SPICE hosts 2nd annual Lubbock Open

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

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

Written by Jessica Benham

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source: http://today.ttu.edu