Teens make history at Texas Tech

Teens Make History at 2011 SPICE Spring Chess Invitational
March 23, 2011
Written by Karin Slyker

Darwin Yang became the youngest International Master in Texas.

While many students were away on Spring Break, an intense battle took place in the English and Philosophy Building at Texas Tech. And when it was over, two teenagers made chess history.

Darwin Yang, of Plano, is now the youngest International Master in Texas Chess history. At age 14, he earned the title at the 2011 SPICE Spring Invitational upon defeating Harvard’s former number-one player, International Master Marc Esserman. Their match lasted more than four hours in the eighth round.

Hosted by the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence at Texas Tech, the 2011 SPICE Spring Invitational is one of the strongest tournaments held in the U.S. so far this year.

Yang is no stranger to Lubbock. He earned his first International Master norm at the 2010 SPICE Spring Invitational, and followed-up with his second at the 2010 SPICE Cup last fall.

“It is extremely rare to earn all the norms from the same place, but Yang earned all three norms right here in West Texas, on the campus of Texas Tech,” Polgar said.

Going into the final round, three players were tied for the lead: Yang, 15-year-old International Master Daniel Naroditsky and Grandmaster Davorin Kuljasevic, a Texas Tech graduate student and captain of the Knight Raiders A team.

Kuljasevic was the only player to remain undefeated in the end. He and Naroditsky tied for first, with Yang just half a point behind.

Naroditsky is the youngest player in history to either win or tie for first at a SPICE International Invitational event.

Source: http://today.ttu.edu

Knight Raider Captain share first at SPICE Spring Invitational

Texas Tech Knight Raider Captain share first at SPICE Spring Invitational
Posted: March 19, 2011 - 5:25pm
By Susan Polgar
FOR THE AVALANCHE-JOURNAL

Darwin Yang, a 14 year old from Plano, and the number junior in Texas, earned his third and final International Master norm at 2011 SPICE Spring Chess Invitational after beating Harvard former number one player, International Master Marc Esserman, in an intense battle which lasted more than four hours in the eighth round.

This was a critical game as it was a must win situation for both players. Esserman needed to win in the final two rounds to secure a Grandmaster norm. Yang only needed to draw to earn his final International Master norm. But just like Esserman, he also had to win his final two games for his first Grandmaster norm.

The more experienced Esserman decided to go all out and literally threw the kitchen sink at Yang hoping to rattle the kid. However, the poised 14 year old with nerve of steel calmly defended his opponent’s attack and tricky tactics. At the end, the risky strategy by Esserman failed. Yang scored the full point to make history by earning his third and final International Master norm to become the youngest International Master in Texas Chess history.

Texas Tech and Lubbock definitely feel like second home for Wang as he always performs extremely well here. He earned his first two International Master norm at the 2010 SPICE Spring Invitational and 2010 SPICE Cup. As players compete all across the country and around the world, it is extremely rare to earn all the norms from the same place. But Yang earned all three norms right here in West Texas, on the campus of Texas Tech. His next goal is to become a Grandmaster, the highest designation in chess.

This is Naroditsky's first tournament at Texas Tech. His chess resume is impressive for an individual at such a young age. Not to be outdone by Yang, 15 year old International Master Daniel Naroditsky and number one junior in California, also performed spectacularly. Both were in contention for the SPICE title throughout the entire tournament.

Naroditsky shocked the chess world three years ago by winning the World Youth Championship as a heavy underdog. He earned a spot in the upcoming 2011 US Championship by finishing as the top American in the 2010 US Open. He will be by far the youngest participant in the field. In addition to being a chess phenom, he is also an accomplished chess author. He has written a number of articles in various chess publications. His first chess book, Master Positional Chess, was released last year to rave review. His next book will be published soon.

Both Yang and Naroditsky are top notch students in their respective schools. Yang also plays football for his school.

Going into the final round, three players were tied for the lead: Naroditsky, and Yang. There was no easy game and every battle lasted around four hours or longer. After the smokes were cleared, Kuljasevic and Naroditsky tied for first with Yang just half a point behind.
Kuljasevic is a graduate student at Texas Tech. He is also the Captain of the Knight Raiders A team. He played solidly throughout the entire tournament and was the only player who remained undefeated at the end.

Final round 9 results

Diamant 1-0 Yang
Esserman 1/2 Naroditsky
Altounian 1/2 Kuljasevic
Bykhovsky 1–0 Aleskerov
Sipos 1-0 Kleiman

All five members of the Texas Tech Knight Raiders A team took part in this prestigious event. In addition to bringing tremendous positive worldwide publicity to Texas Tech and Lubbock, the SPICE Spring Invitational also served as a valuable warm up for our players as they prepare to compete in the College Chess Final Four in Washington, DC in two weeks.

Final standings

(GM = Grandmaster, IM = International Master, FM = FIDE Master, SM = Senior Master)

1-2. GM Kuljasevic, IM Naroditsky 6.0 points
3. FM Yang 5.5 points
4-6. GM Bykhovsky, GM Diamant, IM Esserman 5.0 points
7-8. IM Altounian, IM Sipos 4.0 points
9. SM Aleskerov 2.5 points
10. IM Kleiman 2.0 points

Source: http://lubbockonline.com/columnists/2011-03-19/polgar-texas-tech-knight-raider-captain-share-first-spice-spring-invitational

Kuljasevic and Naroditsky win 2011 SPICE Spring

235 Photos here: https://picasaweb.google.com/SPICEChess/SPICESpring2011

Final standings

1-2. GM Kuljasevic, IM Naroditsky 6.0 (+3)
3. FM Yang 5.5 (+2) [IM norm and title]
4-6. GM Bykhovsky, GM Diamant, IM Esserman 5.0 (+1)
7-8. IM Altounian, IM Sipos 4.0 (-1)
9. SM Aleskerov 2.5 (-4)
10. IM Kleiman 2.0 (-5)

Breaking News! Darwin Yang is the newest American IM!

Breaking News:

14 year old Texan became youngest International Master in Texas chess history

Darwin Yang, a 14 year old from Plano, the number junior in Texas, earned his third and final International Master norm last night after beating Harvard former number one player, International Master Marc Esserman, in an intense battle which lasted more than four hours in the eighth round of the 2011 SPICE Spring Chess Invitational.

It was a must win game for both players. Esserman needed to win in round 8 and 9 to secure a Grandmaster norm. Yang only needed to draw to earn his final International Master norm. But just like Esserman, he has to win his final two games for his first Grandmaster norm, the highest designation in chess.

The more experienced Esserman decided to go all out and literally threw the kitchen sink at Yang hoping to rattle the kid. However, the poised 14 year old with nerve of steel calmly defended his opponent’s attack and tricky tactics. At the end, the risky strategy by Esserman failed and Yang collected the full point to make history by becoming the youngest International Master in Texas Chess history.

Not to be outdone by Yang, 15 year old International Master Daniel Naroditsky and number one junior in California, defeated veteran International Master Levon Altounian from Arizona to tie for the SPICE Spring Chess Invitational lead.

Naroditsky shocked the chess world a little over three years ago by winning the World Youth Championship as a heavy underdog. He earned a spot in the upcoming 2011 US Championship by finishing as the top American in the 2010 US Open. In addition to being a chess phenom, he is also an accomplished chess author. He has written a number of articles in various chess publications. His first chess book, Master Positional Chess, was released last year to rave review. His next book will be published soon.

Both Yang and Naroditsky are top notch students in their respective schools.

Texas Tech Knight Raider Captain Grandmaster Davorin Kuljasevic remains in a tie for first place with just one round to go. He is the only player in the ten player world class field who is undefeated. All members of the Texas Tech Knight Raiders A team are taking part in this prestigious event. In addition to bringing tremendous positive worldwide publicity to Texas Tech and Lubbock, the SPICE Spring Invitational also serves as a valuable training event for our players as they are prepared to compete in the College Chess Final Four in Washington, DC in two weeks.

The final round will begin at 9:30 am today in room 201 at the Texas Tech English Building. The closing ceremony will take place at 2:30 pm.

Standings after 8 rounds

1-3. GM Kuljasevic, IM Naroditsky, FM Yang 5.5 (+3)
4. IM Esserman 4.5 (+1)
5-6. GM Bykhovsky, GM Diamant 4.0 (0)
7. IM Altounian 3.5 (-1)
8. IM Sipos 3.0 (-2)
9. SM Aleskerov 2.5 (-3)
10. IM Kleiman 2.0 (-4)

Norm scenario:

FM Darwin Yang already earned his 3rd and final IM norm. He needs to win last round for a GM norm
IM Naroditsky needs to win last round for a GM norm

March 16 9:30am
Final round 9

Diamant - Yang
Esserman - Naroditsky
Altounian - Kuljasevic
Bykhovsky – Aleskerov
Sipos - Kleiman

Closing ceremony: March 16 2:30pm

2011 SPICE Spring Invitational

The 2011 SPICE Spring Invitational, one of the most prestigious International Invitational Chess Tournaments in the United States, will take place from March 12 - 16, 2011 on the beautiful campus of Texas Tech University.

Time control: G/90 + 30 sec increment
Average rating: 2435+

1. SM Aleskerov, Faik 2324 FIDE - 2458 USCF (Azerbaijan)
2. FM Yang, Darwin 2416 FIDE - 2467 USCF (USA)
3. IM Naroditsky, Daniel 2438 FIDE - 2485 USCF (USA)
4. GM Kuljasevic, Davorin 2528 FIDE - 2558 USCF (Croatia)
5. IM Sipos, Istvan 2407 FIDE - 2458 USCF (Hungary)
6. IM Altounian, Levon 2432 FIDE - 2478 USCF (USA)
7. IM Esserman, Marc 2425 FIDE - 2530 USCF (USA)
8. GM Diamant, Andre 2520 FIDE - 2532 USCF (Brazil)
9. GM Bykhovsky, Anatoly 2517 FIDE - 2649 USCF (Israel)
10. IM Kleiman, Jake 2413 FIDE - 2470 USCF (USA)

SPICE Spring Invitational 2011 Schedule

Venue: TTU English Building, Room 201

Opening ceremony: March 12 9:30am

March 12 10:00am

Round 1
Aleskerov - Kleiman
Yang - Bykhovsky
Naroditsky - Diamant
Kuljasevic - Esserman
Sipos - Altounian

March 12 4:00pm

Round 2
Kleiman - Altounian
Esserman - Sipos
Diamant - Kuljasevic
Bykhovsky - Naroditsky
Aleskerov - Yang

March 13 10:00am

Round 3
Yang - Kleiman
Naroditsky - Aleskerov
Kuljasevic - Bykhovsky
Sipos - Diamant
Altounian - Esserman

March 13 4:00pm

Round 4
Kleiman - Esserman
Diamant - Altounian
Bykhovsky - Sipos
Aleskerov - Kuljasevic
Yang - Naroditsky

March 14 10:00am

Round 5
Naroditsky - Kleiman
Kuljasevic - Yang
Sipos – Aleskerov
Altounian - Bykhovsky
Esserman - Diamant

March 14 4:00pm

Round 6
Kleiman - Diamant
Bykhovsky - Esserman
Aleskerov - Altounian
Yang - Sipos
Naroditsky – Kuljasevic

March 15 10:00am

Round 7
Kuljasevic - Kleiman
Sipos - Naroditsky
Altounian - Yang
Esserman - Aleskerov
Diamant - Bykhovsky

March 15 4:00pm

Round 8
Kleiman - Bykhovsky
Aleskerov - Diamant
Yang - Esserman
Naroditsky - Altounian
Kuljasevic - Sipos

March 16 9:30am

Round 9
Sipos - Kleiman
Altounian - Kuljasevic
Esserman - Naroditsky
Diamant - Yang
Bykhovsky – Aleskerov

Closing ceremony: March 16 2:30pm

Hunting for norms

Major international chess event at Texas Tech during spring break
Posted: March 5, 2011 - 11:23pm

The 2011 SPICE Spring Invitational, one of the most prestigious International Invitational Chess Tournaments in the United States, will take place from March 12 - 16, 2011 on the beautiful campus of Texas Tech University.

In 2009, young International Master Robert Hess earned a Grandmaster norm at Texas Tech during the SPICE Spring Invitational. He completed his Grandmaster title shortly after that and his career has skyrocketed since. He is now one of the top players in this country.

In 2010, Darwin Yang, the top junior in Texas, earned his first International Master norm at the SPICE Spring Invitational. He followed it up with his 2nd International Master norm at the 2010 SPICE Cup. He is gunning for his final IM norm next Saturday.

We will once again have an all-star cast in this year's SPICE Spring Invitational.Here is the complete 10 player field:

GM = Grandmaster; IM = International Master; FM = FIDE Master; SM = Senior Master

GM Kuljasevic, Davorin 2528 FIDE - 2558 USCF (Croatia) - Texas Tech graduate student
GM Diamant, Andre 2520 FIDE - 2532 USCF (Brazil) - Texas Tech freshman
GM Bykhovsky, Anatoly 2517 FIDE - 2649 USCF (Israel) - Texas Tech freshman
IM Naroditsky, Daniel 2438 FIDE - 2485 USCF (USA) - Former Word Youth Champion
IM Altounian, Levon 2432 FIDE - 2478 USCF (USA) - Former North American Champion
IM Esserman, Marc 2425 FIDE - 2530 USCF (USA) - Former # 1 player from Harvard
FM Yang, Darwin 2416 FIDE - 2467 USCF (USA) - #1 junior in Texas
IM Kleiman, Jake 2413 FIDE - 2470 USCF (USA) - #1 junior in Tennessee
IM Sipos, Istvan 2407 FIDE - 2458 USCF (Hungary) - Texas Tech junior
SM Aleskerov, Faik 2324 FIDE - 2458 USCF (Azerbaijan) - Texas Tech graduate student

Tournament Schedule

March 12
9:30am Opening ceremony
10:00am Round 1
4:00pm Round 2

March 14
10:00am Round 3
4:00pm Round 4

March 15
10:00am Round 5
4:00pm Round 6

March 16
10:00am Round 7
4:00pm Round 8

March 17
9:30am Round 9
2:30pm Closing ceremony

This event is sponsored by Texas Tech University, SPICE, the Susan Polgar Foundation, and the Knight Raiders, etc.

Source: Avalanche Journal

Dream comes true for 13 year old

Polgar: Dream comes true for 13-year-old chess phenom at tournament
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Story last updated at 3/28/2010 - 12:48 am

Last week 13-year-old Darwin Yang of Plano came to Texas Tech to pursue his dream at the prestigious 2010 SPICE Spring Chess Invitational, a 10-player round robin tournament.

Being the lowest seed in the tournament, Yang had to battle more experienced and higher rated competitors in pursuit of an international chess master norm.

In chess, grandmaster is the highest title, followed by international master. In order to become an international master, one typically has to achieve three international master norms and an international rating of 2400 and above. To become a grandmaster, one typically has to achieve three grandmaster norms, which is much more difficult than an international master norm, and a rating of 2500 and above.

There are more than 45 million chess players in the United States and more than 700 million worldwide. However, there are currently about 1,200 grandmasters worldwide, out of which only 21 are women. That is to illustrate how difficult it is to become a grandmaster.

The Texas Tech Knight Raiders chess team has three international masters, Gergely Antal, Davorin Kuljasevic and Gabor Papp. All three have ratings that exceed 2500, which is half of the requirement imposed by the world chess federation (FIDE). Two of them have two grandmaster norms while the third has one.

All three Knight Raiders fought valiantly for nine rounds. International master Gergely Antal was in contention the entire way. He had to beat grandmaster Jesse Kraai of California in the final round to earn his final grandmaster norm and title. At the end, he only managed to draw and therefore came up just short. He finished in second place with 5.5 points, a mere half point short for his final grandmaster norm. His two teammates tied for fifth and sixth with 4.5 points, 1.5 point shy of the grandmaster norm. I have no doubt that all three will eventually become grandmasters. But for now, it is back to the drawing board to prepare for the College Chess Final Four in Brownsville in two weeks.

Yang started out with a bang. He shocked the world by leading the tournament with three points after four rounds. He earned his first international master norm after only seven rounds. Unfortunately, he lost his final two games and had to settle for seventh place.

Grandmaster Julio Becerra of Miami won the 2010 SPICE Spring Chess Invitational with 6.5 points in nine games. He last competed in Lubbock in the 2008 SPICE Cup, where he finished a half point out of first. After the tournament, grandmaster Becerra told Matthew McGowan of The A-J the following: "If they invite me, I'll be here for sure," he said. "I love to be here." This is the greatest compliment for SPICE, Texas Tech and Lubbock.

Overall it was a very exciting tournament with high level of energy and fighting spirit. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their time here and they cannot wait to have a chance to come back to compete in future battles. The chess games were broadcast live for chess enthusiasts around the world to follow. The tournament was covered by many global chess sources, including FIDE, which has more than 160 member nations and millions of readers.

Here are the winners:

1. Julio Becerra, g, USA, 2538, 61/2.

2-3. Gergely Angal, m, Hungary, 2511, 51/2.

2-3. Benjamin Finegold, m, USA, 2534, 51/2.

4. Dean Ippolito, m, USA, 2466, 5.

5-6. Davorin Kuljasevic, m, Croatia, 2552, 41/2.

5-6. Gabor Papp, m, Hungary, 2542, 41/2.

7. Darwin Yang, f, USA 2378, 4.

8. Irina Krush, m, USA, 2461, 31/2.

9-10. Jesse Kraai, g, USA, 2508, 3.

9-10. Eric Hansen, f, Canada, 2415, 3.

More than 460 pictures from the SPICE Spring Chess Invitational can be viewed here: http://picasaweb.google.com/SPICEChess/SPICESpringSelect.

As a tradition of all SPICE invitational events, I invited all players, SPICE groups and volunteers for a dinner celebration at my home after round eight.

One of the fun activities for the night was a chess quiz.

Here are some of the questions that were posed. How many can you answer? I will provide the answers next week.

1. When did William Steinitz become the first official world champion?

2. What is grandmaster Pal Benko's birth country?

3. What year did the Polgar sisters win their first Olympic Gold medal for Hungary?

4. Which country finished second at the 1966 Chess Olympiad?

5. Who won the men's individual gold on board 1 at the 1970 Chess Olympiad?

6. What was Bobby Fischer's highest chess rating?

7. In which country does world champion Vishy Anand have his second home?

8. What was Topalov's highest ever rating?

9. Who won the 1957 world championship match between Botvinnik and Smyslov?

10. What year did Kasparov lose his match against Deep Blue?

11. Who said "When you see a good move, look for a better one"?

12. Who said "I don't believe in psychology. I believe in good moves"?

13. Who said "It is not enough to be a good player... you must also play well"?

14. Who said "There are two types of sacrifices: correct ones and mine"?

15. Who said "Life is a kind of chess, with struggle, competition, good and ill events."?

16. Who said "Chess is a test of wills"?

17. Where was grandmaster Walter Browne born?

18. Who was England's first grandmaster?

19. Why are the Melody Amber events called as such?

20. Which currently married chess couple has the highest combined average rating?

SPICE on FOX TV

Click on the chess box / image to view the clip with Darwin Yang and his father.


Tech chess tourney draws world's best, including 13-year-old
Reported by: Jaime Gerik
Last Update: 10:35 am

On most any nice day you can catch some of Texas Tech's finest chess players near the Student Union Building perfecting their skills. All the practice came in handy during the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence Tournament, when the Red Raiders took on competitors from places like Canada, Brazil and Hungary.

Even among all the international talent, everyone had their eye on a young competitor from Plano.

Darwin Yang sat in the competitor's seat against someone three times his age too many times for him to count.

"I practice by playing games on the Internet, and also read books and take lessons from my coach," says Yang. The 13-year-old sees a coach once a week to help perfect his chess skills. That is, when he's not traveling long distances to compete. He's been to tournaments in Turkey and Vietnam.

"It's a good opportunity to go out, other places across the country, because you can play strong players you can't find in Plano," says Yang.

A taxing but worthwhile experience for Darwin's parents, who go above and beyond the normal call of duty.

"Five years, we just go to the things and build up a very good relationship between him and me," says Darwin's father Tujiu Yang.

He says Darwin's passion was sparked on a cruise ship. At one point during the trip he went looking for Darwin and found him naturally drawn to the game.

"He was standing by the chess board, there's a big chess board on a cruise ship and he was standing there for an hour to watch people play chess," says the elder Yang.

That was many moves ago. Now Darwin is trying to reach International Grandmaster, a title held by only a thousand players in the world. This tournament was one step in the right direction. He received hi first International Norm in nine games.

http://www.myfoxlubbock.com/news/local/story/Chess-SPICE-Texas-Tech/2nYCD_u4nEqArxAvx48OIg.cspx

The final numbers

Final crosstable from TWIC:

1.	Becerra Rivero, Julio	g	USA	2538	*	½	½	½	0	1	1	1	1	1	6½	2651
2.	Antal, Gergely	m	HUN	2511	½	*	½	1	1	½	½	0	½	1	5½	2568
3.	Finegold, Benjamin	m	USA	2534	½	½	*	½	½	½	1	½	½	1	5½	2565
4.	Ippolito, Dean	m	USA	2466	½	0	½	*	½	½	1	½	½	1	5	2536
5.	Kuljasevic, Davorin	m	CRO	2552	1	0	½	½	*	1	0	1	½	0	4½	2483
6.	Papp, Gabor	m	HUN	2542	0	½	½	½	0	*	½	1	1	½	4½	2484
7.	Yang, Darwin	f	USA	2378	0	½	0	0	1	½	*	0	1	1	4	2460
8.	Krush, Irina	m	USA	2461	0	1	½	½	0	0	1	*	½	0	3½	2413
9.	Kraai, Jesse	g	USA	2508	0	½	½	½	½	0	0	½	*	½	3	2363
10.	Hansen, Eric	f	CAN	2415	0	0	0	0	1	½	0	1	½	*	3	2373

Here is the link to more than 460 pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/SPICEChess/SPICESpringSelect

Here is the link to many videos during the SPICE Spring Invitational: http://www.youtube.com/user/chessmarketing#p/u

Games can be download here: http://chess.co.uk/twic/chessnews/events/spice-spring-international-2010

Special thanks to Texas Tech and the Susan Polgar Foundation for sponsoring this event; the Texas Tech English Department for hosting the tournament; Dr. Hal Karlssson, Dr. Rich Rice, and Bill Snead for TD'ing; Brett James for running the LIVE coverage; MonRoi for all the technical assistance; DGT North America and Jeff Smith for the equipment; Lucia Barbato, Peggy Flores, and Jerry Perez for their assistance; Visit Lubbock, FOX TV, CBS TV, Avalanche Journal, Lubbock Chess Club, the Knight Raiders, Dr. Juan Munoz, Dr. Tibor Nagy, Dr. Sheryl Santos, and Cory Chander for their support...

The hunt for the elusive chess norm

The hunt for the elusive international grandmaster chess norm
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Story last updated at 3/21/2010 - 12:26 am

This week, Dr. Rich Rice and Dr. Hal Karlsson, are contributing to this column. Both are associate professors at Texas Tech and they are also assistant tournament directors at the 2010 SPICE Spring International Invitational.

Thousands of years ago, Native Americans hunted buffalo and bison on the southern High Plains. Today, a different hunt is taking place in the same region.

Ten chess players have come to Texas Tech to compete in the 2010 SPICE Spring Invitational. They hail from four different countries (USA, Canada, Hungary, Croatia) and six different states (Texas, New York, New Jersey, Missouri, California, Florida). Seven of these players are aiming for their international master or grandmaster chess norms: three for a final norm, two for a second norm, and two for a first norm.

The battle for cerebral fitness is taking place in the English department at a university. These chess players compete for the love of the game, for bragging rights, and for personal satisfaction as they hunt for that elusive chess norm.

Chess is the most popular game on the planet, with more than 45 million people playing chess in America and more than 700 million players worldwide. Millions of kids who learn and play chess each year in the states develop life skills that benefit them the rest of their lives.

As the popular saying goes, chess is easy to learn, but hard to master. The 10 players who are in Lubbock this week are working to master the game. They are some of the best chess players in their respective countries with some of the top chess ratings according to the United States Chess Federation and the World Chess Federation (FIDE).

The average FIDE rating at this tournament is 2490.5, which is equivalent to a category 10 event. A Grandmaster norm at this tournament is 6 points (out of nine games) and an International Master norm is 4 points (out of nine games).

Many online spectators have tried to predict who will earn their norms at this tournament. There are so many variables that impact each player's final tournament score.

At the time of this article, 13-year-old Texan Darwin Yang just defeated grandmaster Jesse Kraai to earn his first international master norm. Four players, including Texas Tech's own international master Gergely Antal, are still in contention for various norms. This certainly will be an exciting finish.

Chess is a game that requires mental toughness, physical fitness, strong nerves, diligent preparation, strenuous calculation, superb memory, pinpoint intuition and some plain old luck. Each player faces ups and downs during each grueling round. This is why chess is so challenging.

During this tournament, simultaneously at another tournament, one of the world's best players opened with a3, which is moving a pawn located on the side of the board rather than in the middle. This move is typically considered a beginner's mistake. His game was still going on in France while the players in Lubbock loaded up on coffee and tea discussing it before their next round.

Who will win the 2010 SPICE Spring Invitational? No one knows. Chess is live, varied, and exciting. After each game is completed, I, and others, deconstruct the language and nuances of each game. It is fitting we are doing so in the English department lounge, where words and phrases and books surround them. Analysis has shown missed checkmates, missed wins, and miracle comebacks.

Source: Avalanche Journal

World's chess warriors descend on Lubbock in fight for titles

Battle of Wits: World's chess warriors descend on Lubbock in fight for titles

By Matthew Mcgowan AVALANCHE-JOURNAL
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Story last updated at 3/20/2010 - 12:31 am

It all came down to silent blows on miniature battlefields.

Some of the world's top chess minds convened in a second floor room of Texas Tech's English building this week.

The thick and heavy silence almost betrayed the scale of the showdown.

In the motionless minutes between moves, the 10 chess wizards at five tables tunnelled their vision into the board. Some waited for their opponents to move by pacing the room, pausing to watch or consider other games.

On the surface, there's not much action here.

But look a little closer.

Each move carries with it surgical precision and intellectual moxie. The players' eyes said it all: This is no insouciant day of board games.
It's war.

They came to the tournament, the SPICE Spring Invitational, from four countries and seven states only after receiving a special invitation from Tech's Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence.

Now in its second year, the tournament brings some of the world's brightest chess stars together to battle for a better title. Each move is broadcast via Internet in real time to many thousands of enthusiasts across the planet.

"(The tournament) gives us visibility and recognition worldwide," Polgar said after Friday's final round. "It gives us visibility not only for the program, but also for the university."

Paul Truong, the institute's spokesman, said the invitational tournament caters to some of the younger, less-experienced players by giving them a chance to duel grandmasters. It is only through doing so that they can bump their own titles up - for instance, from the World Chess Federation's FIDE master title to international master, the level just below the highest distinction of grandmaster.

"This is more like a launching pad for the younger hopefuls who want to be a top-tier player," said Truong. "It's not about the (approximately $1,500) prize. It's about getting their title. That, for them, is way more valuable than just a paycheck from here."

This plight of the younger players makes for less cautious chess, he added.

"They really have to fight," Truong said. "It's just the fighting spirit, every game, grinding it out."

Among those at this year's tournament were grandmasters Julio Becerra of Miami, Ben Finegold of St. Louis and Jesse Kraai of San Francisco.

Becerra won after the tournament's nine rounds of play. Finegold tied for second with SPICE's own Gergely Antal, originally from Hungary.

The youngest among the players, 13-year-old phenomenon Darwin Yang sat across from renowned chess titans many times his age, holding his own, calculating his next move.

Now in his fifth year of playing, the seventh-grader from Plano hopes to soon earn the distinction of international master. He spent more than a week at the SPICE tournament going head-to-head against opponents of all types.

Intimidating?

No, he said. Not anymore.

"Now, it's just life," Yang shrugged. "Just business as usual."

Yang finished seventh at this week's nine-round tournament. He could have done better, he said.

"I'm going to go home and spend lots of time working on those (mistakes) so next time I can win the tournament," he said.

International master and two-time U.S. women's champion Irina Krush finished eighth. She, like Yang, was disappointed in her overall performance.

"I won my first game. I won my last game," the New York City native smiled. "I try to forget everything in between."

Becerra, the tournament's winner, said the tournament's competitors all had similar ratings going into the competitions. He appreciated the high level of competition and plans to return to Lubbock this fall for the institute's next major invitational.

"If they invite me, I'll be here for sure," he said. "I love to be here."

Source: Avalanche Journal

Young Chess Player Shows His Skills

Young Chess Player Shows His Skills

Reported by: Mitch Carr

Friday, March 19 2010

Chess players from all over the state and the world were in town Friday competing in an elite-level tournament.

Texas tech is hosting the SPICE Spring Invitational' Chess Tournament.

Among the players was 13-year-old Darwin Yang. Darwin is a middle-schooler from Plano who is just a few matches short of becoming an International Master.

He lost his match today but he says he's still young and he'll keep playing until he's a chess Grand Master. He also said right now, his age can be an advantage.

"It's not only that I'm young it's usually that these people i play against are usually stronger than me I'd say. So they underestimate me sometimes," Darwin said.

Texas tech chess player Gergely Antal could have become a Grand Master with a win today, but his match ended in a draw, so he'll have to keep trying

Click on this link to view the video by local CBS station: Young Chess Player Shows His Skills

SPICE Spring Invitational Drawing of Lots

The drawing of lots for the 2010 SPICE Spring Invitational was done this morning at 9:30 am at the Texas Tech Student Union Building.

Michael Gunn, Assistant Director of Student Organizations, drew the 10 names in front of Dr. Hal Karlsson, student advisor to the Texas Tech Knight Raiders, and assistant tournament director.

Here is the order:

1. IM Irina Krush (USA) 2492 USCF - 2460 FIDE (GM norm - previous participant of the SPICE Cup)
2. IM Gergely Antal (HUN) 2557 USCF - 2511 FIDE (2 GM norms) - Texas Tech Student
3. IM Davorin Kuljasevic (CRO) 2585 USCF - 2552 FIDE (2 GM norms) - Texas Tech Student
4. FM Eric Hansen (CAN) 2426 USCF - 2406 FIDE
5. IM Gabor Papp (HUN) 2578 USCF - 2542 FIDE (GM norm) - Texas Tech Student
6. GM Julio Becerra (USA) 2610 USCF - 2538 FIDE (2-time participant of the SPICE Cup)
7. IM Dean Ippolito (USA) 2534 USCF - 2465 FIDE (Previous participant of the SPICE Cup)
8. GM Jesse Kraai (USA) 2550 USCF - 2508 FIDE
9. FM Darwin Yang (USA) 2398 USCF - 2369 FIDE (Youngest ever participant of a SPICE Invitational)
10. GM Ben Finegold (USA) 2616 USCF - 2533 FIDE (earned GM title at the 2009 SPICE Cup B group)

Average FIDE rating: 2488.5

The 2010 SPICE Spring Invitational will take place in March (13-19) at the beautiful campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX.

Chess open to whole world

After decades of Russian domination, chess open to whole world
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Story last updated at 2/21/2010 - 11:34 pm

The question of the week is: Does Russia still dominate the chess world?

For many decades, Russia as a part of the Soviet Union used to dominate the chess world. As we all know, Bobby Fischer broke through the Iron Curtain to defeat Boris Spassky in the 1972 World Championship in Iceland. But that was a very rare exception.

The Soviet Union also dominated women’s chess. The Soviets ruled the world chess rankings for many decades, and they also won every single chess Olympiad they competed in. Things changed in the 1980s.

In 1984, I broke through that barrier to become the number-1-ranked female player in the world. Since then, my sister Judit and I have kept the number ranking in the family. That is more than 25 straight years. In fact, Judit is still No. 1 today by a significant margin.

In 1988, my sisters Judit, Sofia, and I, along with Ildiko Madl, shocked the chess world by winning the team gold medal at the Thessaloniki chess Olympiad in Greece. This was the first time any team had finished ahead of the Soviet Union. We came back with the same team and won gold again at the 1990 Novi Sad chess Olympiad. In addition to the team gold medal, my sisters and I also won individual gold as well. This was the end of the Soviet dominance in women’s chess.

When the Soviet Union broke up in 1991, Russia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia emerged as some of the top chess nations in the world. But other nations have since caught up, largely due to the Internet and computer technology. Now any player can have access to millions of chess games in the chess database, as well as top computer software. This is why the playing field is now a lot more even.

In fact, on the men’s side, the No. 1 player in the world is from Norway, while No. 2 is from Bulgaria, and No. 3 is from India. On the women’s side, the No. 1 player is from Hungary, while No. 2 is from India, and No. 3 is from China.

Here is another good example. The annual Aeroflot Open Chess Tournament in Moscow, Russia is by far the strongest open chess tournament in the world. But this year, this tournament just ended and the winner is a young Vietnamese chess grandmaster. The same Vietnamese player also tied for first in the very strong Moscow Open, which ended the day before the Aeroflot Open started. Here are the top finishers of the 2010 Aeroflot Open:

Rank, title, name, score, federation, rating

1. GM Le, Quang Liem 7.0 (Vietnam) 2647
2. GM Korobov, Anton 6.5 (Ukraine) 2648
3. GM Motylev, Alexander 6.0 (Russia) 2697
4. GM Zhou, Jianchao 6.0 (China) 2632
5. GM Nguyen, Ngoc Truong Son 6.0 (Vietnam) 2616
6. GM Grachev, Boris 6.0 (Russia) 2653
7. GM Cheparinov, Ivan 5.5 (Bulgaria) 2660
8. GM Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime 5.5 (France) 2730
9. GM Nepomniachtchi, Ian 5.5 (Russia) 2658
10. GM Bu, Xiangzhi 5.5 (China) 2673
11. GM So, Wesley 5.5 (Philippines) 2656
12. GM Sargissian, Gabriel 5.5 (Armenia) 2680
13. GM Savchenko, Boris 5.5 (Russia) 2638
14. GM Bacrot, Etienne 5.5 (France) 2713
15. GM Timofeev, Artyom 5.5 (Russia) 2652
16. GM Bareev, Evgeny 5.5 (Russia) 2643
17. GM Najer, Evgeniy 5.5 (Russia) 2665
18. GM Iturrizaga, Eduardo 5.5 (Venezuela) 2616
19. GM Dreev, Alexey 5.5 (Russia) 2650, etc.

Another major chess invitational is coming to Texas Tech. The 2010 SPICE Spring Invitational will take place in March (13-19) at the beautiful campus.

Young chess phenom Robert Hess got his second grandmaster norm last year in this event and he went on to become a grandmaster shortly after that, along with a break through year. Another young chess phenom Ray Robson came to SPICE for the first at the same event last year. Ray will be back at Tech to compete in the fourth annual SPICE Cup in November.

We will have a very diverse and interesting field this year, including three Knight Raiders, and a 13-year-old star from Texas.

Here are the confirmed players:

-IM Davorin Kuljasevic (CRO) 2585 USCF — 2552 FIDE (2 GM norms) — Texas Tech Student
-IM Gabor Papp (HUN) 2578 USCF — 2542 FIDE (GM norm) — Texas Tech Student
-GM Julio Becerra (USA) 2610 USCF — 2538 FIDE (2-time participant of the SPICE Cup)
-GM Ben Finegold (USA) 2616 USCF — 2533 FIDE (earned GM title at the 2009 SPICE Cup B group)
-IM Gergely Antal (HUN) 2557 USCF — 2511 FIDE (2 GM norms) — Texas Tech Student
-GM Jesse Kraai (USA) 2550 USCF — 2508 FIDE
-IM Dean Ippolito (USA) 2534 USCF — 2465 FIDE (Previous participant of the SPICE Cup)
-IM Irina Krush (USA) 2492 USCF — 2460 FIDE (GM norm — previous participant of the SPICE Cup)
-FM Eric Hansen (CAN) 2426 USCF — 2406 FIDE
-FM Darwin Yang (USA) 2398 USCF — 2369 FIDE (13 years old — Youngest ever participant of a SPICE Invitational)

Average FIDE rating: 2488.5

A Grandmaster norm is expected to be 6 points (out of 9 games) and an International Master norm is expected to be 4 points (out of nine games). I will announce more details in an upcoming column.

Local chess activities:

-“Super Saturday” SPICE Fun Chess, April 3–May 1. Two levels: Novice and Intermediate. Class dates: April 3, 10, 17, 24 and May 1 (five sessions). Hours: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays at Texas Tech Administration building. Instruction will be provided by members of the nationally ranked Texas Tech Knight Raider Chess Team, based on my popular and highly effective chess curriculum and direct guidance.

Registration fee: $99 by March 27, after then, add $20 late fee. Please send registration form to: Texas Tech, SPICE, Box 45080, Lubbock, TX 79409. For information, please go to: http://www.spice.ttu.edu/ or e-mail spice@ttu.edu.

2010 SPICE Spring Invitational

Artwork by Tin Kuljasevic

The 2010 SPICE Spring Invitational will take place in March (13-19) at the beautiful campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX.

Robert Hess got his 2nd GM norm last year in this event and he went on to become a GM shortly after that, along with a break through year. GM Robson came to SPICE for the first at the same event last year.

Who will get the GM norm(s) or IM norm(s) this year?

Here are the confirmed players:

- IM Davorin Kuljasevic (CRO) 2585 USCF - 2552 FIDE (2 GM norms) - Texas Tech Student
- IM Gabor Papp (HUN) 2578 USCF - 2542 FIDE (GM norm) - Texas Tech Student
- GM Julio Becerra (USA) 2610 USCF - 2538 FIDE (2-time participant of the SPICE Cup)
- GM Ben Finegold (USA) 2616 USCF - 2533 FIDE (earned GM title at the 2009 SPICE Cup B group)
- IM Gergely Antal (HUN) 2557 USCF - 2511 FIDE (2 GM norms) - Texas Tech Student
- GM Jesse Kraai (USA) 2550 USCF - 2508 FIDE
- IM Dean Ippolito (USA) 2534 USCF - 2465 FIDE (Previous participant of the SPICE Cup)
- IM Irina Krush (USA) 2492 USCF - 2460 FIDE (GM norm - previous participant of the SPICE Cup)
- FM Eric Hansen (CAN) 2426 USCF - 2406 FIDE
- FM Darwin Yang (USA) 2398 USCF - 2369 FIDE (Youngest ever participant of a SPICE Invitational)

Average FIDE rating: 2488.5

GM norm is expected to be 6 points (out of 9 games) and IM norm is expected to be 4 points (out of 9 games).

http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/2010/02/best-of-best.html

www.SPICE.ttu.edu

2010 SPICE Spring Invitational

The 2010 SPICE Spring Invitational will take place in March (13-19) at the beautiful campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX. Robert Hess got his 2nd GM norm last year in this event and he went on to become a GM shortly after that, along with a break through year. Who will get the GM norm(s) or IM norm(s) this year?

Confirmed players so far include:

- IM Davorin Kuljasevic (CRO) 2585 USCF - 2552 FIDE (2 GM norms) - Texas Tech Student
- IM Gabor Papp (HUN) 2578 USCF - 2542 FIDE (GM norm) - Texas Tech Student
- GM Julio Becerra (USA) 2610 USCF - 2538 FIDE (2-time participant of the SPICE Cup)
- GM Ben Finegold (USA) 2616 USCF - 2533 FIDE (earned GM title at 2009 SPICE Cup B group)
- IM Gergely Antal (HUN) 2557 USCF - 2511 FIDE (2 GM norms) - Texas Tech Student
- GM Jesse Kraai (USA) 2550 USCF - 2508 FIDE
- IM Dean Ippolito (USA) 2534 USCF - 2465 FIDE (Previous participant of the SPICE Cup)
- IM Irina Krush (USA) 2492 USCF - 2460 FIDE (GM norm - previous participant of the SPICE Cup)
- FM Eric Hansen (CAN) 2426 USCF - 2406 FIDE
- FM Darwin Yang (USA) 2398 USCF - 2369 FIDE (Youngest ever participant of a SPICE Invitational)

GM norm is expected to be 6 points (out of 9 games) and IM norm is expected to be 4 points (out of 9 games).

http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/2009/10/major-growth.html

www.SPICE.ttu.edu

Hess came, played and conquered

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

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

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

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

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

Here are the final standings:

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

2. Grandmaster Giorgi Kacheishvili (Georgia) 6.0

3. Grandmaster Timur Gareev (Uzbekistan) 5.5

4. International Master Ray Robson (USA) 5.0

5. Grandmaster Dashzegve Sharavdorj (Mongolia) 3.5

6. International Master Gergely Antal (Hungary) 3.0

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

Here are some interesting statistics about the SPICE Spring Invitational:

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

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

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

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

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

Over 150 pictures posted

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

Aiming for the GM title

SPICE Hosts Spring Invitational

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

Written by Jessica Benham

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The public is invited to attend the free event.

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

Mayor Martin

March 13, 2009

Dear Friends:

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

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

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

Sincerely,
Tom Martin
Mayor