspiring Texas Tech student’s story.

“Scholarships are handed out to the winners of the tournament and I would love to come to Tech one day,” Vanita said. “It’s warm here and people are very friendly.”

Vanita and Dyhemia are both without their biological parents. Dyhemia lives with about 20 other girls in the San Francisco area and Vanita lives with her grandfather in Philadelphia.

Maintaining eye contact and a straight face, as if she had practiced, Vanita said the situation with her parents is something she still thinks about on a daily basis.

“My mom abandoned me and my dad when I was 2 and he died when I was 13,” Vanita said. “I play chess, and I don’t have to think about what’s going on in my personal life.”

Dyhemia smiles and makes large motions with her hands as if they were an outlet for her enthusiasm, explaining her personal situation. She gives little detail, rather a conclusion of sorts for what she said sums up her life.

“I put my trust in very few people and just keep my focus on my goal,” Dyhemia said. “People aren’t always going to like where you’re going, but you do what’s best for you and today that’s chess for me.”

She falls silent as she points to a bruised eye on her otherwise glowing face.

“And only a few days before I was coming to play chess,” she said. “Not even a black eye is going to keep me from winning.”

Paul Truong, the public relations and marketing coordinator for the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence, said he was impressed with the girls’ dedication and spirit throughout the past days of training.

“I came to the United States from Saigon with no money and what seemed like too many obstacles to overcome,” Truong said. “Chess helped me get to where I am today and by hosting these tournaments, we’re giving girls like the ones here the same chance.”

Today, he is an assistant coach to the No. 1 nationally ranked Knight Raiders, fresh off a title win in April.

“Like our team, these girls are good kids,” Truong said. “Chess players aren’t your typical athlete-mold and they aren’t majoring in basket weaving 101. Again, like our team, we are selective who comes to the invitational because we know what we’re looking for- logic, higher analytical thinking and perseverance.”

Vanita said she maintains A’s and B’s in her schoolwork load at Walter D. Palmer Charter School on the East Coast. She said her favorite classes are math and science.

“I’m not so great at the writing stuff,” Vanita said looking over the brim of her thin-framed glasses.

Dyhemia took a proud moment when she said she has a passion for athletics, including track and boxing.

“I guess it’s good to be well rounded,” Dyhemia, a chess player since fifth grade, said. “Smart and athletic is a combo you can’t beat.”

Both said this was their first trip to Lubbock and first time at the invitational.

Truong said all of the girls at the invitational are of a special nature and should be proud of their talents.

“It’s not a matter of if anyone is worthless at playing chess,” Truong said. “It’s the chance that they’re getting an opportunity they might not otherwise have.”

Source: Avalanche Journal

Front page of the LA Times: Cinderella finds her chess slipper at Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas

2011-07-23T00:32:00.002-05:00

This is in the front page of the LA Times today!

It takes many moves to find missing young chess whiz

When news came that Dyhemia Young had been invited to a prestigious chess tournament, the 16-year-old San Franciscan had vanished. Her mentor, founder of the Hip-Hop Chess Federation, was worried.

By Maria L. La Ganga, Los Angeles Times

July 23, 2011

Reporting from East Palo Alto, Calif.—

When Dyhemia Young was invited to compete in a prestigious all-girls chess tournament, at first it looked like the biggest hurdle would be raising the money to get her there.

The Susan Polgar Girls' Invitational takes place each year at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, and the price tag for flights and accommodations was around $1,600 — a hefty sum for a 16-year-old from San Francisco's hard-knock Bayview District.

The top-rated girl from each state is invited to the annual event. Polgar, the first woman to earn the title of grandmaster, also issues two "wild card" invitations to gifted players who haven't cracked into official competition. It's a world some liken to preparing for the Olympics, with its need for money, lessons and dedicated parents.

But when Adisa Banjoko, founder of the Hip-Hop Chess Federation and Dyhemia's mentor, tried to call her in mid-June to tell her the good news, he realized the money would probably be a lot easier to find than the chess player.

Dyhemia, the very definition of wild card, had disappeared.

None of the phone numbers Banjoko had for her worked anymore, and he hadn't seen her since school let out. No one at John O'Connell High School, where he is a security guard and Dyhemia was a student, had seen the striking junior with the almond eyes, bright smile and sharp mind.

"I reached out to other kids who had gone to O'Connell on Facebook," he recounted. "I figured between Facebook and people who worked there, if that's not going to pull it off, that's bad."

Banjoko describes his protege as "a really good girl with a tumultuous home life. She's a very delicate plant in very harsh weather conditions. It's not whether or not she's a good flower. It's 'are we going to get the conditions right to help her bloom?' So far we haven't."

Dyhemia has played chess on and off since fifth grade, when her social studies teacher taught her how to navigate the 64 squares. She played for a year with Banjoko and the Hip-Hop Chess Federation in ninth grade, and he was struck by her skill. Last year, though, she began to back off.

The federation melds music, martial arts and the game of kings to teach young people the skills to help them through their difficult lives — traits like patience, planning, thinking ahead. Banjoko runs the West Coast operations; Lisa Suhay, a children's book author from Norfolk, Va., leads the East Coast effort.

With Dyhemia scarce and time running out, Suhay hit the computer. A Google search of the girl's name went nowhere, but a check of Google images June 24 gave Suhay and Banjoko their first lead: a missing person's poster from 2008.

"Missing Juvenile," its headline blared, above black-and-white photos of a wistful 13-year-old. "LSW: Blue jeans, possibly with a red jacket. Hair is in a pony tail." And finally, a phone number for the San Francisco Police Department.

Suhay emailed the poster to Banjoko. "Missing persons on her from '08," she wrote. "This our girl?"

The answer was yes, and Banjoko's heart sank. "I'm not ready for her to come up missing," he said. "I'm not ready for her to be out of state or end up dead."

Suhay dialed the number and was transferred to Det. Joseph Carroll, with the missing person's unit. "I'm going to make the strangest request you are going to get all week," she told him. A half hour later, he called back. "I've got a line on her," Carroll said. But it would take nearly a month for them to connect.

Dyhemia has been in and out of the foster care system for the last three years. Recently, it turned out, she had done a brief stint in juvenile hall — officials will not disclose why — before being sent to the East Palo Alto Teen Home on June 30. That's where Carroll tracked her down last week.

More here.

Passing up baseball for chess

2011-07-20T16:31:00.000-05:00

Shaker Heights' Trey Modlin gets chess scholarship from Texas Tech
Published: Wednesday, July 20, 2011, 3:54 PM
By Brian Lavrich,
Sun News Sun Press

The average sports fan in Shaker Heights probably recognizes Trey Modlin for his exploits on the baseball field, which comes as no surprise.

Modlin, an outfielder, hit .386 with 20 RBIs as he helped the Raiders reach a Division I regional semifinal.

However, those who really know Modlin, know his true love is chess. He’s earned a scholarship to play chess at Texas Tech University.

“My dad taught be at the age of 4,” Modlin said. “From there, I kept playing. It’s a great hobby. It really challenges the mind.”

Modlin helped the Shaker Heights chess team advance even farther than the baseball team as they tied for first in the state tournament.

Modlin first got interested in Texas Tech when his friend, Rebecca Lelko, introduced him to the program. Lelko, a Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin graduate, is at Texas Tech on a full ride chess scholarship.

“She told me about the tournaments they play in and the team,” Modlin said.

Modlin considered playing baseball at Oberlin College, but couldn’t pass up his first love of chess.

“I really liked the campus,” Modlin said. “I really liked the buildings and overall feel of the campus. The students seem real nice.”

Modlin said he’s thinking about majoring in either math or political science.

“It will be a whole new experience with west Texas,” Modlin said. “It’s definitely in the desert region. It will be interesting. I can’t wait until August.”

But Modlin will definitely miss Shaker Heights.

“I’ll miss the community here,” Modlin said. “We have a great neighborhood with great people and families.”

Source: http://blog.cleveland.com

Pop Culture

2011-07-12T13:23:00.000-05:00

I just received the following email from a friend of mine. Here is what she wrote:

'I wanted to share this sweet story with you :-) I hope that you will enjoy it.

My daughter Margot just walked in the house after an early morning dental appointment. I had e-mailed my dentist about the event we had with (you) Susan as she has 2 small boys who like chess. Unfortunately, they had a softball game so they couldn't attend.

However, she (my dentist) forwarded my e-mail to some of her friends with kids who were free that night. One took her little girl who is 7 years old (Ella V.).

After the event the little girl looked at her mom and said, "Mommy, this was better than meeting Justin Bieber!" '

(7 year old Ella is standing next to me with the black shirt)

Never give up, the relentless pursuit of excellence

2011-06-26T08:10:00.002-05:00

Never give up, the relentless pursuit of excellence
Lubbock Avalanche Journal

Posted: June 25, 2011 - 11:36pm

This week, I am re-publishing an interesting article by Mr. Phil Innes, publisher of the Vermont Views Magazine. He always has a unique and interesting take about chess. Enjoy!

Why I am sick and tired of reading about Susan Polgar?

You see her here you see her there, you see her everywhere in print from coast-to-coast, and now or at least very soon, on varieties of television programs, including very prominent ones. A hundred articles already this year in mainline print media. Are you sick of this too?

We have seen her in Mexico City surrounded by 30,000 fans; then in Florida surrounded it seemed by that many media people during a successful attempt on the Guinness Book of records simul, in Texas opening SPICE, a new metro chess HQ, at Texas Tech University and even on the cover of Parade and Lifestyles magazines with prominent celebrities from our time and before.

Are you approaching your Polgar-limit?

Frankly, I am getting sick of it. This woman is traveling about the country promoting chess development for young people, especially young women, and successfully getting herself into mainstream media twice per week.

I ask myself all sorts of questions about my resentment; “Is it because I don’t like chess promotions?” and “Am I jealous?” and “Do I somehow, as a secret factor kept from my conscious self, not want to see chess promoted?” and “Is it because she is female?” or “because she is not born here” and “insert your own miserable question,” why one has Polgar-exhaustion.

And I answer to all these questions; “NO.”

It is because she seems to be the only person doing it. Now – I know about other people who promote chess, there is the excellent Jude Acers and I know about the historic George Koltanowski, the very sort of American Staunton who promoted chess, but the Polgar phenomena in the States is at a greater level. Quantitatively she is achieving an average of two major media write-ups per week, vastly exceeding all other players and institutions combined.

Why should I resent this? Because I compare it to the paid staff of US Chess Federation, some 30 people, who achieve two articles in major media, not per week, but per year.

Ostensibly both the Susan Polgar Foundation and the United States Chess Federation exist for the same purpose – to further chess into mainstream culture. Yet anyone reading these statistics, or even the newspapers, and who had a few dollars to promote chess, would make their choice as a no-brainer! Which of the two actually can be said to promote chess into mainstream culture in a superior way? My ten dollars is going to get 100 here and 2 there…

In effect I am asking “what’s the matter with the rest of us?”

Next week my friend, Mr. Paul Truong, director of marketing and public relation for Texas Tech SPICE, is going to send me two more articles beginning “Susan did …” and this is an obnoxious practice, no? I really want to send him something beginning, “This week Maurice….” or “coming soon, a Brit GM tour of the States, taking in the following cities…” and of course the friendly jibe “take that! Mr. T.” but damned if I am good enough to do it!

But I am going to try to put one in his eye, and so should you, dear reader.

This Polgar woman has proven that it can be done. She has demonstrated that Americans have a huge interest in the well-being of their sons and daughters, and are conscious of what benefits them, and to whom they can relay this aspiration and trust.

She has also demonstrated that it does not take a million dollars to begin, or ‘going Hollywood’ and relying on glamour. In person Susan Polgar is a quiet spoken individual, modest, attentive to other’s opinions, but most of all, dedicated. Am I a bit “struck?” Sure! But I am also a mean, sometimes a very mean realist.

In short, this person is not cute, she is compelling.

So what’s the matter with the rest of us?

We should follow this lead and compete on several broad fronts, and do so without distortions by simply representing the real nature and character of our game as genuinely as we can – with complete confidence that the general public is receptive. If I have learned anything from these exposures to Susan Polgar, it is this!

We should not do this in order that I can write my friend Paul Truong, wiping his eye! He would be the first to applaud the effort (whatever the result). We should do this because we have to-date misled ourselves that it cannot be done. Somehow we convinced ourselves in this country that unless Robert James Fischer is looking over your shoulder… and that the American public has no interest otherwise… we convinced ourselves that Americans cannot generate grandmasters and that we could not follow Olympiad victories in the thirties which provided four gold medals from four attempts.

This Polgar woman disproves both our objections as to our capability and to the public’s reception of chess, and for all these reasons I hope her share of the chess-development market is sensibly diminished in proportion, while the volume of her reported contributions increases.

Chess Girls

2011-06-25T07:26:00.003-05:00

Susan Polgar Inspires "Chess Girls"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b011vhdc

Chess Grandmaster Susan Polgar's life is portrayed in the new BBC radio documentary "Chess Girls."

Written by Melanie Hess

Susan Polgar’s parents defied the government in communist Hungary to school their daughter in a highly unusual way– chess, eight hours a day, every day.

Now a grandmaster, Polgar’s story of ascension to worldwide fame through her childhood as a unique education experiment is portrayed in BBC’s recent production, “Chess Girls.”

Polgar, who is well known for breaking the gender barrier in chess by becoming the first female grandmaster, had anything but a normal upbringing. The BBC radio documentary, which premiered June 16, shares the exceptional progression of Polgar and her two sisters, Judit and Sofia.

“My father had that idea even before I was born. When he had children he’d like to raise them in a special way,” Polgar said, “focusing on a certain area and trying to excel, rather than kind of being mediocre in many things.”

“Chess Girls” dramatized the irregularity of Polgar’s schooling and noted that the media was often surprised to hear the Polgar girls genuinely say they were happy.

Polgar said her family was often criticized, but she never felt negatively about her early days.

“My childhood was good,” Polgar said. “It was certainly very natural because it was the only environment I knew, so that was very normal for me.”

At 15 years old, Polgar was ranked as the number one women’s chess player in the world.

“I was pioneering in open competition,” Polgar said. “At that time, it was simply revolutionary because most women simply admitted that they are not as good as the men, just like in physical sport. Even though, chess is not a physical sport, but a mental exercise. Therefore, that has been a major theme of my career, to fight for gender equality.”

In her current position as the director of the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE) and Knight Raiders coach, Polgar employs many of the same techniques her father used to help her achieve her status today.

“I incorporated all the different knowledge I acquired over the years,” Polgar said. “And I am trying to share the best of it with our chess team members here.”

Source: www.ttu.edu

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b011vhdc

Pack your bags! You're heading to Lubbock!

2011-06-23T09:17:00.002-05:00

Ronnie Polaneczky: Knights gather to fulfill girl's chess dream

June 18, 2011|By Ronnie Polaneczky, Daily News Columnist

YOU KNOW the best part of my job? Calling someone who's been in a pickle and letting her know that her troubles are over.

That was my happy task yesterday, when I phoned Vanita Young and told her to pack her bags, she was going to Texas.

"Oh, my God! That's crazy! Thank you!" said Vanita, 17, when she learned that a benefactor would pay her way to the prestigious Susan Polgar (Girls') Chess Invitational next month in Lubbock (at Texas Tech University).

The rainmaker? Philly's own U.S. Rep. Bob Brady, who read my column about Vanita over breakfast yesterday and then phoned his aide Ken Smukler to say, "We've got to make it happen for this girl."

Smukler called Joe Watkins at Students First PA, a pro-charter- school group, because Vanita attends a charter school - she's a junior at Walter D. Palmer at Broad and Master streets.

"If these guys are so in favor of charter schools, they need to support the kids who go there," said Brady.

Watkins agreed and the deal was done, within hours.

"You write a helluva story, what can I say?" Brady said.

In this case, the story's irony was heartbreaking: Vanita had been selected to attend the most prestigious girls' chess event in the country - only one girl is invited from each state - but could not afford to attend it.

Especially cruel is that chess, Vanita told me, is the thing that pulls her through sad days. And she has had her share of them.

"It's been a tough life for her," said her grandmother, Algloria Evans, who with husband, Raymond, has raised Vanita from toddlerhood. Vanita's mom abandoned her, and her dad, who battled the bottle, died in 2007. Father and daughter were close and his death took a toll.

Vanita "was already devastated about not having her mother around," Evans said. "When she was little, she called every woman 'Mommy' because she missed her mom so much. I said to her, 'I know I am your grandmom, but until your mom comes back, you can call me Mommy.' "

Vanita's mother never returned.

"She's a wonderful girl. She has worked very, very hard for this honor," said Evans.

No wonder her story inspired so many readers - many of whom phoned the After School Activities Partnership after my story ran, offering help.

"We've had people calling all day, and we've have to tell them that [Brady] has already come through," said ASAP executive director Maria Walker, who initially contacted me about Vanita. Her group runs the chess programs that have nurtured Vanita's love of the game.

"We don't want to be taking money for Vanita if the need has already been fulfilled."

That didn't matter for reader Paul Sevcik, who still wants to donate $20.

"I'm a former teacher," he told me. "I know how big a deal it is when kids find the motivation to really excel at something. I want to encourage that."

Brady thinks Vanita should spend surplus donation money on first-class seats to Texas and a nice hotel room.

"Let her reward herself," he said. "Why the hell not? She's a great kid. She's worked hard. She deserves it."

Knock 'em dead in Lubbock, Vanita. We're pulling for you.

Source: http://articles.philly.com

Vanita loves numbers ("She's one of my best students," says her math teacher, Andy Isom), and hopes that chess success will nab her a scholarship to Texas Tech, where she'd major in computer science.

Past stories:

http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/2011/06/triumps-over-adversities.html
http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/2011/06/polaneczky-dont-let-2g-checkmate.html

BBC’s “Chess Girls” Tells Unique Story

2011-06-21T15:17:00.002-05:00

News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE: June 21, 2011
CONTACT: Melanie Hess, melanie.hess@ttu.edu
(806) 742-2136

BBC’s “Chess Girls” Tells Unique Story of Grand Master Susan Polgar

Susan Polgar’s parents defied the government in communist Hungary to school their daughter in a highly unusual way- chess, eight hours a day, every day.

Now a Grand Master, Polgar’s story of ascension to worldwide fame through her childhood as a unique education experiment is portrayed in BBC’s recent production, “Chess Girls.”

Polgar, who is well known for breaking the gender barrier in chess by becoming the first female Grand Master, had anything but a normal upbringing. The BBC radio documentary, which premiered June 16, shares the exceptional progression of Polgar and her two sisters, Judit and Sofia.

“My father had that idea even before I was born. When he had children he’d like to raise them in a special way, “Polgar said, “focusing on a certain area and trying to excel, rather than kind of being mediocre in many things.”

“Chess Girls” dramatized the irregularity of Polgar’s schooling and noted that the media was often surprised to hear the Polgar girls genuinely say they were happy.

Polgar said her family was often criticized, but she never felt negatively about her early days.

“My childhood was good,” Polgar said. “It was certainly very natural because it was the only environment I knew, so that was very normal for me.”

At 15 years old, Polgar was ranked as the number one women’s chess player in the world.

“I was pioneering in open competition,” Polgar said. “At that time, it was simply revolutionary because most women simply admitted that they are not as good as the men, just like in physical sport. Even though, chess is not a physical sport, but a mental exercise. Therefore, that has been a major theme of my career, to fight for gender equality.”

In her current position as the director of the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE) and Knight Raiders coach, Polgar employs many of the same techniques her father used to help her achieve her status today.

“I incorporated all the different knowledge I acquired over the years,” Polgar said. “And I am trying to share the best of it with our chess team members here.”

Find Texas Tech news, experts and story ideas at www.media.ttu.edu and on Twitter @TexasTechMedia.

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

Polaneczky: Don't let 2G checkmate Vanita's future

2011-06-17T13:12:00.000-05:00

Ronnie Polaneczky: Don't let 2G checkmate Vanita's future
Posted on Fri, Jun. 17, 2011
By Ronnie Polaneczky
Philadelphia Daily News
Daily News Columnist

WHILE CITY big-shots have been agitating over the school district's $629 million budget gap, a quieter financial worry is tugging at Vanita Young's heart.

Vanita, a lovely, soft-spoken junior at the Walter D. Palmer Charter School, needs $2,000 if she wants to attend the nation's most prestigious all-female chess tournament next month.

Two-grand is piddling coinage compared to what the district is facing. But it's astronomical to Vanita, 17, whose circumstances have been so tough that attendance at the tournament could actually alter the course of her future.

Proving that what happens after school matters as much as what occurs in the classroom.

"If Vanita can't go, because of just $2,000, it would be devastating," said Douglas Cox, her chess coach at Palmer. "No one deserves this more than she does."

The event is called the Susan Polgar Girls' Invitational and, in the world of chess, it's a BFD, as the kids like to say.

From July 24-29, 50 girls will be mentored by Polgar, the world's first female chess grand master (who's like Madonna to those fond of rooks). Then they'll compete for $120,000 in scholarships and prizes during the annual chess-fest at Texas Tech University, in Lubbock, Texas, where Polgar directs her eponymous Institute for Chess Excellence.

Each year, thousands of girls vie for the honor to represent their state. After Vanita beat out more than 600 girls at the PA State Scholastic Chess Championship last March, she got the exclusive call to attend the invitational.

"It's the best thing that ever happened to me," Vanita said yesterday, as her school's chess team, the Dark Knights, practiced nearby. "Any time I have a bad day, I think of winning and feel happy again."

Feeling happy is no small feat for Vanita, who was abandoned by her mom at age 2 and whose beloved dad - "He tried hard," she said - battled the bottle before dying suddenly of diabetes complications in 2007.

Vanita learned of his death right after triumphing at a chess competition hosted by the nonprofit After School Activities Partnership, whose mentors are like Vanita's second family. She'd discovered ASAP and chess years before, and couldn't stay away from the game.

Not even after she was assaulted while walking to her home in West Philly, where she lives with her dad's parents, Raymond and Algoria Evans. She'd just come from Clark Park, where she'd played chess with other amateurs who are regulars there.

"He wasn't even a player, but he was watching me in a way I didn't like, so I left," she said.

He followed her and grabbed her, but she was able to break free and the man was caught.

Vanita quickly resumed her playing because, she said, "It's always there for me. There's a whole family of people who care about me. It lets me go into deep thought."

"She's really focused," said Jennifer Shahade, Philly's hot, national chess star and author... She mentors ASAP's chess players and has been impressed by Vanita.

"Not a lot of girls take chess seriously," she said, "but she's determined."

Not just about the game but about what it might do for her. Vanita loves numbers ("She's one of my best students," says her math teacher, Andy Isom), and hopes that chess success will nab her a scholarship to Texas Tech, where she'd major in computer science.

But first she has to get to that pricey invitational. A dress-up-day fundraiser at her school netted $300. But she needs another $1,700 to pay for her and a chaperone to spend an exhilarating week at the invitational, mixing it up with girls like Vanita - quiet, focused, numbers-obsessed and eager to share their love of chess with the world.

"When I have kids, I want them all to be chess grand masters," said Vanita. "It helps you be a good, smart person."

Wanna help? Send a donation in Vanita's name to ASAP, 1520 Locust St., Suite 1104, Phila., PA 19102. More info: 215-545-2727.

Source: http://www.philly.com

Polgar family in BBC Radio Documentary

2011-06-16T12:09:00.000-05:00

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b011vhdc

Afternoon Play

The Chess Girls (Susan, Sofia, and Judit Polgar)

The emergence of the Polgar sisters in the 1970s and 80s rocked the chess world. In a heavily male dominated game, the three Hungarian girls (Susan, Sofia, and Judit Polgar) broke record after record. The youngest, Judit, was talked of as a potential world champion.

The Chess Girls is the story of their parents, Laszlo and Klara Polgar, and how they defied the Communist authorities to conduct a remarkable educational experiment. Laszlo Polgar, convinced that any healthy child can be trained to become a genius, set out to prove his theory with his own children.

This is a drama-documentary with excerpts from an interview with Laszlo and Klara Polgar recorded for the play. The writer, Lavinia Greenlaw, takes their account and re-creates the lives of the young Polgar family in their tiny Budapest flat. The fictional Laszlo is played by Kerry Shale, and Klara by Sally Orrock.

Director: Chris Ledgard.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b011vhdc

The Revolutionary Mind

2011-06-03T23:22:00.002-05:00

The Revolutionary Mind
by Renata Holcmann
Columbia University

I was recently interviewed by Renata Holcmann of Columbia University. With her permission, I would like to share what she wrote with you.

The very first time I heard the name Polgar was when I was at a local chess tournament in my hometown of Papa, Hungary. Both me and my sister won first place in our categories and some people were murmuring that “they might be the next Polgar sisters.” This idea of sibling chess prodigies very much appealed to my mother and she encouraged us to keep playing and hoped that we -as sisters- would go far with chess. Unfortunately, this dream of hers evaporated in a sudden moment when my sister decided to quit chess when she lost a game to me. So from then on, it was only me, who followed the news about the Polgar sisters and dreamed of meeting them one day. But out of the three sisters I really wanted to meet Susan - the oldest one -, who was the fore-runner in the Polgar family and became a true icon, for many of her accomplishments, in the chess world.

Susan (Zsuzsanna) Polgar was born in Budapest, on April 19^th in 1969. Both her parents -Laszlo and Klara Polgar- were school teachers. When I asked Susan how she started to play chess, she quite surprised me with her answer: “Accidentally. I was searching for a new toy and found the chess set.” Then she went on explaining with quite an enthusiasm how she immediately fell in love with the shape of the pieces. She demanded her mother to play a game with her, but she told her that she has to wait until her father comes home and he would teach her then. Then the studying of this royal game began for Susan, just at the age of four! She very much enjoyed learning tactics and found the checkmate puzzles a lot of fun. Not long after her 4^th birthday, she entered a chess tournament in Budapest. She competed in the 1^st to 4^th grade category (almost everyone was twice her age) and won all her ten games, becoming the Budapest Champion. After this event, her life changed forever. The media started following her every move and she was labeled as a “wunderkind.” Hungary’s reaction to her sudden success was divided: a small group of people responded positively to her great achievement, believing that she truly is a chess prodigy. While others started attacking her parents for not letting her play with dolls or at the playground, instead making her sit by the chessboard for hours. This was the bigger group, the pessimists and jealous crowd who also thought that her winning the Budapest Champion title was just an accident, a one-time lucky event and saw no future for her in chess. They could not be more wrong about her…

When Susan turned six years old, her parents made a decision to home-school her since she already knew how to read and write, was years ahead in Math and also spoke Russian fluently. Susan claims, “My Russian became almost as good as my native tongue” due to being enrolled in a nursery school in the previous years where they only spoke Russian. Also, not being in school all day, gave her the chance to spend more time with chess. Predictably, because of this, her parents were constantly attacked in the media. Susan emphasized how much her parents sacrificed for her and her sisters to make it possible for them to succeed. There were many hurdles over the years, but they gave a tremendous support for them at all times. At the time in Hungary, it was acceptable for a high-school aged athlete to be home-schooled in order to practice more and travel to competitions, but nobody had ever heard of keeping a child home -from the very beginning, grade one- to improve her chess skills! Then again, the world still had to wait and see how Susan’s hard work and determination would pave the road to her successful future.

Susan has two sisters, Sophia who is five and a half years younger and Judit, who is seven years younger than her. Being the oldest one, Susan often taught her sisters chess throughout the years, but she was also setting a good example for them about her work ethic. She worked extremely hard, some days practiced even six to eight hours! Usually, she played in ten to twelve tournaments per year. These were long competitions that lasted two or three weeks. Starting from age four, Susan studied from books and studied with different chess coaches. From our conversation I found out that her father was an excellent teacher, but she also had other influential coaches in her life. For instance, Eva Karakas gave Susan the love for the game, but she gained a tremendous amount of knowledge from Laszlo Hazai and Lev Psakhis as well. She studied chess in various ways:

* Solved puzzles to improve her tactical and calculation skills

* Studied many grandmasters’ games to understand different strategies

* Memorized master games and played blindfold chess to improve her visualization skills

* Studied many endgames

* Played a lot of practice games with family members and friends

* Regularly played in club tournaments

In 1979, at the age of ten, Susan became a National Woman Master after finishing in sixth place in the Hungarian Women’s Championship. In 1982, she earned her first FIDE Master norm after beating a much higher ranked player -Laszlo Liptay- with black pieces in the last round of the Balatonbereny, Hungary tournament. (FIDE is the World Chess Federation.) Soon after that she earned her other two norms and became a FIDE Master and automatically received her Hungarian National Master title as well, since the FIDE Master title is a higher. I asked Susan how she felt when she was just a child, competing against -very strong- adult players, all the time. She told me that she greatly enjoyed the challenge, and it made her feel big, she wanted to be looked at more than just a little girl, she wanted to be taken seriously.

In 1981 she played abroad for the first time, in the World Under-16 Girls’ Championship in Westergate, England. It was a tough tournament, but after defeating two main rivals of the tourney -the English Teresa Needham and the Polish Jolanta Rojek- she only needed a draw in the last round against the American Baracca Shabbaz to win 1^st place. So even though she was up a pawn, she could agree to a draw and with that she captured the World Under-16 Girl Chess Champion title.

Susan, even though she was a top-class player- was left out of many chess tournaments due to being a female chess player. According to Susan, her the most painful experience was when she was denied the chance to compete in the Men’s World Chess Championship, -after qualifying for it from the overall Hungarian Championship- providing her an unreasonable explanation that it was only for men and she could not represent Hungary. The most shocking fact was that she was officially the #1 ranked female player on the July 1984 world rating list, but still FIDE would not allow her to play. I can only imagine the sadness she must have experienced at that time, but she turned her frustration to strength and from then on -because of this unfair treatment-, she tirelessly fought for equality in chess. In the 1986 FIDE Congress she finally achieved that they officially changed the name of this event, leaving the “Men’s” part out of it and making the title the World Chess Championship. So due to Susan’s incredible success in chess and her courage to stand up and fight for her beliefs, today girls and women can compete in chess tournaments among men.

Susan‘s prowess in chess rightfully earned her a place to be in the highest circles of the chess world and this gave her the opportunity to not only meet, but play chess with many of the most elite chess players and world champions of our times. Among them were Botvinnik, Smyslov, Tal, Spassky, Fischer, Karpov, Kasparov and Anand.

In 1984, after ten years of hard work and sacrifices, Susan became an International Master. In the summer of 1988, in Royan, France, Susan earned her very first GM (grandmaster) norm. A year later, she earned her second GM norm, in Leon, Spain. Also, in 1988, she was selected with her two sisters –Sophia and Judit- along with Ildiko Madl to represent Hungary in the Olympiad in Thesasaloniki, Greece. Susan played on the first board all the fourteen games -without a break- and scored 10.5 and did not lose a single game! Her sisters and Ildiko also performed well and the Hungarian teenage team won the Olympiads, beating the “unbeatable” Soviet team.

In 1990, the Hungarian team –with the same players- won the gold medal again in Novi Sad. But besides the team’s gold medal, the Polgar sisters also won individual gold medals on board one, two and three. (Ildiko Madl only played two games at this time.) This time, Susan scored 11 points, winning eight games and drawing six. This again, was truly an unbelievable achievement at such a high-class competition.

In January of 1991, Susan earned her final GM norm in Pamplona, Spain and with that she became the first woman ever to earn the highest chess title of International Grandmaster. When I asked her what it meant to her to achieve this great height in chess, she told me that: “It was very special to me. Even when I was a teenager, many professional players doubted me. They simply didn’t believe that it was possible for a woman to meet all the requirements to earn the Men’s Grandmaster title. I was very eager to get there and was working very hard for many years. So when I finally earned the title, it was justification as well as fulfillment of my long-awaited dream.”

In 1992, the Hungarian Chess Federation organized the Blitz (5 min.) and Rapid (30 min.) Women’s World Championship in Budapest. Susan scored 22.5 points out of 25 games and won 1^st place. In the fifteen-round rapid tournament, she collected 12 points without losing a single game and again finished ahead of her sisters, at 1^st place. Susan repeated these phenomenal performances in later years and in 1996 she won her fourth Women’s World Chess Championships. To add to that, she is the only World Champion, male or female, who ever won the triple crown (blitz, rapid and classical world championships). She is also a five-time Olympic Chess Champion who collected ten overall medals (five gold, four silver, and one bronze). When I asked her about her favorite game, she told me that it was from the 2004 Olympiad, in Calvia, against Maia Chiburdanidze, the former Women's World Champion. I looked at the game. It was truly brilliant, full of tactical ideas and strategic maneuvering. In the endgame, Susan had two passed pawns -supported by her rook- that were unstoppable, so after the 39^th move Chiburdanidze resigned.

Susan holds a record for 56 consecutive Olympiad game unbeaten streak and all on board one. In fact, she has never lost a single game. In 2005, Susan played 326 simultaneous games (won 309, drew 14 and lost only 3), and by doing so, she broke four previous world records. In 2006, she became the Woman’s Chess Cup Champion. She won the US Open Blitz Chess Championship three times, in 2003, in 2005 and in 2006, ahead of all the other male participants.

When I asked her how she could become such a strong chess player -in other words, what was her recipe for success- she told me “The love of the game was number one, then discipline, but also, perseverance and motivation were essential too.” In describing herself as a chess player, I learned that first, she wants to achieve a solid base, so she plays the opening carefully. She always plans ahead, looks at the whole picture and reacts to the needs of the situation at all times. So in order to succeed, one must be a flexible, universal player.

In 2002, Susan founded the Susan Polgar Foundation, a non-profit organization to promote chess as an educational tool –especially among girls-, as well as a social and a competitive activity. She is also the director of SPICE, the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence at Texas Tech University where she has been coaching the Knight Raiders Chess Team. She expressed to me that she greatly enjoys sharing her knowledge with her students and loves to see them improve and perform well in tournaments.

Her chess team recently had a huge success at the Pan-American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship, beating teams like Yale and Stanford. The Texas Tech Knight Raiders made the Final Four in its first try in Division I. They won the Final Four which is the National Division I Championship in the second try, in spite of being the lowest seed. Again, she made history.

In an article called, “Knight Raiders Win National Championship” Paul Truong said that: “Susan became the first female to coach a men’s Division I team to the National Championship. You cannot even imagine, let’s say, a female coaching a men’s basketball team or men’s football team to the national title, but in chess, she showed that it can happen.”

Susan also sponsors and organizes several prominent annual events, such as the Susan Polgar World Open and National Open for Boys and Girls, the Susan Polgar National Invitational for Girls Championship and the prestigious SPICE Cup at Texas Tech University.

Over the years, Susan won many impressive awards for her work. Here are some examples:

* “Chess Educator of the Year” (2003, she was the first recipient ever)

* “US Scholastic Chess Ambassador” (2006, again, she was the first recipient ever)

* Three-time Winner of the Chess Journalists of America Award for Best Magazine Column and Best Endgame Analysis

I asked Susan what her message is to today’s young chess players. This is what she responded: “I believe chess is a great opportunity. Whether you just play for fun or play competitively, you improve your thinking skills and learn many life skills. Also, you can use chess to open doors to a better future. In the United States there are more than thirty colleges that offer chess scholarships. In addition, chess can also help you get job interviews and potentially help you get hired. It truly has countless benefits.” I could not agree with her more.

Susan Polgar truly made a difference in the world. By breaking the gender barrier, she proved that woman can play chess just as well as men or even better. Due to her efforts to achieve equality in chess, today, girls and women do not have to go through any hurdles –that she experienced- but can freely play chess anywhere in the world. In my view, sports must have freedom, so that any athlete/player can reach their full potentials without facing unnecessary obstacles along the way. Susan is one of the purest examples of motivation and perseverance; she showed the world that everything is possible if you set your mind to it and work hard. She is my inspiration and I am certain that there are many others out there who feel the same way.

Do not violate the Opening Principles of Chess

2011-05-26T09:36:00.000-05:00

Do not violate the Opening Principles of Chess
Susan Polgar
Avalanche Journal

Here are my power principles of chess, something which all beginners and novice players should follow:

1. Control the Center!

The center of the board includes the squares e4, d4, e5, and d5. When you start a game, place your pawns in the center to occupy and control as many of these squares as you can. Location, location, location!

2. Develop Your Pieces as Soon as Possible!

Get your Knights and Bishops out right away. This should be done before you try to checkmate your opponent, some time in the first 6 or 7 moves if possible.

3. Castle as Soon as Possible!

Castle at the very first chance you have in order to keep your king safe. Remember, you can’t win if your king isn’t safe and you get checkmated first. So don’t forget to castle! Then after you castle, connect your rooks by developing your queen.

4. Keep Your Pieces Protected!

Don't leave your pieces hanging without protection. Each and every piece you have is very valuable, so don't forget to protect them. Protecting means if your opponent can take your piece, then you can take your opponent's piece.

5. Have Fun and Win with Grace, Lose with Dignity!

This is my motto in chess. First and foremost, chess should be fun. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose, it’s all part of the game. When you win, be a good sport and don’t trash talk or make fun of your opponent. When you lose, be an even better sport and not a sore loser. Shake hands and congratulate your opponent. This will go a long way toward making good friends.

Below is an example to demonstrate what can happen when one does not follow the above principles:

Tarrasch, Siegbert - Mieses, Jacques [C10]
Match Game 3, Berlin 1916

1.d4 e6 2.e4 d5 This is the French Defense.

3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7 5.Nf3 Ngf6 6.Bd3 Be7 7.0–0 Nxe4 8.Bxe4 Nf6 9.Bd3 So far, everything seems normal. In this position, Black should castle.

9...b6? This is a critical mistake by Black. One of the key opening rules of thumb is to castle as soon as possible (General Principle #5: Castle Early). Black will pay for this mistake. We shall see how White will take advantage of this.

10.Ne5! Black is facing serious problems. If Black develops the Bishop to b7, White will play Bb5+ and Black will lose the right to castle. Now, Black realizes his mistake and castles immediately. Unfortunately, it is a little too late. Let’s see how White takes advantage of this.

10...0–0 if 10...Bb7 11.Bb5+

11.Nc6 An excellent move! We shall see the purpose of this move shortly.

11...Qd6 if 11...Qd7 12.Qf3 Bb7 13.Nxe7+ Qxe7 14.Qxb7+-; 11...Qe8 This unusual move is probably the best response for Black. 12.Nxe7+ Qxe7 13.Qf3 Rb8 14.Qg3 White has a strong positional advantage with the pair of bishops and the queen aiming at Black's Kingside.

12.Qf3! Another excellent move! White is threatening a winning discovery (Discovered Attack) with Nxe7+ (uncovering the attack by the white queen on f3 against the undefended black rook at a8.)

12...Bd7 The only move. 12...Bb7 13.Nxe7+ Qxe7 14.Qxb7 and Black would be behind a piece.

13.Nxe7+ Why does White exchange a good, active knight for a bad black bishop? This is a very important question since you would not want to trade a good piece for a bad piece without a good reason. In this case, White sees a deadly pin potential in the next move. That is why he is willing to trade.

13...Qxe7 14.Bg5! Threatening 15.Qe4! Nxe4 16.Bxe7. Black has no way of getting out of this pin.

14...Rac8 15.Rfe1 Bringing another important piece into action! Remember, you would need to utilize all your pieces to achieve a winning attack. 15.Qe4 would be less accurate for White. 15...Nxe4 16.Bxe7 Rfe8 17.Bxe4 Rxe7 +=

15...Rfe8 if 15...c5 16.Qh3 h6 17.Bxh6 gxh6 (17...c4 18.Bxg7 Kxg7 19.Qg3+ Kh8 20.Qh4+ Kg7 21.Qg5+ Kh8 22.Qh6+ Kg8 23.Re5) 18.Qxh6 cxd4 19.Qg5+ (19.Re5? Rc5) 19...Kh8 20.Re4 and Black must give up his queen to avoid the mate.

16.Qh3! This move creates another threat. Because of the pin of the knight, the h7-pawn is now vulnerable. White combines pressure against the h7-pawn from the queen at h3 and the bishop at d3; meanwhile the white bishop at g5 threatens to trade off the only black piece protecting h7, the f6-knight.

16...Qd6? Black's position is very bad. This move just makes it even worse. 16...h6 17.Bxh6 gxh6 18.Qxh6 Qf8 19.Qxf6; 16...g6 17.Qh4 Kg7 18.Re4!; 16...e5 17.Bxf6 Bxh3 (17...Qxf6 18.Qxd7; 17...gxf6 18.Qxh7+ Kf8 19.Qh8#) 18.Bxe7 Rxe7 19.gxh3; 16...c5 17.Bxh7+ Kf8 18.Be4 Kg8

17.Bxf6 Eliminating the piece that protects the h7-pawn.

17...gxf6 18.Qh6! Black is hoping to create an escape for the king to f8 then e7. White wisely cuts the king off. This is another important move to learn. When you are on the offensive, do not let your opponent off the hook.

18...f5 if 18...Qxd4 19.Bxh7+ Kh8 20.Bg6+ Kg8 21.Qh7+ Kf8 22.Qxf7#

19.Re3 Bringing the rook into action and sacrificing the d4-pawn. In the meantime, Black's pieces are not coordinated to defend the king.

19...Qxd4 if 19...f6 20.Rg3+ Kf7 21.Qg7#; 19...Kh8 20.Rh3 Kg8 21.Rg3+

20.c3 Attacking the queen. The black queen will soon run out of squares to stay on from which it can continue to defend the g7 square. I prefer 20.Rg3+ a little more since it attacks the king immediately. 20...Kh8 Now I would play 21.c3 transposing to what would have happened in the game. 21...Qe5 22.f4 The queen now has no squares to move onto to continue defending g7.
Black resigns since the position is completely hopeless.

1-0

SUMMARY:

So what have we learned in this game?

1. Do not violate the Opening Principles of Chess. Make sure to castle as soon as possible; Black did not do so on move nine - and paid the price later on.

2. When you are attacking, make sure to utilize your pieces. By bringing the rook into the action, White created a winning attack.

Chess Summer Camp at Texas Tech University
July 11-15, 2011

Learn chess from world champion Susan Polgar and her team. Beginners to advanced K-12 players welcome. Campers will practice writing and computer skills. Sports and other activities offered.

* Commuter Plan: $295/week
Check-in Monday 8 am – 9 am. Camp hours are 9 am – 5:00 pm daily Monday – Thursday. Camp ends at 3pm on Friday. Lunch and snacks included.

* Residential Plan: $595/week
Arrive Sunday 7/10 between 6pm – 9pm. Dorm lodging and all meals are included, including dinner on Sunday through lunch on Friday.

Camp ends at 3pm on Friday. Residential plan is based on double occupancy. Grades 5 - 12 only. Very limited space!

Residential plan registration closes June 6, 2011.

See http://www.SPICE.ttu.edu, email SPICE@ttu.edu, or call (806) 742-7742.

Queen of the King's game

2011-05-26T08:54:00.001-05:00

Queen of the King's game
by Nancy Ruhling
Originally published in Lifestyles Magazine in 2006

Grandmaster Susan Polgar settles herself into the folding chair on the makeshift podium, folds her arms demurely in front of her and trains her enormous coffee-brown eyes on the green and white chessboard before her. She lost the coin toss to her opponent, Hall of Famer Lev Alburt, so he, as white, will be making the first move in the 4th annual Chess-in-the-Parks Rapid Open in New York City's Central Park.

Polgar, the No. 1 ranked player in the United States and the No. 2 player in the world, earned her first checkmate when she was only 41/2 and since then has played against all the big names—Bobby Fischer, Boris Spassky, Garry Kasparov, Anatoly Karpov—but this is no ordinary game and this is certainly no ordinary venue.

As Polgar and Alburt make their moves, the results are bellowed out via microphone and 32 hyper grade-schoolers, posing as chessmen, mimic the players' maneuvers on a life-size chessboard beneath the park's angel-topped Bethesda Fountain. The object of this demonstration is not so much to win or lose but to show children how much fun the game of chess really can be.

As the clock ticks, the gray sky is spitting rain, the security guards are squealing into their squawkers, the live chess pieces are bopping up and down like Mexican jumping beans, the trumpeter is punctuating each move by playing a peppy phrase and the fans are calling out advice—“Take a bishop, why doesn't she take a bishop!” Then someone trips and tips over the empty chair next to Polgar. She doesn't so much as blink. Her rapt concentration wavers only once, when a little voice yells out a big shout of “Mommy! Mommy!” Reflexively, Polgar, the mother of two little sons, glances to the side.

An hour later, amid all the noise, nuisance and nonsense, the game ends: It's a tie. As the live chessmen boogie off the board, Polgar stands tall in her black stilettos and puts her hand on her forehead as if the motion alone will clear her mind and get her to concentrate on her next move, which is right into the crowd to greet all her fans.

“Chess is in many ways like life itself,” she says. “It's all condensed in a playful manner in a game format and it's extremely fascinating because first of all I'm in control of my own destiny, I'm in charge. You have to be responsible for your actions, you make a move, you had better think ahead about what's going to happen, not after it happens, because then it's too late. Chess teaches discipline from a very early age. It teaches you to have a plan and to plan ahead. If you do that, you'll be rewarded; if you break the rules, you will get punished—in life and in chess. You need to learn the rules to break the rules.”

Learning the game of chess, she says, gave her a head start on the game of life, and that's why she has been devoting her life to being an advocate and an ambassador for chess, all with the goal of making chess as all-American as Mom, apple pie and baseball. In addition to participating in events like the live chess game, she has established the Polgar Chess Center in Forest Hills, New York, where she teaches students and hosts major chess events, and has set up the Susan Polgar Foundation, a nonprofit organization to introduce the social, educational and competitive benefits to American youngsters, especially girls.

“Chess is very good to teach children because it's a very playful game,” she says. “Once you understand a little bit about chess, you can really see the beauty in it like in art or in music.”

It is that beauty that taught her to focus, to concentrate and to be disciplined enough to play and win, even when the odds were stacked against her. As a woman and a Jew growing up in Hungary, she faced discrimination on two levels. Chess was, and for the most part still is, a man's game, and it was she who was the first to break through the gender barrier. While her early wins made her a curiosity in her own country, they only brought her awards and acclaim, not acceptance. “The antisemitism was more subtle,” the 35-year-old Polgar says, adding that all of her grandparents are Holocaust survivors. “The woman problem was more open. Even though by 1984, when I was 15, I was the top-ranked woman in the world, my real breakthrough didn't come until 1988, when for the first time ever, my two younger sisters, Sofia and Judit, and I won the gold medal in the World Chess Olympiad for Hungary. This was the first time any country had ever won over the Soviets. The government started applauding us, and we became national heroes.”

The win made her the Michael Jordan of the chess world. Even today she is a household name in Hungary, and when she visits her homeland, fans stop her on the street and ask for her autograph. By the time her reputation was established, she was besting the male masters. “They were disappointed to lose,” she says, “but they weren't disappointed because I was a woman but simply because they lost.”

Polgar went on to win nine other Olympic medals, along with a slew of other honors, including being named Women's World Champion four times, that have allowed her to remain ranked among the top three female players for the last two decades. Her most recent victory took place in October 2004, when she and the U.S. team brought home America's first-ever medal for the women's competition—the silver—in the 36th World Chess Olympiad that was played in Calvia, Spain. In that competition, she further distinguished herself by bringing home two gold medals—one for best overall performance and one for the most points scored in the entire Women's Olympiad —and a silver for racking up the second-best percentage.

Since the birth of her sons—Tom is 5 and Leeam is 4—Polgar has devoted herself to promoting, not playing chess. Indeed, the 2004 Olympiad was her first international tournament in eight years.

“Now I concentrate on revolutionizing the game and bringing it to the next level of popularity,” she says.

(Sofia, who lives in Israel, stopped playing when she was ranked No. 6 in the world but still ranks in the top 20; Judit, who replaced Susan as No. 1, has been inactive recently because she had a baby.)

It was her father who taught Susan chess and it was she who got Judit and Sofia into the game. “He was a chess fan and wanted to have an opponent,” she says. “But he was never a professional player, and he never even owned a book on chess until we started playing together.”

Polgar, who was homeschooled, was introduced to the game at 4 and her first win, a perfect 10-0 score in the girls-under-11 championship in Budapest, turned her into a media sensation. By age 10, she was beating her father at his own game. By age 15, she was the No. 1 female player in the world.

When she was ready to enter college, Polgar could say “Checkmate!” in seven languages—Hungarian, English, German, Russian, Spanish, Hebrew and Esperanto—and decided to major in physical education and sports teaching, taking a special degree in chess at the Academy of Physical Sports and Education in Minsk, Belarussia.

Her victories and “firsts” have been steady throughout her career. The only world champion, male or female, to win the triple crown—rapid, blitz and traditional world championships—she also is the first woman to win the U.S. Open Blitz Championship; the first woman to win the Grandmaster of the Year Award; the first woman to break the gender barrier to earn the Men's Grandmaster title, and the first woman to qualify for the Men's World Championship.

The award-winning, best-selling author and columnist also is a three-time winner of the Chess Oscar.

What is Polgar's winning combination? There is a lot more to it than merely making the right moves at the right time, she says. Before the game even begins, Polgar does extensive study and research on her opponent's previous games and on overall strategies. “I have to set my mind so that I get the proper sleep. I have to be organized and really focused for the hours that it takes to play the game,” she says. “I also work on improving my endurance by going to the gym. It can take seven to eight hours for one game in top competitions, and it's very tense.”

Although chess is popular in Europe, in America it is considered intellectual, difficult and worst of all, boring. “It's not any of those things,” Polgar insists. “In Europe, you can make a living playing chess. In the United States, you can't. I hope to improve the image of chess and the life of professional players. I could teach you in an hour all the basics. You have to understand the rules and the logic. After that, it's all a matter of practice.”

To prove her point, she has written a number of books, including Teach Yourself Chess in 24 Hours and The World Champion's Guide to Chess, which will be published in March 2005.

Some 45 million people in the United States spend time moving black and white kings and queens from square to square on chessboards and some 200,000 children in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have learned to cheerfully declare “Checkmate,” but only a few schools teach it. “In Europe, there are over 30 countries that use it in the school curriculum,” Polgar says. “I'm trying to get U.S. schools to use chess as a tool nationwide. Unlike a lot of other sports like baseball and football, it's very affordable. You can buy a chess set for $10, and two people can play, and it can be used over and over for years.”

What's more, playing chess helps children develop critical thinking that is useful not only in the game but also in academics, social situations and life in general, she adds. “Test scores improved by 17.3% for students regularly engaged in chess classes, compared with only 4.6% for children participating in other forms of enriched activities,” Polgar notes. “Chess has been shown to develop decision-making, critical thinking, logical thinking, evaluating, planning, problem solving and perseverance skills. It improves concentration, memory, intuition and self-control and promotes independence, imagination and creativity. And it inspires self-motivation, self-esteem and self-confidence. And this is why I am working very hard to raise money for my foundation. I want to be able to help all children in America do better in school and life through chess.”

Indeed, Polgar dreams of making chess so popular that it competes with other sports, like tennis, baseball and football. “We hope to get many more colleges to start offering scholarships for chess,” she says. “And we are working to promote chess as a grassroots movement in some of the smaller cities.”

Once the potential of chess is understood, there will be an explosion of interest, Polgar says. “In terms of popularity, it's still in its infancy,” she maintains. “The whole boom in professional chess will create a whole chain reaction that can revolutionize the game and influence society in a positive way.”

That's why Polgar wants to put a chess piece in the hand of every child in America and to bring the game to life just as the Central Park demonstration did. As part of that effort, she is working on a concept for an educational and entertaining television show that would introduce children to chess.

“I found my first chess set when I was looking in the closet at home for a new toy,” Polgar relates. “I originally was attracted to the shape of the figures. Later, it was the logic that fascinated me and the challenge. When I won with my first perfect score, it gave me self-confidence. And I can see the difference in my own sons; they are more focused, they are more disciplined.”

As Polgar is leaving Central Park, yet another young awestruck fan approaches and asks for an autograph. While she's signing, another fan from across the courtyard points her out to a companion, and in an I-can't-believe-it-tone, exclaims, “Wow! That's Susan Polgar!”

Source: http://www.lifestylesmagazine.com

Knight Raiders Accomplishments

2011-05-25T19:44:00.000-05:00

Here are just some of the Knight Raiders' accomplishments in the past three year since SPICE was established:

2008 PanAm Intercollegiate Chess Championships (Fort Worth, TX)
Board 1 Division I National Champion – IM Gergely Antal

2009 PanAm Intercollegiate Chess Championships (South Padre Island, TX)
Board 1 Division I National Champion – IM Davorin Kuljasevic
Board 3 Division I National Champion – IM Gergely Antal
Division IV National Team Champion (Osbourn, Haskin, James, Parkhomenko, Shah)
Texas Tech A qualified for the College Chess Final Four in its first try in Division I (Kuljasevic, Papp, Antal, Watters)

2009 Tournament of College Champions (Irvine, CA)
National Division I Individual Champion – IM Gergely Antal

2010 PanAm Intercollegiate Chess Championships (Milwaukee, WI)
Division II National Team Champion (Watters, Flores, Lelko, Cassidy, Osbourn)
Division IV National Team Champion (Haskin, Kamphorst, James, Roy)
Board 2 Division I National Champion – GM Andre Diamant
Board 3 Division I National Champion – GM Anatoly Bykhovsky
Texas Tech qualified for the College Chess Final Four for 2nd consecutive year (Kuljasevic, Diamant, Bykhovsky, Sipos)

2011 College Chess Final Four (Herndon, VA)

Division I National Team Champion (GM Bykhovsky, GM Kuljasevic, IM Sipos, GM Diamant, SM Aleskerov)

2009 Texas State Collegiate Championships (Houston, TX)
State Division I Individual Champion – IM Gergely Antal
State Division I Team Champion – Texas Tech

2009 Southwest Open – Regional (Fort Worth, TX)
Regional Division I Individual Champion – IM Gergely Antal

Scott Pelley from Lubbock on Letterman Show

2011-05-25T09:29:00.002-05:00

One man against the chess world

2011-05-24T17:12:00.001-05:00

'Bobby Fischer Against the World' Premieres 6/6 on HBO
Tuesday, May 17, 2011; Posted: 07:05 PM - by BWW News Desk

In 1958, 14-year-old Robert James "Bobby" Fischer stunned the chess world by becoming the youngest grandmaster in history, launching a career that would make him a legend. Over the next decade and a half, his breathtaking rise to the top of the game riveted the world and inspired an international chess phenomenon. Then, at the apex of his success, Fischer disappeared from the public eye.

The revealing documentary BOBBY FISCHER AGAINST THE WORLD, debuting MONDAY, JUNE 6 (9:00-10:45 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO, chronicles the chess master's meteoric rise, culminating in the historic 1972 match against Boris Spassky in Iceland, as well as his shocking withdrawal from competition and the paranoia that derailed his life. The film was a 2011 Sundance Film Festival selection.

Other HBO playdates: June 6 (4:25 a.m.), 9 (2:45 p.m.), 11 (12:30 p.m.), 14 (4:00 p.m., 12:30 a.m.) and 19 (2:45 p.m.)

HBO2 playdate: June 8 (9:00 p.m.)

Beginning with BOBBY FISCHER AGAINST THE WORLD, HBO Documentary Films presents another weekly series this summer, debuting a provocative new special every Monday through Aug. 15. Other June films include: "A Matter of Taste: Serving Up Paul Liebrandt" (June 13); "Sex Crimes Unit" (June 20); and "Hot Coffee" (June 27).

Directed by Liz Garbus (the Oscar(R)-nominated "The Farm: Angola, USA"; HBO's Emmy(R)-winning "Ghosts of Abu Ghraib"), BOBBY FISCHER AGAINST THE WORLD explores the complex life of the troubled genius whose charisma and talent spurred a worldwide fascination with the "game of kings." Fischer's evolution from childhood chess prodigy to global superstar, angry recluse and, finally, fugitive from the law is a spellbinding story of the making and unmaking of an American icon.

Raised in a modest Brooklyn apartment, he overcame an unconventional and difficult childhood, learning to play chess at age six. While his brilliant but distracted single mother, Regina, was pursuing her passion for Communist politics, the eight-year-old Fischer was regularly playing, and beating, more experienced adults.

"Chess is like my alter ego," Fischer once told a journalist. As he rose in the ranks of the game, his obsession with winning and lack of social finesse led others to call him a prima donna, eccentric, paranoid, even "the most arrogant man in the world," but no one could argue with his supremacy at the table.

Providing an unprecedented look at the man behind the headlines, the film weaves together news clips dating from the 1950s to the 2000s, photographs, letters - many never made public before - and exclusive interviews with friends, fans and colleagues. Interviewees include: chess champions Gary Kasparov, Susan Polgar, Larry Evans and Dr. Anthony Saidy; authors David Edmonds and Malcolm Gladwell; talk-show host Dick Cavett; Paul Marshall, Fischer's personal attorney; Harry Sneider, his trainer; and photojournalist Harry Benson, who was granted unfettered access to Fischer during his training for the 1972 championship, as well as during the competition. Garbus also draws on a wealth of archival footage, along with never-before-seen photographs by Benson, to create a searing portrait of a brilliant but elusive man whose life was shattered by obsession and mental instability.

BOBBY FISCHER AGAINST THE WORLD spotlights the thrilling 1972 world championship match between Fischer and Boris Spassky. Breaking down the historic tournament game by game, Garbus deftly highlights the parallels between the 21-game marathon and the tense geopolitics of the Cold War era, with the eccentric Brooklyn Boy facing the brilliant Soviet-sponsored grandmaster. Televised throughout the world, the competition was held in Reykjavik, Iceland and became a focal point of the U.S. and Soviet Cold War tensions, which at one point required the intervention of national security advisor Henry Kissinger. As Kissinger explains, "The Soviets had been winning these tournaments and I thought it would be good for America, for democracy, to have an American win."

Garbus also documents his later years, which were marked by disastrous choices and bizarre behavior. The reclusive Fischer's triumph over Spassky transformed him into the most famous man of his day, to his chagrin. In 1975, he refused to defend his championship against the young Anatoly Karpov, opting to forfeit rather than risk the public humiliation of a loss. He gave up competitive play at the height of his powers and withdrew from public life, occasionally appearing incognito at obscure chess clubs.

Fischer's laser-like focus, ability to anticipate multiple threats and drive to utterly dominate his opponents made him all but unbeatable. But the same qualities that made him a grandmaster poisoned his relationships, skewed his worldview and began to erase the fragile line between genius and madness. Unable to trust and unwilling to bend, Fischer became a fugitive from his own success.

Twenty years later, Fischer's return to professional chess for a rematch against Spassky in Sveti Stefan led to his indictment by the U.S. government for ignoring UN sanctions against Yugoslavia. After Sveti Stefan, he faced ten years in prison in his home country, and spent more than a decade evading arrest. The increasingly isolated, Jewish-born Fischer lashed out at perceived enemies in bizarre anti-Semitic and anti-American rants, driving away his few remaining friends. With his U.S. passport revoked, Iceland was the only country to offer sanctuary to the former superstar, now almost unrecognizable as the man whose early promise and dashing looks helped make chess the most popular board game in the world. In 2008, at age 64, Fischer died in Reykjavik, the site of his greatest triumph. But the legacy of his games remains today.

Two additional featurettes will be available on HBO On Demand.

"The Fight for Fischer's Estate" (seven minutes) tells the story of the many claims to Fischer's two-million-dollar estate, featuring exclusive interviews with Marilyn Young, his Filipino girlfriend, Jinky Young, her daughter, claimed to be Fischer's daughter by Marilyn Young, and Russell Targ, Fischer's American brother-in-law. Also included is archival interview footage of Miyoko Watai, the Japanese woman who claims to be Fischer's wife. Since Fischer's death in 2008, these parties have been fighting for control of the estate. Two years later, after battles in Icelandic courts, his exhumation and subsequent DNA tests finally laid the matter to rest.

"Chess History" (five minutes) explains the origins of the game, its infinite complexity and enduring popularity. The segment features a wealth of unusual archive footage, plus interviews with Garry Kasparov, a respected chess authority and one of the best players of all time; Susan Polgar, a four-time women's world champion and five-time Olympic champion, who provides a brief "lesson" on the various powers of the pieces and basic rules of the game; and noted chess authors David Shenk and David Edmonds.

BOBBY FISCHER AGAINST THE WORLD is directed by Liz Garbus; produced by Stanley Buchthal, Liz Garbus, Rory Kennedy, Matthew Justus; editors, Karen Schmeer & Michael Levine; director of photography, Robert Chappell; original score, Philip Sheppard; executive producers, Dan Cogan, Nick Fraser, Maja Hoffmann, Martin Pieper. For HBO: senior producer, Nancy Abraham; executive producer, Sheila Nevins.

http://tv.broadwayworld.com

SPICE Summer Chess Camp

2011-05-23T10:49:00.000-05:00

Chess Summer Camp
July 11-15, 2011
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, Texas

Learn chess from world champion Susan Polgar and her team. Beginners to advanced K-12 players welcome.

Campers will practice writing and computer skills. Sports and other activities offered.

• Commuter Plan: $295/week

Check-in Monday 8am-9am. Camp hours are 9am-5:00pm daily Monday - Thursday. Camp ends at 3pm on Friday. Lunch and snacks included.

• Residential Plan: $595/week

Arrive Sunday 7/10 between 6pm - 9pm. Dorm lodging and all meals are included, including dinner on Sunday through lunch on Friday.

Camp ends at 3pm on Friday. Residential plan is based on double occupancy. Grades 5-12 only.

Very limited space!

Residential plan registration closes June 6, 2011.

See http://www.SPICE.ttu.edu, email SPICE@ttu.edu, or call (806) 742-7742.

Little Known Feminist

2011-05-23T03:02:00.001-05:00

This article was actually published shortly before I moved to Texas to run Texas Tech SPICE

Susan Polgar: Little Known Feminist Icon
By ALICIA COLON

http://www.nysun.com

The woman I met two years ago at the Congress of Racial Equality's annual Martin Luther King gala certainly deserves to be a feminist icon. Yet when I checked the Web site of the National Organization for Women for anything on Susan Polgar, I found nothing. Instead, the Web site promptly spit back, "Do you mean Susan Pleasure?" Surely a woman who had broken the gender barrier time and time again and had developed a foundation for young girls that would improve their self-esteem and assuredness deserved some notice by this women's group. Alas, Ms. Polgar's achievements are in the male dominated world of chess — that great game of cerebral excellence and strategy — not politically correct issues.

On June 25 the city hosted the highest-rated round robin chess competition in America's history — the Mayor's Cup. In spite of Ms. Polgar's stellar record of four World Women's Championships, five Olympic gold medals, and Grandmaster status, the Hungarian-American mother from Queens went into this event under low expectations.

I asked her about the difficulty of the event. She said, "Before the event, I was unsure of my performance because it is incredibly hard to combine being the organizer of the event, a devoted chess mom, and being one of the players at the same time. This is a very big handicap. In addition, there was a lot of pressure being the only woman in the highest rated ever chess tournament in U.S. history. If I do well, it is a big boost for women's chess in America. However, there are many critics who were just waiting for me to fail so they can say that a woman has no business competing against top-level male players."

What little I know about the world of chess has been derived from headlines about the eccentricity of Bobby Fischer and feature films of other child prodigies. Historically, chess champions are also predominantly male Europeans. I also know that Ms. Polgar competed in other events playing simultaneous opponents and scored a spectacular win record (see www.susanpolgar.com). How did she do, I asked? She told me, "I was the lowest rated player in this tournament. Many people said the odds of me winning this tournament is like the odds of winning the lottery. Many believed that I would finish in last place by a significant margin. I gave it my best shot and I was one half point away from winning the strongest tournament in U.S. history."

Ms. Polgar competed against Grandmaster Ildar Ibragimov, Grandmaster Alexander Stri and the reigning U.S.Champion Grandmaster Alexander Onischuk for the first time. She finished ahead of them both. Gata Kamsky, now ranked no. 1 U.S. male, won the competition.

Raise your hand if you've never heard of Ms. Polgar but have heard of Annika Sorenstam's failed attempt to qualify for the PGA tournament. Yet Ms. Polgar's demolishment of gender barriers in the last 25 years has actually reduced the chauvinism in chess competition.

Speaking of her battles, she said, "One of the most painful experiences was in 1986. I was the first woman in history to qualify for the ‘Men's' World Chess Championship but I wasn't allowed to compete. The official reason was I am a woman and no woman is allowed. Luckily by the end of that same year, because of my case, the International Chess Federation changed the rule by deleting the word ‘Men's' from the name of the event. Since then women, if they qualify, can compete for the overall world title. I have stood up for the rights of women chess players around the world in the past three decades and I will not give up until we have the same rights and conditions as our male counterparts."

Ms. Polgar started playing when she was just 4 years old and soon won the championship of Budapest in her native Hungary with a perfect score (10–0). She was a hyperactive child who discovered that chess enabled her to focus for hours. Why not chess instead of Ritalin, I asked? Susan agreed that chess is certainly more fun than medication and added, "I strongly believe that chess can help all children educationally and chess will give them many incredible benefits throughout their lives. This is even more important for girls as it can help enhance their self-confidence and self-esteem."

The women I truly admire are those who face enormous wrath for telling the truth, as Phyllis Chesler did when she spoke of the feminist hypocrisy ignoring the plight of battered Islamic women; and women like Susan Polgar who break down gender barriers without demanding that they be altered or lowered.

http://www.nysun.com

Questions from parents and coaches

2011-05-19T23:02:00.000-05:00

Questions from parents and coaches

May 19, 2011 - 3:56pm
Susan Polgar
Avalanche Journal

1. My son started learning chess about 6 months ago. He is still a novice player. What is the best way for him to improve at chess? (Mary from Atlanta, Ga.)

This is a very good question. One of the most important things to learn is middlegame tactics. Basic endgame is also very important. They are part of the foundation of chess.

What you can do is start with basic middlegame tactics such as: Checkmate in one, fork, pin, skewer, discovery, etc. Slowly increase the level of difficulties from one move to two moves, then three and so on.

In addition, what I recommend is to record the time it takes your son to solve each puzzle. Go back to the same puzzles 2-3 months later and see if he would be able to successfully solve the same puzzles faster than the first time. If he does, it shows that he is able to recognize the important positions and patterns.

The same thing can be done with endgames. Start with checkmate with King and Queen versus King, King and Rook versus King, King and two Rooks versus King, King and two Bishops versus King, etc. Be patient, work on one thing at the time. Don't expect him to be able to solve everything the first time. Make it fun and exciting. Reward him for job well done and give him the encouragement he needs if he makes mistakes. Good luck!

2. Is it good to allow young players to play a lot of Blitz? (Bill from Red Banks, N.J.)

Yes and no. Blitz is good but only with moderation. There are pluses and minuses when it comes to Blitz.

Some of the good things are they get to play more games and gain more experience. It also helps them to think and react quicker. Some of the bad things are they may follow the same bad habits in Blitz in regular games.

My recommendation is to keep blitz at around 25-30% of their chess activities.

3. What is the best age to teach children chess? (Jill from Chicago, Ill.)

This is a very commonly asked question. In my opinion, the best age is anywhere between 4-6 years old, depending on the child. Some kids are more mature faster and can start at 4. Some would be better off at 5 or 6. My children started to learn the rules of chess before they were 5. However, they were not really into chess until many months later.

No matter if it is 4, 5 or 6 years old, you have to make it fun, exciting and motivating for the children. That's the most important thing. If they do not enjoy it, they will not stay with chess.

4. My son is 7 years old. He is rated about 1,000. What is a good opening for him to learn? (Joaquin from Miami, Fla.)

I am not a big fan of spending too much time teaching openings to beginners and novices. In my opinion, one should not spend so much time learning openings until at least 1800 and above. I always try to focus more in middlegames and endgames. I would recommend choosing openings that do not require so much time memorizing the lines and new theories. Therefore, something like the King's Indian Attack or the Colle may be ideal.

5. Do you recommend Internet play? Which is a good Internet chess server? (Mike from Salt Lake City, Utah)

I do. I think the Internet can be very helpful. However, parents do need to make sure to monitor the environment. There are many good servers out there. Each has pluses and minuses. It comes down to personal preference.

Some of the well known servers include: ICC (www.ChessClub.com), Play Chess (www.PlayChess.com), FICS (www.freechess.org), Chess (www.Chess.com), Chess Cube (www.ChessCube.com), etc.

6. I have two chess playing children at home. My wife and I do not play chess very well. Can chess software help my children? (Vinay from Toronto, Canada)

Absolutely! This is a great thing about chess in the 21st century. There are many chess software out there that can play 2600-3100 level. It is like having a grandmaster at home 24/7.

However, there are things you should be aware of. Chess programs do not understand certain chess position very well even though they are nearly flawless in tactics and combinations. Therefore, you may want to find a local, qualified coach when your children reach a certain level in chess.

7. Which chess software do you recommend? Fritz, Junior, Shredder, Tiger, Chessmaster, Rybka, Stockfish, or Houdini? (B. Castilla from Tampa, Fla.)

To be honest, you can hardly find the difference between them, especially for amateur or hobby chess players. They are all very strong. I think it is just a matter of preference. Chessmaster is just a small notch lower in strength but it compensates with cooler graphics. The strongest would be Houdini, Stockfish, and Rybka. Any of them can be great playing partners.

8. Can you recommend good books on chess tactics? (Anonymous from Brooklyn, N.Y.)

It actually depends on the level of the players. For beginners, I recommend World Champion's Guide to Chess. It has all the most important tactical motifs. The next one up would be Chess Tactics for Champions. I wrote both of these books based on my personal learning and teaching experience of over 30 years. They are also very affordable at only $17.95 each.

9. Should I enter my 6 year old daughter in an all-girls chess tournament? (Judith from Sacramento, Calif.)

Sure. If your daughter is not intimidated playing against boys her age or a little older, let her play in both: mixed tournaments and all-girls. If she has a confidence problem, start her out in all-girls event so she can feel more comfortable with the environment.

10. How do I start a scholastic chess club in my area? (Javier from N.M.)

This is a very good question. You can contact your school to see if you can have an after-school scholastic chess club. This is what many parents have done. It can be done at the cafeteria or library after school. Some parents started a scholastic chess club at a local café, restaurant or book store. If you need further help, you can send me a private email. I may be able to give you a hand with more ideas.

Baseball, like chess, is a game of strategy, mental focus and concentration and physical stamina

2011-05-16T08:59:00.000-05:00

College scholarship? Check: It's no surprise that Texas Tech recruiters love the way Charles Modlin III, aka Trey Modlin, plays the game and went after him hard, offering him lots of scholarship money to play for them.

The Shaker Heights High School senior, after all, led his baseball team last year in batting average, was voted varsity offensive player of the year and earned All Lake Erie honors. He was Channel 3 athlete of the week. He hits clean-up, plays just about any position and is tough to hit on the mound.

But baseball has nothing to do with the Red Raiders' interest.

Modlin was recruited by for his mastery at chess.

No kidding. International Chess Grandmaster Susan Polgar recruited Modlin to play chess as part of the Texas Tech University Chess Team and the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence there for his mastery at chess.

No kidding.

He's Bobby Bonds meets Bobby Fischer.

"They're serious about chess there," said Trey's dad, Dr. Charles Modlin, a Cleveland Clinic kidney transplant surgeon. His mom, Dr. Sheryl Modlin, is a pediatric anesthesiologist at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital.

Trey's chess dominance all started as a 4-year-old playing checkers.

"Then he wanted me to teach him how to play chess," said his dad.

Then he got private lessons from Michael Joelson and later was mentored by International Grandmaster Maurice Ashley, a role model because he is the first black chess player to achieve that top ranking.

"He's a lot better than me," Trey's dad admitted. "I haven't beaten him in years."

Dad's not alone. Trey beats a lot of competitors, racking up two national titles and four state championships (in grades 2, 10, 11 and 12). He's also a great trumpet player in the marching band and jazz ensemble.

Said Trey: "Baseball, like chess, is a game of strategy, mental focus and concentration and physical stamina. Many chess matches are 3 or 4 days long, 12 hours a day and require the player to be physically and mentally strong. Chess and baseball both require more practice and preparation off the field before the player enters the field."

Source: http://www.cleveland.com

Interview with GM Kuljasevic

2011-05-13T20:55:00.000-05:00

Interview with Knight Raider Captain GM Davorin Kuljasevic shortly before his graduation on May 13, 2011. He will receive an MBA in Finance from Texas Tech University tonight.

Knight Raiders celebration at Market Street in Lubbock

2011-04-30T21:20:00.003-05:00

United Supermarket, the largest supermarket chain in West Texas, hosted a celebration with the Texas Tech Knight Raiders at their flagship Market Street store on 50th Street and Indiana.

Behind the A team members is Mr. Jodey Arrington, chief of staff for Chancellor Kent Hance.

Big win for the Knight Raiders and Dr. Karlsson

2011-04-29T13:34:00.001-05:00

The Knight Raiders Chess Club just won the 2010-11 Texas Tech University Most Improved Student Organization and the Texas Tech Student Organization of the Year Awards!

In addition, Dr. Hal Karlsson also won the 2010-11 Texas Tech University Most Outstanding Student Organization Advisor of the Year Award!

Congratulations to the Knight Raiders and Dr. Hal Karlsson!

Meet the Texas Tech Knight Raiders

2011-04-29T11:45:00.002-05:00

Meet the Texas Tech Knight Raiders, 2011 National Collegiate Chess Champions, at Market Street Supermarket on 50th & Indiana this Saturday (April 30th ) between 3 - 3:45pm!

This announcement is represented by a registered student organization.

Texas Tech Chess Ad

2011-04-25T12:53:00.002-05:00

Inside Higher Ed April 25, 2011

http://www.insidehighered.com/newsletter/html

Special Final Four Interview

2011-04-17T22:17:00.002-05:00

The golden coaches of the Knight Raiders about the Final Four success
Susan Polgar and Paul Truong in a large interview
Chessdom.com

The Knight Riders were successful at this year's Final Four. The team led by Susan Polgar and Paul Truong managed to win a title in what can be viewed as the Final Four with largest mass media coverage.

After the success, coaches Polgar and Truong gave an extensive interview to Dr. Hal Karlsson, Associate Professor of GeoSciences at Texas Tech University.

Dr. Hal Karlsson: Susan and Paul, first of all, congratulations! This Final Four victory is simply fantastic and quite unexpected. How did it happen?

Susan Polgar: Thank you. I think the team did great, and even though we were the lowest seed, as a team, we believed that we could win. I also think we were more unified and working together more as a team than our competitors. I’m very proud of our guys that they gave their all.

Paul Truong: It is a good feeling for the entire team because they’ve worked very, very hard to be able to accomplish this. As Susan said, they gave it their all and they deserve it.

SP: They were also fearless. They were not intimidated facing much stronger opponents, even ones they had bad records against in the past. In the first round, Grandmaster Timur Gareev of UTB, the highest rated player in Texas, offered our top board, Grandmaster Anatoly Bykhovsky, a draw in a very complicated position. Bykhovsky just lost to Gareev in an earlier encounter in Berkeley. Even with that in mind, Bykhovksy refused the draw offer against a much higher rated opponent and went all out for the win.

In the critical final round, a similar thing happened. Grandmaster Leonid Kritz of the defending champion UMBC, the highest rated player of the entire Final Four, offered our team captain Grandmaster Davorin Kuljasevic a draw with the white pieces. In the same matchup last year's Final Four, Kuljasevic lost to Kritz. Just as Bykhovsky, Kuljasevic refused the draw offer and went all out for the win. Both of them succeeded and they gave our team two vital points toward the national title. As their coach, I could not be more proud of this.

HK: Clearly all the teams must prepared very hard for the Final Four given what was at stake here. But what accounted for Texas Tech's success. What was the secret?

PT: I believe the secret is quite easy. We simply worked harder. We not only studied the games of our opponents just as everyone else, but we also study our opponents' demeanor, body language, movement, facial expression, pattern of thinking and decision making, etc. We dissected every inch of every possible aspect of the game. We put countless hours into the preparation. Even after our players were asleep, Susan spent hours double checking all the analysis to make sure there was no error. We were lucky to even get a few hours of sleep.

It does not mean that we will succeed every time. It just means that we will put our team in the best possible position to win. We had a similar approach when Susan and I ran the 2004 U.S. Women's Olympiad program which brought home the first four ever Chess Olympiad medals (2 gold and 2 silver) for the United States. If you want to win, you have to be willing to work harder than everyone else. No one will just hand the title to you. If you want it, you have to get it.

Another thing we did different than other teams is our approach before the start of the Final Four. The team arrived in Washington, D.C. very late Thursday night. We had Friday free until about 6 p.m. Other teams stayed in the hotel to do some last minute preparation. Being a world class competitor herself, Susan realized that the players were under tremendous pressure. So she decided to give them two choices:

1. To stay in the hotel like other teams to cramp in last minute preparation. 2. Go for a tour in Washington, D.C. to relax, stay fresh, and build further team chemistry.

The players voted to go to D.C. So we spent the day on the famous Double Decker bus tour to visit the White House, Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, the Capitol Building, and other landmarks. The players had plenty of good times and good laughs. It worked out great. But if it did not work as planned, I am sure others would be quick to criticize her decision. But as a coach, you need to make tough decisions.

HK: That is impressive. But Susan also accomplished something else in this Final Four.

PT: Yes. Last year, Susan became the first female head coach to take a men’s division I team to the Final Four. This year, she is the first female to take a men's division I team all the way. You cannot even imagine, let’s say, a female coaching a men’s basketball team or men’s football team to the national title, but in chess, she showed that it can happen.

And the success was not only in division I. In just in the past two years, the Knight Raiders also won the national division II, III, and IV titles, in additional to many other individual honors. This is simply another gender barrier that she was able to break. What is even more amazing is this is only our second year competing in division I.

UTD and UMBC have been ruling the collegiate chess world for the past decade. For us to catch up with them on this level, this fast, was pretty amazing. I am sure the competition will be a lot tougher next year as all the schools will try to improve their rosters.

Susan now has done it all. She won Olympiad gold, five of them. She won the Women's World Championship Triple-Crown (Rapid, Blitz, and Classical). Her students have won National Scholastic Championships and now Collegiate Championships. But don't worry, she'll find more barriers to break, I am sure.

HK: Was there any particular player who stood out for Texas Tech in this Final Four?

SP: No. It was total team work. They fought hard as a unit and a different player came through for us in each round. It was Bykhovsky in the first round, Sipos in the second, Kuljasevic in the final round. Diamant was solid all the way through. And Aleskerov, as a reserve player, was the biggest cheerleader for his teammates the whole time. Just like the famous song by Sister Sledge, "We Are Family", the Texas Tech Knight Raider family.

HK: I saw the Final Four chess boards the Knight Raiders were holding up. Those look unique. Did you make those and how can one get one of them?

SP: Those are very special Final Four commemorative boards. They are not for sale. Only twenty of them were done and they were made by our friends at GLOSgames.com. This is an American company out of Kansas City, Missouri. They have done a lot of good things to promote chess and bring kids into the game. When I told them about Final Four, they immediately designed and produced these twenty special boards to give out to each of the four teams and the sponsor, Booz Allen Hamilton. They also sponsored other scholastic events of mine in the past. It is a good company and good people and I am proud that they support chess and the Knight Raiders. You cannot buy these boards but you can design your own chess board with them or use one of their over 110,000 designs.

HK: That is pretty neat. So what is the next step? A long celebration or vacation? I understand the team is going to Vegas (not Disney World like football players). What was that all about?

SP: There is no time to rest. Winning it is hard. But defending it is even harder. We already started to prepare for next year with recruiting. We have a tradition of excellence at Texas Tech and we hope to win many more championship titles.

We are lucky to have strong support from Chancellor Hance, President Bailey, Provost Smith, our supervisor Vice President and Vice Provost Dr. Juan Munoz, our donors, and so many other people at Texas Tech and in Lubbock. To have people waiting to cheer the chess team on at the airport when they returned at midnight was pretty incredible. The media also prominently covered the team success. Everyone believes in us and we want to continue making all of them and this university proud. We will do everything in our power to help Texas Tech become a Tier One university. Through chess, we will attract some of the greatest minds to this university.

HK: What other goals does SPICE have in mind?

SP: As the chairwoman for the FIDE (World Chess Federation) Commission for Women's Chess, I am working with SPICE to promote women's chess and help raise the playing level of the next generation through various important initiatives. SPICE is also actively working to get chess in more schools. This is a very important part of our goal.

University Interscholastic League (UIL) of Texas, the largest inter-school organization of its kind in the world, has approved the proposal from SPICE to include chess puzzle solving as a statewide competition. This can potentially be the biggest scholastic chess initiatives in the United States as more than 2,000 schools in Texas are competing in a number of UIL competitions each year.

I am also hoping to work closer with FIDE to enhance various chess in the schools and chess in education projects in the United States. The future of chess is very bright.

HK: Thank you, Susan and Paul, for your time. Once again, congratulations and Go Tech! Check'em Knight Raiders!

SP and PT: Thank you, Hal.

Dr. Hal Karlsson is original from the chess loving country Iceland. He is an Associate Professor of GeoSciences at Texas Tech University. He is also the founder of SPICE as well as a student advisor for the Knight Raiders.

Bored with your board?

2011-04-15T09:31:00.003-05:00

Highest Quality Vinyl Chess Boards (made in the USA)

* Made from high performance, marine grade vinyl for a long life and easy cleaning
* Designs are printed directly onto vinyl for long life and vibrant colors
* All boards have standard size 2.25” x 2.25” squares

Create your own customized Board

* Endless possibilities for creating chess boards with unique club, school or personal identities
* Upload your own logos and images to appear on the board squares
* Change border and square colors with fun and easy editor

www.GLOSgames.com

Here are a few custom designed GLOS boards which I have framed in my SPICE office at Texas Tech University:

Letter from Chancellor Hance

2011-04-11T15:36:00.000-05:00

Cinderella brought home the glass slippers

2011-04-10T21:02:00.001-05:00

Cinderella brought home the glass slippers

April 10, 2011 - 7:14pm

AVALANCHE-JOURNAL

Heavy underdog Knight Raiders win the biggest national collegiate chess title
by PT

In only our second year competing in Division I chess, the Texas Tech Knight Raiders achieved the improbably by winning the 2011 College Chess Final Four, besting University of Maryland at Baltimore County (UMBC) and UT Dallas (UTD), the two teams which dominated college chess in the past decade. In the last 10 years, UMBC won the Final Four six times while UTD won it four times.

Even though the Knight Raiders have won nine national titles in the past two years, they were either individual division I titles or team division II, III and IV. This time, it is the most prestigious title in college chess, equivalent of the NCAA Final Four basketball.

The Knight Raiders entered the tournament as the 4th seed with an average rating of 50 points lower than the other three teams. It is like David facing Goliath three times. But in spite of the steep odd, they emerged as champions after three intense and grueling round-robin matches.

It is a consensus in the chess world that this is the strongest College Chess Final Four in history as each team fielded at least 3 Grandmasters and 1 International Master. The average USCF rating of the four teams is about 2580! There was no easy or lopsided match. Every battle came down to the last move, one way or another. If the tournament starts over again tomorrow, there is no telling which team will win. A tiny mistake could prove fatal, and a single move could decide the fate of the entire tournament.

The difference at the end came down to the clutch victory by Knight Raiders' team captain grandmaster Davorin Kuljasevic against the highest FIDE rated player in the Final Four, grandmaster Leonid Kritz, in the last match. This crucial win gave us a 2.5 - 1.5 match win against the defending champion UMBC and College Chess National Title!

Last year, Susan Polgar became the first female head coach of a men's division I team to make the Final Four. This year, she broke another gender barrier by becoming the first female to win it.

When the team got back to the Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport at around midnight on Monday, a nice crowd was on hand to greet the newly crowned national champions. It is an amazing feeling to be able to bring this major title to Texas Tech and Lubbock, especially when we receive so much support from Tech and the community. This is truly a team effort.

The College Chess Final Four was organized and sponsored by Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. for sponsoring this spectacular event. The entire Final Four was first class all the way.

Here are the members of the national championship team:

Board 1: Grandmaster Anatoly Bykhovsky
Board 2: Grandmaster Davorin Kuljasevic (Captain)
Board 3: International Master Istvan Sipos
Board 4: Grandmaster Andre Diamant
Reserve: Senior Master Faik Aleskerov

Head Coach: Grandmaster Susan Polgar
Assistant Coach: FIDE Master Paul Truong

Final standings

1. Texas Tech 7.0 points
2. UTD 6.5 points
3. UTB 6.0 points
4. UMBC 4.5 points

Photos from the 2011 College Chess Final Four in Washington, DC: https://picasaweb.google.com/SPICEChess/2011FinalFourInWashingtonDC

Photos from the heroes' welcome at Lubbock International Airport:
https://picasaweb.google.com/SPICEChess/WelcomeHomeKRNationalChamps

Source: http://lubbockonline.com

Special recognition for the Texas Tech Knight Raiders

2011-04-09T17:50:00.001-05:00

Here is the link to 40 pictures from the special banquet this afternoon to honor the Texas Tech Knight Raider Chess Team, 2011 National Champion.

Texas Tech Chancellor Kent Hance, President Dr. Guy Bailey, Provost Dr. Bob Smith, Vice President/Vice Provost Dr. Juan Munoz, Lady Raider Basketball Coach Kristy Curry, Deans, Department Chairs, and many other VIPs came to congratulate the Knight Raiders.

Go Tech!

KR Final Four Recognition with Chancellor Kent Hance

2011-04-09T17:47:00.000-05:00

KN recognition with Dr. Munoz

2011-04-09T17:46:00.000-05:00

KR Final Four Recognition

2011-04-09T17:43:00.001-05:00