New York Times on the World Chess Championship - Live TV Coverage in Norway All the Rage!

"The Magnus Effect," The New York Times, November 21, 2018.
By Andrew Keh, photographs by Linda Bournane Engelberth

Please use the link above to read the entire article.  For current coverage (event runs through November 28th unless decided sooner by a sufficient winning margin on the part of one of the players), I recommend The Week in Chess, my go-to source for chess news (which I haven't been reporting on much the past few years, particularly world championships involving only male players.  Snore.)  It is nice to have an American player competing for the title, it's been a lllooooonnnnggggg time.   

* * * * * 

OSLO — Late on Friday night, a couple hundred people were packed into a dimly lit, stylishly decorated bar in the heart of Oslo’s downtown night-life district.

The place already was generating considerable buzz. It had been open for only a week, but one recent night the line to enter had snaked down the block. Inside, it felt like so many of the other hip spots in downtown Oslo — candlelight illuminating framed artwork on the walls, conversation humming over the clink of beer glasses — except for one small detail: the chess games happening at every table and countertop.

"That’s the Magnus Effect,” said Martin Mortensen, a 32-year-old software developer at the bar, referring to the Norwegian world champion Magnus Carlsen. “Almost everyone in Norway has some relationship to chess nowadays. It’s on T.V. and in newspapers all the time."

He scanned the overflowing room. “It’s bizarre."

* * * * *

"Bizarre?"  No more bizarre than the chess fever that swept through an entire generation of American chess players back in 1972 when American Bobby Fischer challenged the Russian chess champion juggernaut - AND WON!  Chess infected millions of youngsters and others all across the country and churned out a great number of revered American chess Grandmasters who competed on the world stage for years, although none achieved the same level of fame as Fischer.

Now chess is once again being rejuvenated in America, this time by an unlikely source in the Sinquefield billionaire husband and wife team in St. Louis, Missouri. GM Susan Polgar, one of the  three famous Polgar sisters originally from Hungary, has lived in the US for years, centered first in New York where she met Fabiano Caruana at her chess training center when he was just a youngster.  She saw his promise as a player.  Polgar eventually moved to Texas Tech to establish a chess training program that drafted players from around the world to come to the Texas Tech campus in Lubbock, Texas to play for the che, ss team while earning college degrees.  Some years later, Polgar moved to Webster University in St. Louis, where she remains today, at the helm of the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence.

If you're interested, you can check out the somewhat "checkered" history of the title of World Chess Championship during the modern era, involving both FIDE and "not FIDE" titles.  Information comes directly from Wikipedia:

3World champions

• 3.1Leading players before the World Chess Championships
• 3.2Undisputed world champions (1886–1993)
• 3.3Classical (PCA/Braingames) world champions (1993–2006)
• 3.4FIDE world champions (1993–2006)
• 3.5Undisputed world champions (2006–present)
• 3.6Timeline

Supernationals V and LOTS of Chess Drama!

Hola darlings!

Well - lots of news!  I normally do not follow scholastic chess events (with a few exceptions).  But ever since those dedicated coaches and teachers at IS 318 in Brooklyn brought their kids into national prominence, and because I am a fan of Elizabeth Vicary Spiegel and supporter of her efforts, I try do check the news on occasion to see what IS 318 is doing.  And - wow, they've snuck up on me!  Supernationals are taking place this year in Nashville, Tennessee and begin in just two more days, April 5 - 7!

IS 318, which has become internationally famous for its excellent chess program and great results with kids that, let's face it, some people consider "throw-aways", is defending it's K-12 title -- how excellent is that!!!!! 

And - gasp - Elizabeth Vicary Spiegel will NOT be able to accompany "her kids" to Nashville.  She is in the early stages of a much-desired pregnancy and is experiencing some complications, you see, and is prohibited from travelling at the present time.  B-U-M-M-E-R!  I'm not revealing any delicate secrets here - she's written all about it in her blog.   Lizzy - SKYPE!  Face-to-face with the kids has never been easier, and it's free.  'course, she's probably already planning on that...

While Coach Spiegel won't be in Nashville, WIM Dr. Alexey Root will be, as coach to a K-12 team from Denton, Texas.  She is going to be one busy lady, too.  Not only is she coaching, she'll be hosting a seminar: WIM Alexey Root Seminar - Thinking with Chess: Teaching Children Ages 5-14 ... Saturday at 10 AM.

From what Dr. Root wrote in her article for USCF, it appears that UT-Dallas will have a strong presence at Supernationals V, scouting for potential recruits for its collegiate-level chess team. 

A little background...  The ultimate prize among colleges and universities that sponsor a chess team is to win the Chess equivalent of the "Final Four."  Until the advent of the Polgar Dynamic Duo at Texas Tech in 2007, it had been more or less taken for granted that UT-Dallas or the University of Maryland-Baltimore, would win the coveted title, year after boring year.  Susan Polgar changed the equation - in a BIG FRICKING WAY!  She won TWO titles for Texas Tech, suddenly putting it on the MAP, before (half-way through what was generally understood to be a 10-year long "understanding") moving her program (under the auspices of the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence) to St. Louis, Missouri and Webster University at the end of Spring Term, 2012, AND taking the entire "A" Team with her. Not without some controversy.  The bottom line is that Polgar's grateful beneficiary, Webster University, has the best "collegiate" level team yet. 

Suffice to say - there is, er, COMPETITION among top-level collegiate chess programs these days to attract high-level players, er, chessplayers.  Who'd have thunk it!   Cut-throat, darlings, absolutely cut-throat!  Knives are out and high drama is afoot these days in the world of collegiate chess.  Who is backing who?  Where is the money coming from?  Just how much, exactly, are we talking about?  What are the ultimate goals, and who is scoring points on who?  Woo woo!  Like I said, high drama!  Those idiots in Washington have some lessons to learn from chess politicians, let me tell you...

The chess femmes will have a STRONG presence this year at Supernationals -- in addition to the above --

WGM Jennifer Shahade Seminar - Popularizing Chess ... Friday at 5 PM.
Parents Coffee with USCF President WIM Ruth Haring ... Saturday 3 PM.

In addition, one of my favorite players ever, GM Alexandria Kosteniuk, the 12th Women's World Chess Champion, who has a big kind heart and is so sweet and shy, will be giving a simul:

GM Alexandra Kosteniuk Simul Thursday 2 PM.
Cost: $50. Limited to first 40 players. Register Online (scroll down to Event 4 under Step 3). 

So, tune in and watch for the results.  Right now I'm hunting for Teams composition to see what IS 318 players will be playing, so I can root for the all!  Just not finding anything.  I'll keep looking and will update as we get into the actual tournament.

Computer Labs for Kids

Hola darlings!  I received an update the other day from my chess buddy Shira Evans Sanford. 

Shira and Crispin are settled in LA and working out of the "mobile lab" that has been a big blessing in reaching many kids!  Here's the latest:

I am really excited. Computer Labs for Kids is starting an iPad class for homeless children in San Jose, CA. I sent out an email about it and then got a response from a man I met in Israel who has recently been appointed by the Ministry of Education to put together iPads for a project teaching deaf children how to play chess - using the iPads! It's way cool! If you want to help the Israel project, I've put together I special causes page just for them and whatever money we get we will use to send them iPads. Here is the link, http://www.causes.com/causes/245228-computer-labs-for-kids/actions/1628622

So the kids will not only learn how to use an Ipad, they will also learn how to play chess!  Yippee!

We have talked about this idea for awhile, and during the 2009 Chicago project, GM Susan Polgar and the Susan Polgar Institute donated software that was loaded onto computers that were delivered at the end of the day to children who attended the program at the Children's Village. 

Because Chicago was within my reach by a 90 minute train trip, I was able to volunteer and work with Shira and other volunteers that day, and it was just a wonderful experience.

Shira (center) with one of the student receiving his Certificate of Completion, and me (left), some of the volunteers in the background; his computer buddy is waiting to hand him his computer in the background :)

See also GM Susan Polgar Comes Through! 

 I've been pushing for Shira to work more chess into her work with the kids ever since! Chess can be a life-changing experience -- knowledge that, once learned, can never be taken away but can be nurtured, and added to. Chess can take you to places you would not have thought about for yourself, if only you can dream, and have a little intestinal fortitude :)  I never dreamed that I would ever play in a real chess tournament myself, but somehow, in October, 2010 there were Shira and I, and Crispin (who worked instead of played chess that day, CHICKEN!) at a Hales Corners Chess Challenge.

I don't think I'd have had enough guts to walk in there that first time without my chess buddy at my side, let me tell you!  As it was, my hands shook throughout most of my games.  I bombed - expected to.  But it was an experience!  Shira was there to give me encouragement between the rounds, for she was playing in the Open and I was a totally UNRATED player in the Reserve section, eek! 

I think it must have driven me slightly mad because, a year later, I somehow found myself playing in another October Hales Corners Chess Challenge!  This one I had to get to by myself (bus) and walk into all alone (intestinal fortitude).  I only played 3 games (arranged ahead of time), but I did it, all by myself.  Now that does sound silly, doesn't it, coming from a 60 year old woman who's been there and done that!

And now, I find I'm playing next month in Hales Corners Chess Challenge XV.  And my hands are not shaking at the prospect; I'm sure I'm just going to get really P.O.'d about being mercilessly whipped around the board by players young enough to be my grandchildren.  Ach! 

So you see - chess and computers!  Darlings, it's a natural!

More on SPICE Move to St. Louis

No. 1-Ranked Chess Institute in the Nation Moving to Webster Groves

The Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence will make Webster University its new home after five years at Texas Tech University.
By Carlos Restrepo
February 29, 2012

Susan Polgar, world and Olympiad champion of chess, will move her Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE) from Texas Tech University to Webster University, effective June 1.

Polgar was recruited by Texas Tech in 2007 to lead the new SPICE chess institute. However, Polgar said the university there did not have the resources to sustain the fast-growing chess program.

“The program grew very fast,” said Polgar, who is a winner of four world chess championships and five Olympic gold medals. “We are very thankful for our partnership with Texas Tech. We had many great accomplishments there, but it was time to move on.”

Julian Schuster, provost of Webster University, said he has been playing chess for most of his life and has befriended several professional chess players throughout his career in academia. Schuster said a friend had told him that Polgar was planning on leaving Texas Tech, so he saw an opportunity for Webster.

“All my life I’ve thought chess is a great educational tool,” Schuster said. “I always have had an idea to form a chess club, but never sought the opportunity. When one my friends told me Susan Polgar was contemplating leaving Texas, I put two and two together and moved the initiative forward with the university.”

In addition to Polgar, 10 students from Texas Tech, who are part of the chess institute’s “A” team, will also relocate to Webster. At least six of them will receive full-ride scholarships to attend their new home campus, Schuster said.

Schuster said he is not sure of the total cost to the university for bringing the SPICE institute, Polgar and the 10 students to Webster. Schuster said he sees it as a good investment.

“Everyone — the New York Times, the other newspapers — ask me this question, ‘How much will it cost?’” Schuster said. “This is not important. What’s more important is how many direct and indirect benefits this will have for Webster University, Webster Groves, St. Louis, Missouri and even the United States. We are convinced that we will emerge as one of the best universities and we will become an attractive place for the best students to come and to join us. In that regard, it will put Webster Groves on the world map.”

Polgar said it may be difficult to adapt from being at a large university such as Texas Tech, with a population of about 32,000, to Webster University, which has an enrollment of about 4,500 students. However, Polgar said Webster’s campuses abroad and its global mission are a perfect fit for her program.

“Chess is an international game, and anyone can play it,” Polgar said. “We hope to attract students from other countries to come to Webster.”

Both Polgar and Schuster said the institute will serve not only students at the university, but also residents of Webster Groves and surrounding areas.

“We still have to iron-out the details, but there will be opportunities to make it accessible to anyone interested in chess,” Polgar said. “That’s the beauty of chess; it is available to everyone. It doesn’t matter how tall you are, how old you are, how fast you are, what background you come from, it’s available and accessible to everybody. And it will be that way at Webster, too.”

********************************************************

If the program was insufficiently funded by Texas Tech, how could it have grown so quickly, as GM Polgar herself stated in this article?  And in building such a successful chess program in an admittedly short period of time, why was she even contemplating leaving Texas Tech?  Who walks away from success? 

Does Webster University with 4,500 students at it's home campus in St. Louis, Missouri, really have more financial resources to fund "growing" a chess program than Texas Tech, with over 32,000 students? 

Six students from the soon-to-be-former Texas Tech "Knight Riders" "A" chess team are getting full scholarships to Webster University.  Well, at least for a year...  But what about the other 4 players?  And what about the players on the "B" and "C" squads?  Were they not also instrumental in achieving a unique level of success for SPICE under Texas Tech's funding of its chess program? 

Who is the "friend?"

More on Susan Polgar's Leaving Texas Tech

This was emailed from GM Polgar; I'm probably on a distribution list.

Chess Coach to Leave Texas Tech With Her Team’s Best in Tow

By DYLAN LOEB McCLAIN

Published: February 14, 2012

 

GM Susan Polgar

Imagine if a university without a basketball program recruited Mike Krzyzewski, the legendary coach at Duke University, and not only managed to hire him but also persuaded most of his team to switch with him. In essence, that is what Webster University in St. Louis has done by hiring Susan Polgar, the head of the Texas Tech chess program.

Ms. Polgar, a grandmaster and a former women’s world champion, was hired by Texas Tech University in 2007 to create an elite chess program. The university even named the program after her, calling it the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence, or Spice.

 

Last April, Texas Tech won the Final Four of Chess, a competition in Herndon, Va., among the top collegiate teams in the country. It was Texas Tech’s first championship since Ms. Polgar arrived at the university.

Now Ms. Polgar and her husband, Paul Truong, the manager of the chess team, are leaving Texas Tech, which is spread over more than 1,800 acres in Lubbock and has more than 32,000 students. They are heading to Webster, a university mostly geared toward postgraduate students around the world, whose main campus in St. Louis is 47 acres. The chess program at Webster will be called Spice.

The top 10 players at Texas Tech — eight grandmasters and two international masters, some of whom had just committed to the university — are also switching. They are scheduled to start in the fall; Ms. Polgar is to begin on June 1. On paper, Webster will have the No. 1 ranked team in the country.

In an interview with KCBD, NBC’s local affiliate in Lubbock, Mr. Truong said the switch was caused by a lack of financial resources at Texas Tech. Ms. Polgar told KCBD that the program grew too quickly for the university to accommodate it.

Chris Cook, a spokesman for Texas Tech, said that budget cuts had affected several teams but that they were still adequately financed. “We are giving the programs what they need to compete,” Mr. Cook said. He said the university intended to hire a new coach and a new manager to succeed Ms. Polgar and Mr. Truong.

Julian Z. Schuster, the provost of Webster University, said he was responsible for recruiting and hiring Ms. Polgar and establishing the team. Mr. Schuster said that he and Ms. Polgar had mutual friends and that he had learned she was thinking about leaving Texas Tech. They exchanged e-mails, and Ms. Polgar went to visit.

“Technically, I don’t know who winked first,” Mr. Schuster said. “You know the old expression: it takes two to tango.”

Mr. Schuster said Webster had an endowment of about $80 million and was financing the new program, including the cost of scholarships, entirely on its own. The financial commitment would run at least long enough for the students who are matriculating, some of whom are freshmen, to graduate. Mr. Schuster said that having a top team would eventually more than pay for itself by raising Webster’s profile and stimulating interest in the university.

Mentioning that Webster has campuses in more than 100 places around the world, Mr. Schuster, who grew up in the former Yugoslavia, where chess is popular, said: “I did not grow up in this country. I do not play football. I do not have this connection from the old country. Chess is a global game, and we live in global times. And Webster is a global university.”

Distinguishing itself from other universities was one of the primary reasons Texas Tech created its chess program five years ago. Other universities — including the University of Texas at Dallas and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County — have made similar decisions.

James A. Stallings, the director of the Dallas chess program, said Webster’s recruitment of such a top team was “unprecedented,” pointing out that most programs start from scratch.

(Coincidentally, just three days before Webster made its announcement on Feb. 3, Lindenwood University, a liberal arts institution just outside of St. Louis that has 17,000 students, said it was starting a chess program and had hired a local grandmaster named Ben Finegold as its coach.)

Mr. Stallings said he was a little concerned from a fairness standpoint about Webster recruiting so many of Texas Tech’s players as well as its coaching staff, but he welcomed the creation of another top program.

“It validates the concept,” Mr. Stallings said. “It is a good thing for scholastic youth in this country.”

Mr. Schuster at Webster said simply, “To use the chess analogy, I think we made the right move.”

Susan Polgar Moving SPICE to St. Louis, Missouri

From Chessdom:

SPICE and Champion U.S. College Chess Team Moving to Webster University
February 3, 2012

St. Louis, Feb. 3, 2012 – Building on St. Louis’ growing reputation as a world-class chess center, Webster University is making some exciting chess moves.

The University today announced that chess Grandmaster Susan Polgar, World and Olympiad Champion, and her Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE), will relocate to Webster from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, on June 1, 2012.

In addition, all members of the reigning national collegiate champion Texas Tech “A” chess team will transfer to Webster and be enrolled at the University in the 2012-2013 academic year.

“Chess is increasingly valued for its instructional impact,” said Webster President Elizabeth (Beth) J. Stroble. “Globally, educators recognize chess as a tool to cultivate interest and success in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) disciplines. At Webster, SPICE and Susan Polgar will be leaders in promoting chess as a vehicle for global diversity and academic excellence, for enriching the education of children and for promoting women’s chess.”

“We are excited to be the new home of the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence,” said Dr. Julian Z. Schuster, Webster University provost and senior vice president.

“The mission of SPICE is to be the nation’s premier center for chess education, research, technology and outreach. Our partnership with Susan Polgar and SPICE at Webster will allow us to support and promote competitive chess at the college level. Chess has always been a global game and this important step brings a global game in these global times to a truly global university. We are excited to further enhance the image of St. Louis as a global chess center.”

“According to recent statistics, there are about 1 billion chess players in the world,” Polgar said. “SPICE, therefore, is a perfect fit for Webster University’s global vision and presence, and I am extremely impressed with Webster’s commitment to excellence in chess and education. I am also very excited to be in the St. Louis area, near the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis, the hot spot for chess in the United States, thanks to Mr. Rex Sinquefield.”

The chess players who will either transfer to Webster from Texas Tech or enroll as incoming freshmen include eight Grandmasters and two International Masters, and the team is expected to rank No. 1 in the nation in Fall 2012. “No team in the long and prestigious history of college chess has had eight Grandmasters before,” Polgar said.

Polgar, who is one of the strongest female chess players in history, is the winner of four world championships and the only world champion in history – male or female – to win the Triple-Crown (Rapid, Blitz and Classical Chess world championships). She is the first woman to break the gender barrier to qualify for the Men’s World Championship Cycle, earn the Men’s Grandmaster title, and to receive the Grandmaster of the Year Award. In 2011, Polgar became the first female head coach to lead a men’s Division 1 team (Texas Tech University) to the national title.

Sooooo, what about the SPICE Cup?  Is Webster going to pick up the sponsorship for it?  What about chessplayers who were recruited to Texas Tech by SPICE who aren't on the "A" Team?  What about all of the programs that SPICE sponsored locally in the Lubbock area?

Looks like Susan Polgar has kissed off Texas Tech.  Adios, amigos.

This, from The Wall Street Journal:

Sorry, Texas Tech: You've Been Checkmated

College athletes transferring to another school is common, but an entire program? Webster University announced Friday it had lured the Texas Tech chess team—including coach Susan Polgar and the "A" squad members who won the national title last spring—to the St. Louis-area school. Polgar, who noted a nearby St. Louis chess club as a U.S. "hot spot," will relocate to Webster in June. The players will enroll there for 2012-13.

"We're disappointed that they've chosen to transfer rather than continue their education here but we do wish them the best in that," a Texas Tech spokesman said. "They've represented us well in chess."
—R.B.

Chess Miscellany

Wow - I just saw one of those "TODAY IN HISTORY" things that today, November 5:  In 1992, U.S. chess legend Bobby Fischer clinched a $5 million chess match against Russian Boris Spassky, marking a triumphant return after 20 years in self-imposed obscurity.

Was it this match that led to the sad end of Robert James Fischer? He died a permanent exile who did not even attend the funeral of his only sibling, his older sister, Joan Targ.  Perhaps they had been estranged for many years at the time.  With Fischer, one never knew.  When Fischer died in 2008 without a Will, a big fight ensued over what was left of his "fortune" - I suspect a very large junk of it was eaten up in legal fees!  The Filippino lady who claimed that her daughter was Fischer's lost her claim when DNA testing excluded Fischer as the child's father.  A Japanese woman, Miyoko Watai, a pharmacist and the president of the Japan Chess Association, produced documentary evidence of a 2004 marriage to Fischer to the satisfaction of the Court in Iceland that was probating the Estate, was determined her to be Fischer's legal heir.   I suppose I'm a sap, but I do hope that in his final years Robert James Fischer found some happiness with a female companion. 

Visiting some of the chess femme blogs:

At GM Alexandra Kosteniuk's blog, she posted an obituary/article for former chessplayer Andrija Fuderer (of the former Yugoslavia, later moved to Spain).  One can only wonder - what might have been if he had continued to play chess as a full-time career...

GM Kosteniuk is playing on the Russian Women's Team (Board 4, alternating with WGM Natalia Pogonina) in the European Team Chess Championships currently taking place in Greece.  So far, she is 2 for 2!  You Go Girl!

At GM Susan Polgar's blog, I am thinking about putting her in my Will after she published this photograph of an absolutely smoking hot Vassily Ivanchuk from 1991.  OHMYGODDESS!  Be still, oh my heart.  The game wasn't bad either...  Come to think of it, I was probably pretty hot back in 1991 too.  Oh time, time, time, what you have done to us?  Thicker around the middle and, at least in Ivanchuk's case, much greyer hair too.  Hmmm, actually I've probably aged fairly well.  Okay, enough ego talk.  I owe it all to my sister Yvonne's L'Bri products.  Miracles in little jars and bottles...

A great way to help kids and chess - contribute a chess set and board!  This article Mr. Solomon's Chess Gifts posted at SP's blog - what can I say?  Inspirational, wonderful, awesome!

Visting favorite person Elizabeth Vicary's chess blog, she has posted several "snapshots" of board positions of her chess kids from a recent match and I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND ANY OF THEM.  Oh my, my new chess coach is certainly going to face a daunting uphill battle - I'm hopeless!  And he thought I was joking when I warned him about battle pay in an email.  Hmmm...  The photographs of the kids - how can anyone not fall in love with these kids?  Oh, those faces!  They make me want to cry - tears of happiness, tears of empathy.  Gee, I really am getting sentimental in my later years.  I've never been particularly fond of children, but they do seem to be particularly fond of me.  Perverse. 

This photo brought a smile to my face:  It's Elizabeth Vicary analyzing with Michael Yu.  I gave my very own second chess lesson to a co-worker yesterday, and I swear I had that exact intense look on my face, and that exact same body position - uncanny!  Will the right answer out of him, Lizzy!  Maybe it's a sort of universal position for coaches - except for the dorky yet fashionable hat, I aint gonna wear one of those, at my age I'd look like a bag lady.

Anyway, she - I mean my pupil - did very well.  She remembered the names of most of the pieces and their respective moves even though we weren't able to have a lesson last week Friday.  She confused the Rook and the Bishop but that's probably my fault, I should not have gone into that little bit of chess herstory about how the Rooks and the Bishops switched places back in ancient times, or how the game is said to have been invented in India, but everyone really knows it was the Persians who did it... I shouldn't ramble on so, but she seems fascinated by the ancientness of it all, and you should hear her say "Ja'doube"!  She loves the word!  She loves the concept!  Oh my, I've got a captive audience and I'm playing the Ham to the Hilt.  Sigh.  Yesterday I explained to her how the Persian "ruhkh" became the "rook."  What possible relevance this has to moving the pieces around on the board - NONE. 

After our review, we went through some simple moves and I also attempted to explain "castling" and how to do it Queenside and Kingside.  Her head didn't explode so I think she's okay.  Next lesson we're actually going to start playing and move by move we will question each and every move.  I may actually learn something myself.

Oh, the exquisite irony.  Here I am, acting as a chess coach ("acting" is the key word in this sentence), and I don't know a damn thing about how to actually to play the game, but I do know a lot about it's ancient beginnings; and there I will be on the 14th of the month, sitting across from my own chess coach for the very first time, gulping and wishing with all my might that I won't make an absolute fool of myself.  But, I probably will.  Such is life, darlings! 

But back to Elizabeth Vicary and the school where she teaches, IS 318 in Brooklyn, New York USA.  A film crew who has filmed massive amounts of chess stuff with the IS 318 kids and is hoping to prune it all down to an award-winning documentary (like producer Lynn Hamrick's "Chess Kids") are looking to raise some money so they can refine a final product and tout it around all the various places that such films have to be touted in order to get enough recognition to be put on the list of nominees for film awards, etc. etc.  Sounds absolutely exhausting!  Why would anyone undertake such a project, Ms. Not-So-Innocent (me, darlings) asks?  I saw the information/request for contributions at both Alexandra's blog and Susan's blog, so here's some more information.  I think it's a great cause because it involves (1) chess and (2) kids and (3) IS 318 (but IS 318 could be any school in the country that has a great chess program). 

You know what - since I lost my three faithful canine companions, Tasha being the last to die, she went to The Happy Hunting Grounds in 2004, I've become absolutely fanatical about chess.  Am I substituting chess for not having had children, replacing children with dogs, and now that I no longer wish to have official pets (my assorted backyard wildlife faithfully fed for the past 21 years do not count as pets) replacing dogs with chess?  What would Freud say?  Okay, I can't say what I really want to say about Freud without a lot of profanity and vulgarity, so nix that thought...

WGM Alina L'Ami's blog always has such fascinating articles at her blog.  If you come back to Montreal in 2012, Alina, to defend your title as Female Champion of the City of Montreal Open, I hope to meet you.  I'm planning on being there.  Just how I'm going to manage that, I don't know; if I make an appearance at every event we're sponsoring in 2012 I'll be on the road A LOT.  Oh my poor pocketbook!  In hindsight, I really should have married that millionaire back in 1974.  Oh well.  My life may not have taken a chessly turn if I had...

Alina has words of wisdom about losing in chess and Lady Luck, and her words could not be more timely as I am going from bad to worse in my online games with Shira Evans Sanford.  Shira, I HATE YOU.  I love you, but I HATE YOU.  Hmmm, maybe I need some new medication.  I'm definitely sounding more and more schizoid these days.

Alina also wrote about Chess Design.  I absolutely adore this Chess Theme Bedroom - like WOW!  I have yet to finish my black/cream/red country French-themed bedroom -- too busy writing here, darlings.  It's been lingering and dying a slow death ever since Kevin painted out the room in 2009 from the dreadful pink I'd had since 1990 when I moved in - well, I did like it once.  To be truthful, these days the house looks like crap.  The only time I clean now is when I'm expecting company, but I sort of miss the days when I used to have House Beautiful.  And it was a Beautiful House.  No dust, no odd smells emanating out of the odd corner or from behind (or underneath) furniture, cleaned carpets, sparkling windows.  Now it looks like the Castle of Sleeping Beauty, that hasn't been touched in (fill in your own number here) years.  Cobwebs and spiders in the corners - I'm not kidding. WHERE THE HELL DO THEY COME FROM? 

Oy, I see the shade has already overtaken the front lawn and I've got to move my large pot of three white geraniums back into a sheltered spot.  We've been getting hard freezes here at night, but so far, thanks to draping them nightly in a big black towel and uncovering them when I hit the road at 7:15 a.m., those geraniums are not only blooming, they are setting more blooms!  I may have another miracle set of geraniums like the ones I had some years back that lasted well into December. Time to move on to other projects - like laundry and baking that apple pie I picked up the ingredients for earlier today during the weekly Saturday trek to the Pick and Save supermarket.  Cortland apples were on sale at only 0.98 USD a pound!  I couldn't resist. They are such beautiful apples, and perfect for baking.  I have a complaint though.  Pick and Save did not have the ready-made roll-out pie crusts prominently displayed.  I went through that damn gigantic store's dairy/cold and frozen aisles three times before I finally found them!  Geez Louise!  And how dare they try to foist off on me two ready-to-bake pie shells in cheap tin-foil pie plates for $4.99?  I mean, PLEASE!  I may have to finally resort to making my own.  EEK.  Double EEK.  Oh well, how hard can it be?  Certainly easier than learning how to play a sound chess game!

Speaking of which - one last word about me as chess coach:  Yes, darlings, I did actually talk about controlling the center of the board, why that is beneficial, how it's supposed to be done (hello, Ruy Lopez - never thought I'd ever say that and that sure isn't the way I play), and never ever making an intentional move, unless you wish to sacrifice a piece, without making sure the piece is both simultaneously attacking and protected from attack from the enemy forces.  Gee, I hate the way that sounds.  Maybe that's why I'm not so good at playing.  I don't like the premise.

Chess Femme News! Checking In on the Chess Femme Blogs

A trip around the internet, visiting some of my favorite chess blogs by chess femmes!

GM Alexandra Kosteniuk's chess blog:

October 4, 2011
Make a difference - you can contribute to Peace and Sport/Chess for Leadership and Creativity

October 4, 2011
GM Vassily Ivanchuk and his wife robbed at gun-point in Sao Paolo, just as they going to the airport to go to Bilbao, Spain, to finish the second half of the Grand Slam.  Mrs. Ivanchuk's passport was in one of the stolen suitcases.  Fortunately, neither GM nor Mrs. Ivanchuk were injured although, of course, both were quite shaken up by this horrible incident, just 20 yards from the hotel they had stayed in, in a "safe" area of Sao Paulo, Brazil.  Well, nowhere is safe, these days, is it? 

I can't help it - the first question that came to my mind was - who put those thieves up to this?  That GM Ivanchuk suffers from "nerves" is well-known for years.  Something like this could send him over the edge in the second half of the Grand Slam, and his wife has to travel back to their home country in order to get a new passport.  No one could possibly seriously believe that anyone would be carrying money in a suitcase - not these days!  So - what really was the goal of these thieves?  Just saying...

October 1, 2011
Strategic chess puzzle for chess-y weekend.
Video:  Chess Puzzle:  Kosteniuk v. Shen Yang (2008 Beijing).  Excellent! 

GM Susan Polgar's chess blog:

October 4, 2011
Inaugural Lecture at World Chess Hall of Fame

Dr. George Dean and GM Susan
Polgar at World Chess Hall of Fame,
St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Dr. George Dean will give a lecture on his unparalleled collection of chess memorabilia.

“Chess Masterpieces: One Thousand Years of Extraordinary Chess Sets,” will explore the history and significance of Dr. Dean’s extensive collection.

For more than 50 years, Dr. Dean and his wife Vivian have traveled the world acquiring rare, beautiful and culturally significant chess sets, including those currently on view in the World Chess Hall of Fame’s second floor exhibition, Chess Masterpieces: Highlights from the Dr. George and Vivian Dean Collection.
October 3, 2011
Zambinian Teenager Shines at Botswana Invitational Ladies Section
Zambian chess whiz kid, 18-year-old Epah Tembo has won the Botswana International Invitation Ladies Section in style, after emerging unscathed after nine rounds, and sweeping aside a strong field of Botswana national team players.

October 2, 2011
Chess' Greatest Challenge: Girls
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.

IM Jen Shahade's blog (hint: she keeps her Facebook more current):

September 17, 2011
Autumn Means Running
Autumn invigorates me to a comical extent. I actually find myself spontaneously running in heels from place to place during this season. The energy was useful last week as I just got back from the opening of the fabulous new World Chess Hall of Fame in Saint Louis. I also hosted commentary for a special team event in honor of the opening, K v Q: A Battle of the Sexes.

WGM Natalia Pogonina's chess blog:

October 4, 2011
Avoiding Fatigue During Tournaments
We often hear or say ourselves that “I got tired, and my brain went dead”; “I was tired and blundered”, “I didn’t have enough energy left for the last few rounds”.

Liz Vicary's Blog:
No kidding, Liz Vicary is one of my favorite people.  She's so damn passionate and erudite, and she loves the kids she teaches 2000 percent!  She's also incredibly witty.

October 3, 2011
IS 218 Fund Raising Drive - Please Help! (Of course I will, and I hope YOU will too, readers.  Please please please, every dollar will help, and I know it will be used efficiently, not going to overhead and bureaucracy nonsense.)
Please help support IS 318's chess team. Our funding has been cut every year for several years now, and it's at the point that we have tomake really fundamental cuts. We won't be able to take many students to Nationals or go to many of the tournaments we regularly win/do well in (the Marshall, the NY State Championship, Girls Nationals, High School Nationals, Elementary Nationals).

87% of our students live below the poverty line, which is currrently $22,000 for a family of four. That's even harder to live on in New York City than in the rest of the country. The money you donate will give these kids enriching educational experiences they would not otherwise be able to afford. Because we bring so many kids to tournament and I work on salary, your donated dollar is spent extremely efficiently and goes really far.

Chess Femme News!

From Forbes.com
Associated Press
Top players seek EU support for chess in school
Associated Press, 09.20.11, 12:17 PM EDT BRUSSELS -- Chess stars Garry Kasparov and Judit Polgar are seeking European Union support to promote the game in schools across the continent.

Former world champion Kasparov said Tuesday he was looking for government support on top of private funding to spread the game across schools in the 27-nation EU. He said it was unclear how many kids were playing chess but said in French schools alone some 300,000 were involved in the game. Hungary's Polgar said chess cut across languages and cultural divides since the rules were universal and immediately engaged people into social contact.

It was still unclear how the EU could help but Kasparov said he was also looking how to better integrate chess into school curriculums.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.



From kalwnews.org
The real life story of San Francisco’s “Chess Cinderella” 

By Jen Chien on September 21, 2011 - 4:58pm

Dyhemia Young

Most of us love a good fairytale. And then there’s the tale of Dyhemia Young, a teenager from San Francisco’s Bayview district.

Young was invited to the coveted wild card invitation to the Susan Polgar Girls’ Invitational, a prestigious chess tournament held at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. But there was a problem: Young couldn’t be found. Her home life had been unstable for a couple years, and none of her old numbers or addresses worked. So mentors, teachers, and even the police got involved in the search.
They finally tracked her down at a group home – a foster home – in East Palo Alto, with less than a week to go until the start of the tournament. But there was another problem: Dyhemia couldn’t actually afford to go to the tournament.

Luckily, a story about her on the front page of the LA Times led to a flood of donations that paved her way to Texas.

It sounds like “happily ever after,” but the tale of the San Francisco Chess Cinderella is actually a lot more complicated. KALW’s Jen Chien has this story.

* * *

SUSAN POLGAR: Don’t make the move – this is the most important part of it – don’t make the move until you see me in front of your board.

JEN CHIEN: Ten girls are sitting in front of 10 chess boards at a long bank of tables. Most of them are under 10 years old, in pigtails and headbands, but at the far end of the tables sits a lone teenager with stylish side-swept bangs. That’s Dyhemia Young.

I’m at the Norcal House of Chess in Fremont, watching a “simul,” or simultaneous exhibition. That means all the girls at the table tonight are playing against one chess star. Tonight, that star is Grandmaster Susan Polgar. Cameras are rolling, taking video that will later be posted on Polgar’s many chess websites and YouTube. Amidst the hoopla, Young sits calmly, waiting to make her first move.

POLGAR: So, what I’m gonna do is, I’m gonna start the first round. I’m gonna start right here with Dyhemia, and then move on...

One of the people wielding a camera tonight is Lisa Suhay, who’s flown in from Virginia to attend the event. Suhay, a children’s book author and youth chess organizer is behind a lot of the online buzz about Young. The two met at a tournament in Texas. Actually Suhay’s the one who contacted the LA Times, which led to Young being splashed across its front page.

LISA SUHAY: I called the editor.

Suhay came up with the “Chess Cinderella” name, and she’s been working it all over the internet. She even calls herself Young’s “Fairy Godmother” in one article. Suhay believes that continued media attention can save Young from getting lost in the system like so many foster kids do.

SUHAY: It’s a big system, it’s a slow-moving system. Even though all of the people care very much, they’re stuck with the system. I think it’s important to keep the spotlight on a positive story and on the fact that when everyone got together and helped this one child, it had this huge positive ripple effect.

Young entered the foster care system two years ago after some serious conflicts with her mom. Since then, she’s been bounced from placement to placement, even spending a short stint in juvenile hall (she disobeyed a court mandate to return to her mom’s house). Playing chess helped her find some stability. Her mentor Adisa Banjoko runs the Hip Hop Chess Federation at John O’Connell High School. He sees the game as a way Young can focus her energy. Even though Young received a scholarship to Texas Tech through Polgar’s tournament, Banjoko is not so sure more media attention is what she needs.

ADISA BANJOKO: A lot of pressure was put on her to try to be this or be that, and everybody was trying to turn her journey into a fairy tale. And her journey is very real, her journey is not over.

Young is currently living at the East Palo Alto Teen Home, awaiting yet another foster home placement. She just started her junior year at a new school, and though she’s working hard, statistics for foster kids like her are not favorable. Nationally, youth in foster care are 44% less likely than their peers to graduate from high school. As they get older, it gets even more daunting. In California, 65% of youth aging out of foster care have no place to live. Young will age out in less than three years – a stark reality compared with the Cinderella story that’s been attached to her.

Sheila George operates the group home where Young currently lives.

SHEILA GEORGE: I don't know about the Cinderella part of this chess, but my main thing now is to get her back on target for school, get her grounded in school, so she can then think.

In the kitchen, an employee is frying chicken and potatoes in a huge cast iron pan to feed the four foster girls who live there. They’re all teenagers. One has a baby.

Young’s mom is there, too – for a visit and a meeting with the social worker, therapist, and attorney on her daughter’s case. She’s uneasy about Young’s newfound fame.

DYHEMIA’S MOTHER: I'm not too sure about the media, I'm not really thrilled about that. ‘Cause I don't want them to pull her in the wrong direction, might pull her in the wrong direction, she might stumble on something. She's only 15.

YOUNG: This is my dresser, got my teddy bear... And I like parrots ‘cause they talk a lot of mess...

At an age when girls need stability, Young doesn’t have much. She tells me when she needed glasses, it took two years to arrange for a prescription. She worries about where she’ll live next month. For the moment, she shares an upstairs bedroom with a girl she’s known only a few months.

YOUNG: This is my drawer, this is where I keep basically all my chess containments. This is my board, my Lubbock bag, my hair product, Chess Master edition...

The room is small but tidy – typical teenage girl: a flat iron near a big mirror. Snacks stashed near the head of her bed. Young also has mementos from the chess tournament up on the walls.

YOUNG: She got her side with her decorations, my side with my decorations, my newspapers, the signs, "Welcome Dyhemia Young, we support you” – I got that from when I was on my way to Texas, when I got off the plane. I had three posters, people was giving me flowers, posters, taking pictures with me I’m so famous!

For a child who can feel forgotten, it’s kind of a dream come true. Still, with so many people focusing their attention on her, Young says it’s hard not to feel the pressure.

YOUNG: It’s pressure to be the person that I want to be, pressure to have my little sister look up to me and be the person that she wants me to be, and then it’s pressure just to be in the system and have them on my back, and be the person that they want me to be. I’m like: Can I just be myself?

BANJOKO: If she can finish high school, I think she can go out and be a really devastating person at whatever she chooses. But the real tragedy, and we have to be honest about this, is that if she does not graduate, if her household is not made more stable, she absolutely could be another statistic. And that’s my fear, that all of this hype, and all of these gifts are just gonna end up with her being incarcerated, or worse, and I don’t want that for her, I don’t want that for her at all.

Young has her own thoughts as to what kind of ending – fairytale or not – her story should have.

YOUNG: I more identify with the “diamond in the rough” more than the Cinderella story. I mean, some people may look at my story and think, “Well, she is kind of a Cinderella.” No people, that’s just my name, that is not what I am, that is not who I am. I am a diamond in the rough.

CHIEN: Why is that more accurate?

YOUNG: Because a diamond has to be pressure put on, and you have to mold it and shape it and shine it to get it to be a diamond. And I’m still going through my pressure and molding and you know, all the shining and stuff. Probably my shining will be more in my college years... But no, I’m going through all of that to become that diamond and when I become that diamond y’all, I will be one of the top lawyers, one of the best judges, or even on the Supreme Court. Y’all going see me again, don’t worry.

Back in Fremont, at the Norcal House of Chess, the simul is about to begin.

POLGAR: Just try your best, and enjoy the experience. It’s a learning experience. Hope you’ll have fun, okay?

In chess, every move opens up new opportunities and obstacles. The best players look far ahead in the game, considering all of their possibilities. Young has made it this far. She eyes the board intently. Her hand inches slowly toward a chess piece and hovers above it for a moment…

For Crosscurrents, I’m Jen Chien.

Chess Femme News!

2011 FIDE World Cup

The first game of Round 5 between Judit Polgar (black) and Peter Svidler (white), ended in a draw. Pins and needles for tomorrow, kids!  Official website. 

The Doings in St. Louis

I met Susan Polgar last evening at the private dedication of the new Chess Hall of Fame and Museum in St. Louis. We've corrresponded on chess stuff for a few years now, but had not met in person. We had a nice chat about the Goddesschess Scholarship and the state of women in chess in general.  'Sis took a photo with her cell phone that I'll have her forward to me for posting later on.  October will see a formal fundraiser and silent auction once again hosted at the Hungarian Embassy in New York for the benefit of the Susan Polgar Foundation.  

It was a gala event and I recognized some people there, including several chess players.  Nakamura was there, clean-shaven and looking very spiffy indeed in a dark suit and smart black/tan and cream striped tie.  He looked to be something of a chick magnet as he was waiting patiently in the group of people gathered around the "bar" area where servers were handing out free cocktails.  I never did see any hors d'ouerves.  I spotted Ben Finegold, and in a group talking in Russian Alexandra Kosteniuk, Kateryna Lahno and Anna Zatonskih.  All the ladies are very beautiful in person.  I saw several other people whose faces were familiar but to try and put names to faces - that's not my strongpoint!  I pointed out who I could to 'Sis, we sipped soda ('Sis) and water (me) and strolled around checking out some of the fashion faux pas of the attendees.  Oh my.  Rex Sinquefield and his wife, Jean, were there, and had the honor of the ribbon cutting; then there were some inductees into the Chess Hall of Fame named - I heard three: Boris Gulko, Andy Soltis, and Vera Menchik. 



Facade of the St. Louis chess club.  Irina Krush on the right.

 I took one photo only, this shot of the facade of the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis.  I didn't notice until I looked at the photo this morning - IM Irina Krush is in it.  She is one of the women who will be playing on the "Queens" team.

Shenzhen Women's Grand Prix 2011

Official site.   Standings - couldn't get the table copied, this touch pad has a mind of its own and I'm lost without my mini-mouse!  Zhao Xue and Hou Yifan of China are 1 - 2 with 2.0 each after 2 rounds. 

Some Important Tips for Marketing Chess Events

A clear and succinct article in Susan Polgar's column this week at Lubbock Online.  If you are part of a club trying to promote the club and/or an event hosted or sponsored by the club and you haven't read these tips before, you're find them very helpful.  Clear cut - no technical language used - apply common sense and a lot of work - and see what happens.  For seasoned marketing veterans, a review of the fundamentals may be refreshing.

Tips for Chess Marketing and Promotion

Posted: July 8, 2011 - 4:25pm

Phil Speaks True About Susan Polgar and Chess

Phil, you and I don't get along at all. Yeah yeah, I know, I'm a Bitch - with a Capital B.  Get over it, man.  Oh, I forgot, you never were able to. We've been arguing about it since 2001, that is, when we were talking.  We haven't talked for a few years now.  In any event, with respect to the article you wrote about GM Susan Polgar, you are right, even if you had to throw yourself into the article a few too many times, ahem.  Remember, darling, it's not about you...

So, I'm publishing your article that I happened to find at the Lubbock Avalanche Journal Online because it was well written (at least, in most parts) and it makes a point about chess in the USA on which you have always been correct. 

All I can hope is that with Susan Polgar and SPICE, the St. Louis Chess Club and its backing, Cajun Chess, America's Foundation for Chess, Chess in Schools, the North American Chess Association, and other local and state groups too numerous to mention by individual name that are dedicated to promoting chess on a local level (from an acorn a mighty oak grows...), we will continue to turn out newly minted USA GMs, support our super-level GMs and encourage girls and boys of all races and income levels to take up the greatest game in the world and stick with it, climb the ranks, and become some of the best players in the world.  May it come to pass.

Polgar: Never give up, the relentless pursuit of excellence
Posted: June 25, 2011 - 11:36pm

The Chess Girls

I just saw this at Susan Polgar's chess blog - a new documentary on the Polgar sisters and Polgar family.  It sounds very interesting!  I don't have time to listen to it tonight (45 minutes long, approximately, but I will certainly listen to it tomorrow - a day off - over my morning coffee.
There are only seven days left to listen.  Afternoon Play BBC Radio.

Over the years, many articles and books have been written about the fabulous Polgar sisters and their chessplaying prowess.

Learn more about the Polgar sisters - not an exhaustive list:

• You can find lots of information on GM Susan Polgar at her blog, of course! 
• Judit Polgar: The Princess of Chess, by Tibor Karolyi (2004)
• Breaking Through: How the Polgar Sisters Changed the Game of Chess, by Susan Polgar with Paul Truong (2005)
• The Polgar Sisters, Training or Genius?, by Kathy Forbes (1992)
• Judit Polgar Official Website (unfortunately, not kept current - it stops in 2007 and Judit has played in many important events since then - but it does contain information from early in her illustrious chess career)

2010 Aquaprofit Chess Reunion in Budapest, Hungary: Sophia, Judit, Susan (L to R)

Chess Femme News!

I have to laugh at the somewhat fractured English in this article translated from Chinese to English - but I also have to say that it is written in much better English than I've often read in the Comments section at Yahoo News!

From People's Daily (China) - the English version
Cmilyte enjoys unusual year with newly-crowned European chess title
May 19, 2011

The year 2011 must be somewhat unusual for Viktorija Cmilyte, in which she has won the European Individual Women Chess Championship on Wednesday since 2003 and got three silver medals for finishing runner-up at the continental level in 2003, 2008 and last year.

But it was this year when the worldwide 15th-ranked Lithuanian has finally added the elusive European championship title to her collection of competitive trophies, especially from major competitions.

"Happy. I feel very happy," said the 28-year-old mother of two, who has every right to feel that way, because the continental title had shunned her for so long and for so many times when she had come so close to getting it.

"I missed three (European) championship tournaments," added the newly-crowned champion. "But I took part in all the others up till today."

Born in 1983 at Lithuania's fourth largest city of Siauliai, Cmilyte started playing chess at the age of six, tutored by her own father who remained her coach during her formative years.

She soon made her presence in the chessdom felt when she won the European Youth Champion for Girls (under the age of 10), the World Youth Champion for Girls (under 12), two national championship (including one which she had to brush aside four male contenders to win), the Corus Reserve Group tournament, two Chess Olympiad gold medals, and the World Women Rapidplay Champion.

Apart from playing chess, the tall Lithuanian also plays basketball and volleyball to make the most of her born height.

Thanks to her mental strength, swiftness and stamina, Cmilyte has, between 1996 and this year, posted a winning rate of almost 62 percent off the more than 380 competitive games she has entered.

In May this year, FIDE, the world governing body of the sport of chess, has ranked Cmilyte a worldwide 15th, behind the Russian sisters Nadezhda and Tatiana Kosintseva (4th and 5th respectively), Nana Dzagnidze of 2011 European championship hosts Georgia (6th), Anna Muzychuk of Slovenia (8th), Kateryna Lahno of Ukraine (9th), Alexandra Kosteniuk of Russia (10th), Antoaneta Stefanova of Bulgaria (13th) and Elina Danielian of Armenia (14th).

At the Tbilisi championship, ninth-seeded Cmilyte met and beat top seed Nadezhda Kosintseva and seventh-seeded Elina Danielian but lost to eighth seed Antoaneta Stefanova. But en route to winning the final championship title, the Lithuanian played and defeated twice and defending continental champion Pia Cramling from Sweden, seeded 12th in Tbilisi.

"The most difficult game in Tbilisi I have played was the draw with Bela Khotenashvili (from hosts Georgia)," remembered the Lithuanian who described the eighth-round draw as very challenging.

Source: Xinhua

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Chessbase has a report (and photos of the ladies, of course), on the recently completed 2011 European Individual Women's Chess Championship (May 7 - 18, 2011 in Tbilisi, Georgia).  The report covers events through Round 8 (the tournament was 11 rounds).

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Chessbase also has a report on the 2nd Hainan Dangzhou (May 15 - 24, 2011) in which current Women's World Chess Champion GM Hou Yifan of China is going up against very strong male competition. So far, Hou is 1.5/3, starting out the tournament with a victory (with the white pieces) against comparatively rated GM Zhou Weiqi (at ELO 2610; Yifan's ELO is 2612).

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Lubbock Online has GM Susan Polgar's latest column:

Polgar: Questions from parents and coaches
Posted: May 19, 2011 - 3:56pm

******************************************************

Another report on GM Viktorija Cimylte's victory at the European Individual Women's Chess Championshp:

From georgiatoday.ge
Lithuanian Cmilyte wins women’s chess championship in Tbilisi
Georgian medal challenge diminishes in later rounds
Sports
Issue #562
20.05.11 - 26.05.11

Lithuanian Grand Master Viktorija Cmilyte held off a competitive field to win gold at the European Individual Women’s Championships in Tbilisi on May 18.

In 11 rounds of matches, Cmilyte won eight, drew two and lost only one as she went one better than the previous year in Rijeka, Croatia where she took silver.

Her only setback came at the hands of Bulgarian Antoaneta Stefanova in round 6 but the Lithuanian recovered, most notably with a crucial round 9 victory against reigning champion Pia Cramling of Sweden.

Success in her penultimate match against Georgian-Scot Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant meant that the tie she earned in round 11 against Russia’s Svetlana Matveeva was enough to secure the Championship and the 20 000 EUR prize money.

The Lithuanian won her first European medal at the 2003 Championships at the age of just 19 when she claimed silver in Istanbul.

The 27-year old now becomes only the 9th different winner of the Championships since its formation in 2000.

It was a former champion in fact who claimed silver this year as 2002 champion Stefanova of Bulgaria finished half a point behind Cmilyte.

The Bulgarian drew her final match against Armenia’s Elina Danielian which was enough for the latter to secure a bronze medal, her first European accolade.

Despite a promising start, the Tbilisi-held Championships were to yield no medals for the strong Georgian contingent.

Bela Khotenashvili was the top home performer as she finished in 5th place, a mere half point from a medal position.

The International Master faired well against the top three, drawing with Danielian and Cmilyte and defeating Stefanova in round 7.

However, her results in the last three rounds were to cost her a coveted place on the podium at the Sheraton Metechi Palace.

Defeat in round 9 against two-time champion Kateryna Lahno of Ukraine was followed by draws against Russia’s Tatiana Kosintseva and Slovenia’s Anna Muzychuk as the Georgian star had to settle for 5th.

Two places further back, finishing 7th, was fellow Georgian Lela Javakhishvili for whom a round 9 loss against Stefanova was to prove critical.

She bounced back to defeat Russia’s Evgenija Ovod before a draw in the final round with Nadezhda Kosintseva kept the Georgian International Master out of the medal running.

Having been seeded 18th before the tournament this was still a very fine performance from Javalishvili.

The only other Georgian inside the top ten was Arakhamia-Grant as the adopted Scotswoman took 9th place after a respectable showing back on her home ground.

A round 7 success against Jolanta Zawadzka of Poland was followed by successive victories against Armenia’s Lilit Galojan and Russia’s Alexandra Kosteniuk as the Georgian-Scot made a late charge for a medal.

However, defeat to eventual champion Cmilyte in round 10 was a fatal blow to Arakhamia-Grant’s medal aspirations.

Elsewhere among the Georgian competitors, Nino Khurtsidze finished 18th, while Sopiko Khukhashvili took 22nd and Keti Tsatsalashvili 24th.

There was disappointment for Georgia’s biggest pre-tournament hope, Nana Dzagnidze, as the Grand Master finished well down the field in 30th place despite being seeded at number 3.

Dzagnidze drew seven of her eleven matches with her only defeat coming against fellow Georgian Nazi Paikidze in round 7.

A final round success against the Czech Women’s Grand Master Katerina Nemcova was scant consolation for the deflated Georgian.

Perhaps the pressure of playing at home was too much. Whatever the reason, the decade-long drought of Georgian medals at the Championships will go on for at least another year.

By Alastair Watt
20.05.2011

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The Hindu (Tiruchi, May 20, 2011) reported that B.S. Samyuktha (10 points)won girls' title after the 11th and final round of the State under-7 chess championship!

Important Results (11th and final Round):
Girls: K. Kiruthika 6.5 lost to B.S. Samyuktha 10; Rakshitta Ravi 6.5 lost to M.K. Poornasri 9; M.S. Dharsana 6.5 lost to V. Rindhiya 9; P.M. Sri Varshini 6.5 lost to K. Rithikaa 9; S. Shreya 7 bt A. Abisuga 6; N. Harshita 6 lost to V.K. Vidula 7; S. Rajalakshmi 7 bt B. Rakshanaa 6; S. Meena 6.5 bt A.S.J. Aruntamil 6; Sruthika 5 lost to D. Dharani 6; R. Krishika Vaishu 5 lost to Shivani Madhu 6.

Final Standings:

1. B.S. Samyuktha, 2. K. Rithikaa, 3. V. Rindhiya, 4. M.K. Poornasri, 5. V.K. Vidula.

The Texas Tech Night Raiders Win the Final Four of Chess

This is just an outstanding achievement by this young team.  The first part of the championship occurred in my hometown, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at the end of December, 2010.  Although I was unable to attend any of the games (December is crunch time in estate and tax planning), it was my pleasure to provide several gift baskets of Wisconsin goodies for the Texas Tech contingent.  Texas Tech's "A" Team made it into the final four, and Texas Tech's other two teams placed well in the overall competition.  Maybe fueling up on fresh  Wisconsin cheese, sausage, chocolates and assorted other goodies did the trick :)

Kudos to GM Susan Polgar and Paul Truong, who took over the coaching program at Texas Tech University in 2007 in conjunction with the establishment of the Susan Polgar Institute of Chess Excellence (SPICE) which, since it's founding, has specialized in hosting some of the highest-rated invitational tournaments in the history of the United States as well as hosting invitationals designed to give young American players changes to win important IM and GM norms.  This is not the easiest thing to do, as most American tournaments do not meet the many technical requirements necessary for players to score "norms" as set forth in regulations by FIDE (the international chess federation).  In addition to introducing the SPICE Cup as well as the SPICE Invitationals in the spring and fall, Polgar and team have taken the Texas Tech chess program from yawn to WOW in a just a few short years.  Outstanding, and my heartfelt congratulations to Polgar, Truong, Dr. Karlsson and the Texas Tech Chess Team.

Interview (in full) from Susan Polgar's chess blog:

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 originalli 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.