The SPICE Mission

The Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE) is the model for the highest standard in chess education. Directed by Susan Polgar, the institute is poised to become the world’s premier center for chess research, education, development and outreach.

Through SPICE, Texas Tech has focused the resources of a major university and Big 12 Conference member on providing scholarships for players, conducting research into various aspects of the game, championing scholastic, college and women’s chess and housing an outreach program bringing chess to enthusiasts of all ages.

The SPICE Mission

· To promote chess as a vehicle for enriching education
· To support and promote competitive chess at college level
· To recruit outstanding undergraduate and graduate students
· To bring national and international recognition to TTU and TTUHSC
· To be the leader in promoting women's chess
· To serve as the global center for chess research, education and outreach

2008 SPICE Cup Festival

2008 SPICE Cup International Invitational Tournament
September 19-28
Category: XV FIDE Average: 2605.5 USCF Average: 2666.5

1. Grandmaster Alexander Onischuk 2670 2741 USA
2. Grandmaster Harikrishna Pentala 2668 2724 India
3. Grandmaster Varuzhan Akobian 2610 2656 USA
4. Grandmaster Leonid Kritz 2610 2647 Germany
5. Grandmaster Gregory Kaidanov 2605 2678 USA
6. Grandmaster Julio Becerra 2598 2647 USA
7. Grandmaster Victor Mikhalevski 2592 2680 Israel
8. Grandmaster Kamil Miton 2580 2702 Poland
9. Grandmaster Hannes Stefάnsson 2566 2598 Iceland
10. Grandmaster Eugene Perelshteyn 2555 2591 USA

http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/2008/09/spice-cup-festival.html

2008 SPICE Cup Scholastic Chess Championship
Saturday, September 20
Description of Tournament: A USCF rated Individual and Team Scholastic Championship. USCF membership required.
A 4 round Swiss System Rated Tournament (Game/30)
Games are played in four sections: Primary (K-2), Elementary (3-5), Middle School (6th-8), and High School (9-12).
There is a total of 30 minutes maximum per player per game.
Round schedule: Round 1 11:00am / Round 2 1:00pm / Round 3 2:30pm / Round 4 4:00pm
Prizes: Trophies for top 6 finishers in each section. Trophies to top 3 school teams in each section.
Team prizes are based on the top 3 individual scores from the same school, within the same section.

2008 SPICE Cup Open Chess Championship
September 27-28, 2008
Two sections: Grand Prix and Under 1000/Unrated
A 5 round Swiss System Tournament (Game/75)
Description of Tournament: A Grand Prix event. Open to all USCF members.
Round schedule: Saturday 10:30am - 2:30pm - 7:00pm / Sunday 10:00am - 2:00pm.
Prizes: GP: $1,000-$500-$250-$150-$100-$50 / Top U2000 $100-$50
Top U-1800 $100-$50 / Top U-1600 $100-$50
Prizes based on 50 entries. 50% of all GP section prizes guaranteed.
U-1000/Unrated: $200-$100-$50 plus trophies to top 3.
All prizes in this section are guaranteed.

2008 Texas Women’s Open Chess Championship
September 27-28, 2008
A 5 round Swiss System Tournament (Game/75)
Description of Tournament: An open tournament for female players of all ages. USCF and TCA memberships required.
The top finishing Texas resident will be crowned as Texas Women’s Champion.
Round schedule: Saturday 10:30am, 2:30pm, 7:00pm - Sunday 10:00am, 2:00pm
Prizes: $500-$250-$100 / Top U1600 $100 / Top Unrated $50

A Tournament of Queens

A Tournament of Queens
Invitational event draws nation’s top female chess talent to Texas Tech.
Written by Cory Chandler
September 2, 2008

In chess, as is so often the case in life, the queen is the most formidable piece on the table.

She glides or stomps across the board at will, in straight charges or cutting diagonals, more nimble and much more domineering than her short-legged spouse, whose role is limited to sidestepping attacks.

Yet as few as two decades ago, the chess world didn’t treat women players with the same regard.

An example: in 1986, Susan Polgar was the first woman in history to qualify for the World Chess Championship, but was barred from the competition because of her gender.

Polgar shattered that ceiling, eventually becoming the first female grandmaster, and opened the door for other women to compete on equal footing.

This point could best be illustrated by the 5th Annual Susan Polgar National Invitational for Girls that took place July 27-Aug. 1 at Texas Tech.

The tournament pitted 52 girls – some of the nation’s most dominant under the age of 19 – against each other in the tournament’s largest pool to date.

“It is heartwarming and very special to see such an excitement in these girls for the game of chess,” said Polgar, director of Texas Tech’s Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE). “I created this tournament to provide a venue for aspiring female chess players to compete against each other.”

Drive of Champions

The future femme phenoms – one a mere six years old – gathered in the Frazier Alumni Pavilion off the Drive of Champions to test their mettle through six grueling days of play. These 18-and-under participants beat out thousands of girls who compete annually in chess events across the world for the honor of representing their state in the prestigious tournament.

Courtney Jamison, representing Texas, walked away the winner.

Claiming second: Ashley Carter of Michigan, a recent high school graduate who will attend Texas Tech to participate in the Knight Raiders chess club.

Carter, who has played chess for more than 10 years, has competed in all five of Polgar’s invitational tournaments and said Texas Tech’s chess program attracted her to the university.

“I think Texas Tech will be a good place for me,” Carter said. “I have always wanted to attend a chess school.”

A Nice Draw

Recruiting students like Carter is, of course, one of the main goals of establishing SPICE and hiring a player of Polgar’s magnitude to lead Texas Tech’s burgeoning chess efforts.

In the past, Polgar hosted the girls’ tournament in locations such as Florida, Arizona and New Jersey. Now Texas Tech will host the event for the next ten years.

This means the nation’s elite female players will gather in Lubbock each year for a week on campus, bonding with peers from around the country on an extended tour of the university and city.

“There were players in this year’s event from almost every state, which is part of what makes it such a great tournament- you get to meet girls from around the country,” Jamison said.

And the tournament just keeps growing.

“The tournament has become a tradition,” Polgar said. “The girls are excited about it and there is a lot of word-of-mouth advertising for Texas Tech as girls go home and discuss the tournament with their friends.”

Carter was impressed.

“It’s a very pretty campus,” she said.

Source: TTU

Top Honors for SPICE

Texas Tech, Geosciences’ Professor Awarded Top Honors from United States Chess Federation
Written by Jessica Benham
September 3, 2008

For chess players all over the world, Texas Tech University now offers the perfect location for success.

The U.S. Chess Federation named Texas Tech Co-College of the Year (with the University of Texas at Dallas), and Hal Karlsson, professor of geosciences, received the Special Service award for his dedication to the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE). Lubbock also was named Co-Chess City of the Year (with Tulsa, Okla.).

Karlsson, who helped start SPICE and currently serves as advisor, said he felt that Texas Tech’s recognition was well-deserved.
“Texas Tech hired Susan Polgar and Paul Truong and made SPICE into a formal institution,” he said. “This went way beyond what any other school has done and shows tremendous dedication to chess.”

Truong, director of marketing and public relations for SPICE, said that due to the creation of SPICE, Lubbock and Texas Tech are now known as one of the major centers of chess in the world.

“As of a year ago, chess was not noticeable in West Texas,” he said. “A year later, SPICE and Texas Tech are about to host the 2008 Spice Cup (Sept. 19-28), the highest rated 10-player round robin international tournament in U.S. history. It is like bringing Wimbledon or the Masters to town.”

Karlsson said the award - an acknowledgment of SPICE by the highest chess authority in the U.S. - hopefully will help the institute to recruit more students and attract funds.

“It publicly acknowledges our efforts in forming SPICE and honors us for bringing a chess program to Texas Tech,” he said. “Clearly the awards are given for significant contributions and or milestones. SPICE was a milestone in the history of chess - at least in the U.S.”

The USCF cites the accomplishments of Texas Tech for creating SPICE, setting up a chess program, and running rated tournaments both on and off campus. Both the university and the city were instrumental in supporting those events.

“This brings incredible recognition to SPICE and Texas Tech,” Truong said. “We are now known nationwide and internationally as a major force to be reckoned with. Chess players want to compete in Lubbock, and potential students want to come here to study.”

He said that the institute hopes to be able to raise more funding and financial support to recruit the brightest young talents worldwide - an accomplishment that is already underway with the Knight Raiders addition Texas Tech student and International Chess Master Gergely Antal from Hungary.

Truong said that SPICE can play a major role in Chancellor Kent Hance’s goal to increase enrollment to 40,000 students because there is no limit to how many players can represent Texas Tech in various chess divisions.

He said that Karlsson is very deserving of the Special Service award, because without him the creation of SPICE would not have been possible.

“I am so happy for him,” he said. “Dr. Karlsson truly deserves this recognition and we are all so glad to see him honored with such a prestigious national award. I must say that without him, SPICE would not exist today.”

He said that Karlsson is the vision of hard work and persistence combined with honesty, integrity and loyalty.

“He loves chess and he knew long ago what this sport could bring to Texas Tech and West Texas,” Truong said. “It is the perfect way to recruit top-notch students and bring fame and recognition to this wonderful institution. He gave his heart and soul to this project and the success of SPICE is due to his commitment.”

Source: TTU

2008 SPICE Cup Schedule

2008 SPICE Cup Schedule

September 19
1:00pm-1:30pm International Opening Ceremony
2:00pm-6:30pm International Round 1

September 20
11:00am-5:30pm Scholastic Open
2:00pm-6:30pm International Round 2

September 21
2:00pm-6:30pm International Round 3

September 22
2:00pm-6:30pm International Round 4
7:30pm-9:30pm Simul by GM Harikrishna

September 23
12:00pm-1:00pm Reception for International Participants
1:00pm-3:00pm Invitational Blitz tournament

September 24
2:00pm-6:30pm International Round 5

September 25
2:00pm-6:30pm International Round 6

September 26
2:00pm-6:30pm International Round 7

September 27
10:30am-8:30pm SPICE Cup Open & TX Women’s Ch Rounds 1-3
2:00pm-6:30pm International Round 8

September 28
10:00am-3:30pm SPICE Cup Open & TX Women’s Ch Rounds 4-5
1:00pm-5:30pm International Round 9
5:30pm-6:30pm Closing ceremony

2008 SPICE Cup

The upcoming SPICE Cup will take place from September 19-28 at Texas Tech University (Student Union Building) in Lubbock, Texas.

In addition to having the games broadcast LIVE on MonRoi, ICC and other sources, we will also try to show LIVE video feeds and taped video interviews.

Here are the players:

USA - GM Onischuk, Alexander 2741 USCF / 2670 FIDE
IND - GM Pentala, Harikrishna 2724 USCF 2668 FIDE
GER - GM Kritz, Leonid 2647 USCF / 2610 FIDE
USA - GM Akobian, Varuzhan 2656 USCF / 2610 FIDE
USA - GM Kaidanov, Gregory 2678 USCF / 2605 FIDE
USA - GM Becerra, Julio 2647 USCF / 2598 FIDE
ISR - GM Mikhalevski, Victor 2680 USCF / 2592 FIDE
POL - GM Miton, Kamil 2702 USCF / 2580 FIDE
ISL - GM Stefansson, Hannes 2598 USCF / 2566 FIDE
USA - GM Perelshteyn, Eugene 2591 USCF / 2555 FIDE (Defending Champion)

Average FIDE: 2605.5 (Category 15)
Average USCF: 2666.5

This will make the 2008 SPICE Cup the highest rated 10 person International RR event in U.S. history.

The SPICE Cup Invitational will be the main attraction of the annual SPICE Cup Festival. Other activities will include the 2008 Texas Women's Open Championship, SPICE Cup Open Grand Prix, SPICE Cup Scholastic, SPICE Cup Invitational Blitz, etc. Our goal is to add a group B next year and even more activities.

2008 TEXAS Women’s Open Chess Championship

Texas Tech University, Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE), The Knight Raiders & The Susan Polgar Foundation

present

2008 TEXAS Women’s Open Chess Championship
September 27-28, 2008
A 5 Round Swiss System Tournament (Game/75)

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

Description of Tournament:
An open tournament for female players of all ages. USCF and TCA memberships required. The top finishing Texas resident will be crowned as TX Women’s Champion.

Registration:
On-site registration and check in 8:30am-10:15am. All players must check in by 10:15am.

Round schedule:
Saturday 10:30am- 2:30pm- 7:00pm
Sunday 10:00am and 2:00pm.

Entry Fee:
$25 received by 8/30. $35 by 9/25 or $45 on site.
Prizes: $500-$250-$100 Top U1600 $100 Top Unrated $50

Other:
Chess sets and boards will be provided. Bring you own clock if you have one.

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

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Entry Form: Please PRINT all information and make check / money order to Susan Polgar Foundation.

Name: ________________________ Phone: (_____) __________School____________
Address: __________________________ City/State:______________ Zip:_________
Email:__________________________ DOB: _________Section__________________
USCF Rating (if any) ______USCF ID#:______ Amount Enclosed (No cash, please) $______

TTU receives some prominent national recognition

Texas Tech, Lubbock receive some prominent national recognition
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
Sunday, August 17, 2008

The support for SPICE and chess is widespread in Lubbock. For such unparalleled support for SPICE and chess, Texas Tech and Lubbock were recently awarded two of the highest national honors on Aug. 9 in Dallas.

Tech was named the Co-College of the Year (with UTD), and Lubbock was named the Co-Chess City of the Year (with Tulsa, Okla.) by the U.S. Chess Federation. And recognition for Lubbock and Tech as leaders in chess will only get bigger.

• The Knight Raiders chess team just added a new powerful member, International Chess Master Gergely Antal of Hungary. He will be the highest-rated player in team history.

Born in 1985, he was one of the top young talents in Hungary early in his career. Gergely decided to focus on his academic work instead of being a professional chess player.

He arrived in Lubbock a few days ago and he will begin his study at Tech in a few weeks.

With the addition of Gergely, the Knight Raiders chess team will be ranked in the top 10 nationally for the first time.

Three additional grandmasters are expected to join Texas Tech next year. Our strong recruiting process was made possible thanks to Texas Tech and an extremely generous pledge from a private donor earlier this year.

The gift provides $320,000 for TTU scholarships over the next five years. This support follows $25,000 in support already given to Texas Tech's chess program by the same benefactor in 2007. With strong local support, we are making a very big difference.

Here is the full article.

Perfect rep for SC

Edgefield student travels to Texas for chess tournament
Tuesday, August 12, 2008 12:33 AM EDT

EDGEFIELD -- Hannah “Tori” Whatley didn’t win a recent chess tournament for girls, but she certainly left as a champion.

The South Carolina flag flew for the first time in the five-year history of the Susan Polgar National Invitational for Girls, which occurred July 27 through Aug. 1 at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.

Whatley joined the company of state champions from across the nation, competing in a tournament that eventually awarded a full, four-year $75,000 scholarship to the top player.

Whatley, a 12-year-old middle school student, moved from 51st to 38th in the competition, creating friendships along the way. This was evident during her first match, against Oklahoma’s Michelle Farell, a player rated at more than twice Whatley’s strength. Farell said Whatley was a far better opponent than she had anticipated.

After the Oklahoman took the game, the two girls joined as partners in the extracurricular “bughouse” chess tournament.

As Whatley took on opponent after opponent, South Carolina Chess Association president David Grimaud and his wife, Maureen, were able to witness their state representative’s final two winning rounds.

“Tori was a perfect representative for us,” Grimaud said. “We look forward to her leadership as a role model to help promote scholastic girls chess in South Carolina.”

When asked how it felt to sit in a room full of state champions, Whatley said, “I didn’t really see them as champions. I just saw them as new friends.”

Source: www.indexjournal.com

Special awards

Dr. Hal Karlsson receiving the Special USCF Service Award in Dallas. He also accepted the Chess College of the Year award of behalf of Texas Tech and the Chess City of the Year on behalf of the City of Lubbock.

Top 4 finishers

Top 4 finishers of the 2008 Susan Polgar National Invitational for Girls:

1. Courtney Jamison (TX)
2-3. Ashley Carter (MI) and Linda Diaz (NY)
4th on tie-breaks Rebekah Liu (CA)

The nation's elite

Here are the qualifiers of the 2008 Susan Polgar National Invitational for Girls, the most prestigious all-girls event in the United States. The event was held at the Frazier Alumni Pavilion from July 27 to August 1, 2008.

California representative wins TTU scholarship

Riverside girl wins scholarship to Texas university with chess skills

10:00 PM PDT on Thursday, August 7, 2008
By JENNIFER DEAN
The Press-Enterprise

Growing up playing in chess tournaments, 17-year-old Nisha Deolalikar, was always surrounded by boys.

"In a room with say, 200 boys, there'd be 10 or 20 girls," Nisha said.

But competing in the Susan Polgar National Invitational for Girls last week, Nisha finally got to play in a room full of fellow female chess players.

Nisha, a Riverside resident and Poly High School senior, began playing chess in second grade. At the time, the Deolalikar family lived in Seattle, where chess clubs and scholastic tournaments were common throughout the region.

They moved to Riverside when Nisha began seventh grade. The family found that scholastic tournaments weren't common in the areas, so Nisha and her younger brother Sunil began playing in adult tournaments.

During a tournament last May, she earned the honor of representing the state of California at the tournament, which was hosted by Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.

One female chess player from each state in the nation gathered at the university July 27-Aug.

"There were six games, one every day," Nisha said.

Here is the full story.

Governor's Letter

Young star heading to Lubbock event

Young chess star headed to prestigious Texas tournament

Kaitlynn Loos has found success and friends through game
By Peter CentineoThe Weekly News
Published: Thursday, July 17, 2008 4:47 PM CDT

Three years ago, Kaitlynn Loos decided she wanted to play chess.

Her father Doug had no idea why she wanted to play, but he and his wife Karen encouraged her and the 12-year-old has had great success.

She’ll be an eighth-grader at South Middle School this fall, and she’s also done well in the classroom, sporting a 4.0 GPA.

Doug Loos believes chess has had a direct impact on his daughter’s success in the classroom.

“She’s very competitive to start off, and she’ll tell you exactly how she feels. She doesn’t mince words,” he said. “But she’s also very analytical, and that comes from chess. I think it’s really had a great impact on her.”

Kaitlynn has won a number of tournaments, including the 2008 K-12 South Dakota State Championship this past winter. That victory earned her an invitation to the Susan Polgar Chess Invitational, being played in Lubbock, Tex., July 27 through Aug. 1.

“I’m really looking forward to it. It’s very exciting,” Kaitlynn said. “I started playing back in 2005 when we moved here and I started at Grandview. I didn’t have a lot of friends when we moved and chess really helped me meet some good kids.”

Kaitlynn and her family were living on the west side of town and she was attending Corral Drive Elementary School back in 2005, but she never got the chance to play chess because of the distance between the school and her home.

“My dad wanted to make sure I could get home OK and he thought it was too far to walk. It was pretty far but when we moved it all worked out,” Kaitlynn said.

She was extremely happy knowing she could pursue chess, and meet other kids with the same interest.

“When we moved and I found out I’d be able to play chess I was really happy. I played at Grandview and still go there and play,” she said.

“During the school year we play every day and go to at least one tournament a month.”

Her next tournament will probably be her biggest to date. She did go to nationals last year in Denver, but the Susan Polgar Chess Invitational is one of the most prestigious in the country.

The event is for girls in grades K-12, and just one girl from each state is invited. Polgar is a grandmaster in chess and has won four women’s world championships and five Olympic gold medals. To get the opportunity to play in such a competitive event is something Kaitlynn has been wanting for a long time.

“I think I’ve gotten some good experience from the different tournaments I’ve been to. This tournament is going to be very hard. There are going to be very good players,” she said. “But I should do OK.”

Karen Loos said Kaitlynn has what it takes to win it, it’s just a matter of getting there and seeing what the competition is like. She said Kaitlynn is very serious about chess, and said her daughter will probably be playing for some time.

“She’s been going to the Susan Polgar Web site and there’s a lot of good information there for her. The thing is when she goes to these tournaments she could be playing 18-year-olds in high school, but she does well,” Karen said.

The tournament will be played on the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.

Here is the full story.

Representing California

Chess champion finds kindred spirits with new club

By JENNIFER DEAN
The Press-Enterprise

Chess lovers have a new home at the Riverside Public Library thanks to a Poly High School student, who also happens to be a nationally ranked chess competitor -- No. 60 in his age group.

Sunil Deolalikar, 15, began playing in kindergarten. Just in time for his sixth birthday, he took second place in his age group at the National Elementary School Championships in Phoenix.

Riverside had a chess club for almost 40 years, but it disbanded in the 1990s, said the previous club director James Williamson. There hasn't been another chess club in the area -- until now.

"We wanted a place to play," Sunil said.

Sunil grew up in Seattle, where chess clubs were common in elementary schools. His sister, Nisha, 17, began playing chess in second grade. She will represent California at the Susan Polgar National Invitational Tournament for Girls at Texas Tech on July 27-Aug. 1.

"I like that chess is so much more than a regular board game -- other games you can memorize the strategy," Nisha said. "You have to put your whole self into the game -- it's just you, the board and your opponent."

The family moved to Riverside when Sunil was in fifth grade and found, to their dismay, that there were no scholastic chess tournaments in the area.

"When the kids moved here, they got to playing adult tournaments," said Pama Deolalikar, Sunil and Nisha's mother. To improve their national ratings, the children had to compete. So they began to compete with adults.

"I think chess has been good for my kids," Deolalikar said. "The club meetings are open to everyone -- all levels of play."

Here is the full story.

SPICE Cup makes history!

The 2008 SPICE Cup will take place from September 19-28 at Texas Tech University (Student Union Building) in Lubbock, Texas.

The field for the 2008 SPICE Cup is now completed. I am pleased to announce that former World Junior Champion GM Harikrishna Pentala (India) has confirmed his participation in the 2008 SPICE Cup! The average rating is over 2605 which is FIDE Category 15. This makes the 2008 SPICE Cup the highest rated 10 person International RR event in U.S. history!


Here are just some of GM Harikrishna's accomplishments:

- World under-10 championship, 1996, Menorca (Spain), Gold
- World under-12 rapid championship, 1996, Paris, Silver
- Children's Olympiad, 1998, Istanbul, Gold
- Commonwealth championship, 2000, Sangli, Gold (under-18)
- India's youngest International Master, 2000
- Asian under-14 championship, 2000, Tehran, 2000-01, Gold
- Chess Olympiad, 2000, Istanbul, First Grandmaster (GM) norm
- Corus tournament, 2001, Wijk Aan Zee, Second GM norm
- Asian junior championship, 2001, Tehran, Silver
- Asian championship, 2001, Kolkata, Qualified for World championship; Final GM norm
- India's youngest GM, 2001
- Ron Banwell MSO Masters tournament, 2001, London, Gold
- Commonwealth championship, 2001, London, Gold
- World Junior Champion, 2004
- Tiayuan Chess Tournament (FIDE Category 15) in China on 20 July 2005, Clear First
- 9th Essent Tournament Hoogeveen, 2005, Clear First
- Bermuda Invitational Tournament, 2005, Shared First with Boris Gelfand
- Pamplona International Tournament, 2005, Shared Second with Ivan Cheparinov
- Reykjavik Open, 2006, Shared First
- 4th Marx Gyorgy Memorial tournament in Hungary, 2006, Clear First
- Defeated Arkady Naiditsch in Mainz to become Chess960 World Junior Champion
- Number two ranked junior under 20 in the world in 2006
- Top 50 overall in the world 2007 - 2008
- Member of 5 Indian Olympiad teams, including the 2008 Chess Olympiad
- Highest FIDE rating: 2682
- Highest FIDE ranking: #2 Junior in 2006 (Jan - Sept 2006) / #25 overall in the world (Apr - Sept 2006)

Here are the full list of players in the 2008 SPICE Cup:

USA - GM Onischuk, Alexander 2734 USCF / 2670 FIDE
IND - GM Pentala, Harikrishna 2724 USCF / 2668 FIDE
GER - GM Kritz, Leonid 2667 USCF / 2610 FIDE (Will attend TTU in the fall of 2009)
USA - GM Akobian, Varuzhan 2660 USCF / 2610 FIDE
USA - GM Kaidanov, Gregory 2664 USCF / 2605 FIDE
USA - GM Becerra, Julio 2640 USCF / 2598 FIDE
ISR - GM Mikhalevski, Victor 2679 USCF / 2592 FIDE
POL - GM Miton, Kamil 2703 USCF / 2580 FIDE
ISL - GM Stefansson, Hannes 2597 USCF / 2566 FIDE
USA - GM Perelshteyn, Eugene 2619 USCF / 2555 FIDE (Defending Champion)

Average FIDE: 2605
Average USCF: 2669

The SPICE Cup Invitational will be the main attraction of the annual SPICE Cup Festival. Other activities will include the 2008 Texas Women's Open Championship, SPICE Cup Grand Prix, SPICE Cup Scholastic, SPICE Cup Pro-Am event, etc. Our goal is to add a group B next year and even more activities.

A historic event coming to TTU

The 2008 SPICE Cup will take place from September 19-28 at Texas Tech University (Student Union Building) in Lubbock, Texas.

Here are the players:

USA - GM Onischuk, Alexander 2734 USCF / 2670 FIDE
GER - GM Kritz, Leonid 2667 USCF / 2610 FIDE
USA - GM Akobian, Varuzhan 2660 USCF / 2610 FIDE
USA - GM Kaidanov, Gregory 2664 USCF / 2605 FIDE
USA - GM Becerra, Julio 2640 USCF / 2598 FIDE
ISR - GM Mikhalevski, Victor 2679 USCF / 2592 FIDE
POL - GM Miton, Kamil 2703 USCF / 2580 FIDE
ISL - GM Stefansson, Hannes 2597 USCF / 2566 FIDE
USA - GM Perelshteyn, Eugene 2619 USCF / 2555 FIDE (Defending Champion)

Average FIDE: 2605
Average USCF: 2663

The 10th player with a FIDE rating over 2650 has tentatively agreed to take part in the 2008 SPICE Cup. The average rating will be over 2605 which is FIDE Category 15. This will make the 2008 SPICE Cup the highest rated 10 person International RR event in U.S. history. The average USCF rating will be around 2663.

The SPICE Cup Invitational will be the main attraction of the annual SPICE Cup Festival. Other activities will include the 2008 Texas Women's Open Championship, SPICE Cup Grand Prix, SPICE Cup Scholastic, SPICE Cup Pro-Am event, etc. Our goal is to add a group B next year and even more activities.

2008 SPICE Cup Update

The 2008 SPICE Cup will take place from September 19-28, 2008 at Texas Tech University (student union building) in Lubbock, Texas.

Here are the confirmed players so far:

USA - GM Onischuk, Alexander 2734 USCF / 2670 FIDE
GER - GM Kritz, Leonid 2667 USCF / 2610 FIDE
USA - GM Akobian, Varuzhan 2660 USCF / 2610 FIDE
USA - GM Kaidanov, Gregory 2664 USCF / 2605 FIDE
USA - GM Becerra, Julio 2619 USCF / 2598 FIDE
ISR - GM Mikhalevski, Victor 2679 USCF / 2592 FIDE
POL - GM Miton, Kamil 2703 USCF / 2580 FIDE
ISL - GM Stefansson, Hannes 2597 USCF / 2566 FIDE
USA - GM Perelshteyn, Eugene 2619 USCF / 2555 FIDE (Defending Champion)

USCF average: 2660.22
FIDE average: 2598.44

This will be a category 15 event (2600+ FIDE and 2660+ USCF) which is the highest rated 10-player International RR tournament in U.S. history. The latest preliminary inquiry has gone out to 3 players over 2650 FIDE to complete the roster. I expect to finalize the last spot soon.

Invitations were made to Gata Kamsky, Hikaru Nakamura, two of the top 4 women players in the world as well as 4 other players who are over 2700. They could not make it due to prior commitment.

The SPICE Cup Invitational will be the main attraction of the annual SPICE Cup Festival. Other activities will include the Texas Women's Open Championship, SPICE Cup Grand Prix, SPICE Cup Scholastic, SPICE Cup Pro-Am event, etc.

Our goal is to add a group B next year and even more activities.

MATE: A thrilling upcoming feature film

The upcoming feature film MATE is psychological thriller of mystery and suspense in the vein of MEMENTO and THE USUAL SUSPECTS.

About MATE:

In a world of corruption and deceit, two former world chess champions cross paths and are unsuspectingly drawn into a deadly game of mystery and suspense. Michael Foster and Kyle Kessler are long time archrivals in the highly competitive game of sixty-four squares. Each has staked his claim to be the best grandmaster of his time. Each has arguably been deemed the greatest chess champion to ever play the game.

Yet, beneath the surface of tactics and strategies, there is a truth that engulfs them beyond their calculated geniuses; a truth that suddenly turns their world upside down; a truth that unfolds and forces them on the run from a group of killers who have coerced them into a dangerous game of intrigue.

In the world of sixty-four squares, where lies intersect the truth, nothing is what it seems. Inside the mind of a chess king, reality is merely an illusion.

I have signed on as a co-producer and I will also have a featured appearance in the film. The press release for the full cast will be released very soon. I was a chess consultant for the off-Broadway show "Fit to Kill" back in 2005. It was a blast! I am very excited about this project and I am looking forward to being a part of this movie.