Rules & Conditions for the 10th Annual Susan Polgar Foundation Girls' Invitational ($200K in prizes and scholarships)

Rules and Conditions for the 10th Annual Susan Polgar Foundation Girls' Invitational (SPGI)
July 20 – 25, 2013 at Webster University (St. Louis, Missouri)

- Approximately $200,000 in chess scholarships, chess prizes, and iPad mini, etc. (Full tuition and fees scholarship to the top finisher! *)

- Webster University will provide complimentary room and meal accommodation on campus for qualifiers!
 
The annual Susan Polgar Girl’s Invitational, the most prestigious all-girls event in the United States, will be held at Webster University (St. Louis, Missouri).

• There will be an intense training session with Susan Polgar, followed by a 6 round (g/90+30) championship tournament.
• The traditional Blitz, Puzzle Solving, Bughouse events will stay the same as in previous years.
• There will be many chess prizes awarded, including iPad mini, and scholarships to Webster University.

Each state is allowed one representative to be nominated by June 1, 2013. Official representative alternates may be substituted no later than June 15. (Susan Polgar and/or the Polgar Committee may allow the host state to enter an additional qualified player.) Susan Polgar and/or the Polgar Committee may allow exceptions to the June 1 entry/alternate deadline. Should the state affiliate fail to respond to the notice for this tournament, Susan Polgar and/or the Polgar Committee may determine the candidate from that state.

Players must have been enrolled in a school (up to 12th grade) located in the state they represent, also of the year in which the tournament is held. Home-schooled students who are under the age of 19 on July 25th of the year in which the event is held or students who have never attended college on a full time basis prior to June 1 of the year in which the tournament is held, are eligible to represent the state in which they reside.

Exception: If a player graduates from high school early and is already attending college, she may still represent her state if nominated. This is the decision of each state affiliate.

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: The participants of the Susan Polgar Girl’s Invitational DO NOT have to be high school students. Any qualifier under the age of 19 (by July 25th of the year in which the tournament is held) is eligible!

Special invitation for this year only: All past participants of the SPNI and SPGI (Susan Polgar National Invitational/Susan Polgar Foundation Girls’ Invitational 2004-2012) are invited to participate in the 2013 SPGI. The idea is to have the past participants learn my method of training so they can go back home and share their knowledge with the younger players. However, registration MUST be made ASAP since space is limited. There will be mutual training sessions for all, however separate section & prizes for alumni participants over the age of 19.

Players are required to furnish the organizer an emergency phone number and the e-mail address of a parent/guardian. 

There is no entry fee to participate in the 2013 SPGI; however, players are responsible for their own travel. For all state representatives, and qualifiers from the SPNO or SPWO, Webster University will provide complimentary room and meal accommodation on campus. 

For alumni participants, wild card/special invites, coaches, parents, or other family members, inexpensive accommodations are available for housing and dining on Webster’s campus. Please note that all reservations and registrations MUST be made (and accommodation expenses prepaid) no later than June 25, 2013.

Prizes: Trophies / plaques will be awarded to the winners of the Susan Polgar Foundation Girl’s Invitational Puzzle Solving, Blitz, and the SPGI Championship. Co-champions are recognized in the case of a tie, with each champion receiving a Champion’s Plaque or Trophy. The Champion (or Co-Champions) will automatically be invited to defend her/their title (must meet age requirement).

Champion: Webster University scholarship (approximately $23,000+ per year x 4 years *) + iPad mini + Champion's Plaque / Trophy
2nd and 3rd place: Webster University scholarship (approximately $13,000+ per year x 4 years *)
Top under 13: iPad mini
Top under 10: iPad mini

* The scholarship must be exercised no later than the Fall of 2016.

The New Polgar Committee’s goal is to have all 50 states (including two representatives for California, two for Texas, and two for Missouri) and the District of Columbia represented. We strongly encourage each state and the District of Columbia affiliate to hold a scholastic championship tournament to determine each state’s champion and representative. Failing this, rating criteria may be acceptable. A scholastic girls’ champion or the highest rated girls’ scholastic player in a state who has no state affiliate of the USCF should contact the Polgar Committee as soon as possible.

Susan Polgar and/or the Polgar Committee and its members may elect to award wild cards each year for the Susan Polgar Girl’s Invitational.

Special qualifying events: The Polgar Committee will award automatic qualifying spots to the reigning winners in each section of the annual Susan Polgar NO for Girls (New Orleans) and the Susan Polgar World Open for Girls (Chicago).

The new SPGI Chairperson is Martha Underwood (AZ).

NOTICE TO ALL STATE OFFICIALS: Please send the nomination from your state to the Polgar Committee (PolgarCommittee@gmail.com).

Contact info: Polgar Committee (PolgarCommittee@gmail.com)

The Susan Polgar Foundation can be contacted at 806-281-7424 or through info@PolgarFoundation.org.

Webster University is located at 470 E. Lockwood Avenue Webster Groves, MO 63119

BIG THANKS to President Dr. Beth Stroble and Webster University for hosting and sponsoring this very prestigious event for girls!

* Scholarships may be upgraded but may not be stacked. For previous winners of partial scholarships, a maximum of $1,000 per year may be added to the previous scholarship.

Rules and Conditions for the 10th Annual Susan Polgar Foundation Girls' Invitational ($200K in prizes and scholarships)

Rules and Conditions for the 10th Annual Susan Polgar Foundation Girls' Invitational (SPGI)
July 20 – 25, 2013 at Webster University (St. Louis, Missouri)

Approximately $200,000 in chess scholarships, chess prizes, iPad mini, etc.

The annual Susan Polgar Girl’s Invitational, the most prestigious all-girls event in the United States, will be held at Webster University (St. Louis, Missouri).

• There will be an intense training session with Susan Polgar, followed by a 6 round (g/90+30) championship tournament.
• The traditional Blitz, Puzzle Solving, Bughouse events will stay the same as in previous years.
• There will be many chess prizes awarded, including iPad mini, and scholarships to Webster University.

Each state is allowed one representative to be nominated by June 1, 2013. Official representative alternates may be substituted no later than June 15. (Susan Polgar and/or the Polgar Committee may allow the host state to enter an additional qualified player.) Susan Polgar and/or the Polgar Committee may allow exceptions to the June 1 entry/alternate deadline. Should the state affiliate fail to respond to the notice for this tournament, Susan Polgar and/or the Polgar Committee may determine the candidate from that state.

Players must have been enrolled in a school (up to 12th grade) located in the state they represent, also of the year in which the tournament is held. Home-schooled students who are under the age of 19 on July 25th of the year in which the event is held or students who have never attended college on a full time basis prior to June 1 of the year in which the tournament is held, are eligible to represent the state in which they reside.

Exception: If a player graduates from high school early and is already attending college, she may still represent her state if nominated. This is the decision of each state affiliate.

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: The participants of the Susan Polgar Girl’s Invitational DO NOT have to be high school students. Any qualifier under the age of 19 (by July 25th of the year in which the tournament is held) is eligible!

Special invitation for this year only: All past participants of the SPNI and SPGI (Susan Polgar National Invitational/Susan Polgar Foundation Girls’ Invitational 2004-2012) are invited to participate in the 2013 SPGI. The idea is to have the past participants learn my method of training so they can go back home and share their knowledge with the younger players. However, registration MUST be made ASAP since space is limited. There will be mutual training sessions for all, however separate section & prizes for alumni participants over the age of 19.

Players are required to furnish the organizer an emergency phone number and the e-mail address of a parent/guardian. 

There is no entry fee to participate in the 2013 SPGI; however, players are responsible for their own travel. For all state representatives, and qualifiers from the SPNO or SPWO, Webster University will provide complimentary room and meal accommodation on campus. 

For alumni participants, wild card/special invites, coaches, parents, or other family members, inexpensive accommodations are available for housing and dining on Webster’s campus. Please note that all reservations and registrations MUST be made (and accommodation expenses prepaid) no later than June 25, 2013.

Prizes: Trophies / plaques will be awarded to the winners of the Susan Polgar Foundation Girl’s Invitational Puzzle Solving, Blitz, and the SPGI Championship. Co-champions are recognized in the case of a tie, with each champion receiving a Champion’s Plaque or Trophy. The Champion (or Co-Champions) will automatically be invited to defend her/their title (must meet age requirement).

Champion: Webster University scholarship (approximately $23,000+ per year x 4 years) + iPad mini + Champion's Plaque / Trophy
2nd and 3rd place: Webster University scholarship (approximately $13,000+ per year x 4 years)
Top under 13: iPad mini
Top under 10: iPad mini

The scholarship must be exercised no later than the Fall of 2016.

The New Polgar Committee’s goal is to have all 50 states (including two representatives for California, two for Texas, and two for Missouri) and the District of Columbia represented. We strongly encourage each state and the District of Columbia affiliate to hold a scholastic championship tournament to determine each state’s champion and representative. Failing this, rating criteria may be acceptable. A scholastic girls’ champion or the highest rated girls’ scholastic player in a state who has no state affiliate of the USCF should contact the Polgar Committee as soon as possible.

Susan Polgar and/or the Polgar Committee and its members may elect to award wild cards each year for the Susan Polgar Girl’s Invitational.

Special qualifying events: The Polgar Committee will award automatic qualifying spots to the reigning winners in each section of the annual Susan Polgar NO for Girls (New Orleans) and the Susan Polgar World Open for Girls (Chicago).

The new SPGI Chairperson is Martha Underwood (AZ).

NOTICE TO ALL STATE OFFICIALS: Please send the nomination from your state to the Polgar Committee (PolgarCommittee@gmail.com).

Contact info: Polgar Committee (PolgarCommittee@gmail.com)

The Susan Polgar Foundation can be contacted at 806-281-7424 or through info@PolgarFoundation.org.

Webster University is located at 470 E. Lockwood Avenue Webster Groves, MO 63119

BIG THANKS to President Dr. Beth Stroble and Webster University for hosting and sponsoring this very prestigious event for girls!

* Scholarships may be upgraded but may not be stacked. For previous winners of partial scholarships, a maximum of $1,000 per year may be added to the previous scholarship.

Coach wins national title, takes entire team to new school

Coach wins national title, takes entire team to new school
By Douglas Stanglin, USA TODAY
Apr 06, 2012

Some call it brazen, others unprecedented, but it is certainly shocking: A Texas coach resigns and takes the entire team to another school within hours of winning a Final Four national championship.

But it's a done deal: Texas Tech chess coach Susan Polgar is moving her all-star squad of seven chess grandmasters to private Webster University in suburban St. Louis, home to the World Chess Hall of Fame and the U.S. national championships, the Associated Press reports.

"The program grew rapidly, and Texas Tech wasn't ready to grow with the speed of the program," says Polgar, who founded the program there in 2007. "St. Louis today is the center of chess in America. It just seemed like a perfect fit."

Her players will also have access to the swanky new Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis, a 6,000-square-foot shrine to the game that was bankrolled by local businessmen.

Fresh off her second straight national championship, Polgar, a home-schooled prodigy from Budapest who was the world's top female player by the time she was 15, tells the university's newspaper, the Daily Toreador, that she would love to have stayed at Tech, but with funds drying up,"the welfare of my students comes first."

The Tech students transferring to Webster in the fall will receive scholarships. At Tech, the program had a $30,000 pot for the entire team, while some top chess schools can offer individual students that much, the AP reports.

Source: USA Today

That's checkmate, Red Raiders

That's checkmate, Red Raiders
Originally published April 7, 2012 at 3:36 PM
Page modified April 7, 2012 at 4:46 PM
Seattle Times

Eat your heart out, SEC! Texas Tech won a repeat national championship — and then the coach abruptly announced that she and her entire...

Eat your heart out, SEC!

Texas Tech won a repeat national championship — and then the coach abruptly announced that she and her entire team are transferring their talents to Webster University in suburban St. Louis.

"The program grew rapidly," coach Susan Polgar told the Daily Toreador, Tech's student newspaper, "and Texas Tech wasn't ready to grow with the speed of the program."

And the sport, you ask?

Chess.

Source: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com

Back to back Final Four champs

Texas Tech Repeats at Final Four of College Chess
By Jamaal Abdul-Alim
April 3, 2012

Herndon, Va. – Under any other circumstances, GM Andrew Diamant of Texas Tech would have given up in a lost position such as the one he found himself playing against GM Conrad Holt of UT Dallas here over the weekend.

But when Diamant learned that the only way the Texas Tech Knight Raiders could defend their title as America’s top college chess team was to win or draw, Diamant decided to fight it out for what proved to be an exciting duel that lasted until only seconds remained on both players’ clocks.

“In a normal game, I would resign because my position was terrible,” Diamant said of his Round 3 game against Holt in a three-round tournament known as the Final Four of Chess.

“But when I figured out it was the last game to decide who will be the champion, I knew the pressure was on him, not only me,” Diamant said.

Their hands literally shook as they made their final moves. Diamant’s decision to battle it out under pressure ultimately paid off for Texas Tech, the only team to score a victory against Holt, who was the only player to enter Round 3 with 2 points.

“Sometimes what happens is I start to blunder almost every move,” explained Holt, who had what he described as a “totally winning position” against Diamant.

“I made many mistakes and eventually it’s a draw,” said Holt -- who counted 36. …. Rb2, enabling Diamant to follow with 37. Rxe6 -- as his first in a series of mistakes.

The draw – along with several other factors – ultimately enabled the Red Raiders to emerge with 8 points as the 2012 winners of the President’s Cup, which is awarded to the victor of the Final Four of Chess.

UMBC and UT Dallas, both longstanding contenders in the Final Four, each tied for second with 7.5 points, and NYU came in fourth.

“I’m very proud of my team and it’s a result of hard work throughout the year, the effort that we’ve done,” Texas Tech Head Coach GM Susan Polgar said of her team’s successful defense of her teams back-to-back championships.

“It’s very fulfilling, of course,” said Polgar, who is moving her chess program, known as the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence, or SPICE, to Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri, this fall.

The President’s Cup, however, will remain at Texas Tech until whichever team wins it next.

As happened last year, Texas Tech’s victory hinged on another last-round game, this time between NM Evan Rosenberg of NYU and IM Sasha Kaplan of UMBC.

Observers noted that in many ways, the tournament was decided by a team’s ability to sweep NYU, whose collective strength, at least based on ratings and titles, did not rival that of the three other teams.

Consider, for instance, that NYU was the only team that made it to the Final Four with only one IM and without any GMs, while the other teams were able to put GMs on just about every board.

Still, UMBC and UT Dallas yielded a draw each to NYU while Texas Tech swept NYU.

“When Texas Tech swept NYU and the others couldn’t, that was the delta,” said Mark Herman, executive vice president of Booz Allen Hamilton, a strategy and technology consulting firm that hosted and sponsored the Final Four of Chess, using “delta” as a mathematical term for difference.

As it did last year, Booz Allen Hamilton hosted the Final Four not only to support and advance the game of chess, but rather to recruit talent from among the best players in the world of collegiate chess.

Indeed, the firm extended an invitation to members of all four teams to explore internship opportunities with Booz Allen Hamilton – a significant development given the fact that last year the firm only offered internships to members of the team that won the Final Four.

Several players indicated a serious interest in taking the firm up on its offer.

Among them was IM Vitaly Neimer, 24, a freshman majoring in finance at Texas Tech. Neimer noted the similarities between the mathematical and analytical skills used in the game of chess and those required in finance, one of the areas in which Booz Allen Hamilton offers services.

“Many times in a game, you need to change the plan of the game,” Neimer said. “Also in finance, you need to change how you react.”

Herman, the Booz Allen Hamilton executive, said the nation’s top collegiate chess players represent a rich pool of talent.

“I’ve got a room full of the best critical thinkers that you’re going to find anywhere,” Herman said. “Why wouldn’t I want to recruit them?”

Jamaal Abdul-Alim will also be writing an article for Chess Life Magazine on the Final Four.

www.uschess.org

The SPICE success

The success of SPICE

In the first year of competing in division I, the SPICE - Knight Raiders earned a spot in the College Chess Final Four, finishing in 3rd place, ahead of UT Dallas.

In the second year competing in division I, the SPICE - Knight Raiders won the College Chess Final Four ahead of UT Dallas, UMBC, and UT Brownsville, and became the first bottom seed team in history to win the biggest prize in College Chess.

In the third year of competing in division I, the SPICE - Knight Raiders is ranked as the #1 College Chess team in the United States (with 5 GMs and 2 IMs) and will look to defend its title on March 30 - April 1 near the nation's capital.

After the first full year of the SPICE program, the Knight Raiders gained about an average of close to 100 rating points! In addition, members of the Knight Raiders have a grade point average of approximately 3.35 - 3.40.

In a stretch of about 6 months starting the summer of 2010, the SPICE program produced 3 Grandmasters, Kuljasevic, Antal, and Papp. The legendary SPICE tournaments (5 SPICE Cup and 3 SPICE Spring Invitational) also produced GM and IM norms (Finegold - GM title, Rensch - IM title, Yang - all 3 IM norms and title, Hess - GM norm, Mogranzini - GM norm, Antal - GM norm, etc.).

And after the first four full years of competition, the SPICE warriors won a total of 14 national, 2 state, and 2 regional titles!

Now the SPICE program is making history again by fielding the #1 team in the country for Webster University in St. Louis starting in June 2012 with 8 GMs, 2 IMs, 1 FM, and 1 WIM so far with more in the process of applying.

Here are all the SPICE titled players so far by the order of joining the program:

IM-GM Gergely Antal (Hungary) SPICE 1st titled player and 2nd GM
IM-GM Gabor Papp (Hungary) SPICE 3rd GM
IM-GM Davorin Kuljasevic (Croatia) SPICE 1st GM
IM Istvan Sipos (Hungary)

GM Andre Diamant (Brazil) - Webster University 8/2012
GM Anatoly Bykhovsky (Israel) - Webster University 8/2012
GM Georg Meier (Germany) - Webster University 8/2012
GM Denes Boros (Hungary) - Webster University 8/2012
GM Elshan Moradiabadi (Iran) - Webster University 8/2012
GM Wesley So (Philippines) - Webster University 8/2012
GM Ray Robson (USA) - Webster University 8/2012
GM Manuel Leon Hoyos (Mexico) - Webster University 8/2012

IM Vitaly Neimer (Israel) - Webster University 8/2012
FM/IM-elect Faik Aleskerov (Azerbaijan) SPICE 1st IM - Webster University 8/2012

FM Jake Banawa - Webster University 8/2012

WIM Inna Agrest - Webster University 8/2012

Chess grandmaster Susan Polgar bringing her all-star chess team to Webster

Chess grandmaster Susan Polgar bringing her all-star chess team to Webster
by Andrea Sisney
February 15, 2012

Webster University will advance into a new competitive field next year with the help of a game-changing legend.

In June, chess Grandmaster Susan Polgar will transfer her collegiate program, the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE) and all members of her Division I team from Texas Tech University to Webster.

“We started the SPICE program at Texas Tech five years ago, and the program grew very rapidly,” Polgar said. “We felt it would be a good match to expand and grow our program better at Webster for several reasons.”

Polgar was the first woman in history to qualify for the Men’s World Chess Championship, eventually leading the World Chess Federation to change the tournament’s name. She won a gold medal in the 2004 Chess Olympiad (10 overall with 5 gold in her career), and is the only chess player to have won a Triple Crown — besting competitors at rapid, blitz and classical (women's) chess world championships.

In a press release, President Elizabeth Stroble said Polgar’s move to Webster would improve the university’s global reputation and academic standards, as chess is being recognized worldwide for its benefits. Chess can teach important values like strategic problem solving and the consequences of actions.

“I believe chess is an exciting educational tool,” Polgar said. “That’s probably the most important for me. It is growing by the day around the country, around the world. More and more superintendents, school districts or governments recognize the value chess can give to young people in the skills they develop.”

St. Louis has become a chess center in the United States in recent years. In 2007, the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis (CCSCSL) was established in the Central West End. The club, now recognized as one of the premier chess facilities in America, boasts two grandmasters and hosts the U.S. Championship Chess tournament. Its efforts in school programs and national competitions have earned St. Louis a ranking of “Chess City of the Year” by the United States Chess Federation for two consecutive years.

Mike Wilmering, CCSCSL communications specialist, said he’s excited that St. Louis is starting to draw major attention from the chess world.

“We’ve demonstrated a real commitment to promote chess at a national level by hosting tournaments each year,” Wilmering said. “When (players) look around the country and see who’s putting focus and energy into promoting chess, St. Louis is the first thing that comes to mind. We’re working really hard to foster great chess culture all across the greater St. Louis area, and it’s really resonating with other chess communities.”

Wilmering said CCSCSL was not involved in Polgar and Webster’s collaboration. The club has recently worked with Lindenwood University to launch a collegiate chess program. Wilmering said the school came to them last year looking for a chess table, and the beginnings of a team took off from there.

“They (Lindenwood) kind of approached us; we said there is a collegiate chess scene, and we think St. Louis is a fit for it,” Wilmering said. “We’re glad other universities recognize that as well. I hope it creates a positive competitive environment.”

Admissions counselor for Lindenwood, Lauren Nystrom, said the team is only starting to come together.

“We’re just in our recruitment stages right now for chess players,” Nystrom said. “We’ve launched a news release and gotten really positive feedback. We have hired (CCSCSL’s grandmaster-in-residence) Ben Finegold to start a chess team here. We’re excited about this new opportunity. We’re still kind of in the works.”

Polgar is bringing her “A” team from Texas Tech with her to Webster. Chris Cook, managing director of Texas Tech’s office of communications and marketing, said the school will continue having a chess pro.

Source: http://websterjournal.com

Should chess be considered a sport?

A sport of sorts: Should chess be considered a sport?
by The Journal
February 14, 2012

Webster University recently announced it would be the new home of the nation’s No. 1 chess team. The team relocated from Texas Tech University, and the chess program will begin during the 2012-2013 academic year. Two Journal writers debate on whether or not the “gentleman’s game” should be considered a true sport.

No physical activity means the game is not a sport — Andy Arb
Andy Arb is a senior journalism major and staff writer for The Journal

To a die-hard sports fan such as myself, it may seem obvious that chess is not considered a sport. It’s played on a board while sitting in a chair and only requires lifting a one-ounce chess piece a couple inches after 15 minutes of strategic thought.

It takes zero athletic ability to play chess. I am not calling someone an athlete who doesn’t even move when they play their game. I consume more physical activity getting up from the couch for a bathroom break while watching a real sport on television than someone does playing chess.

In various discussions about why chess should be considered a sport, one has argued that it is physically demanding to sit for five-hour chess contests. Sitting through an hour-long lecture class can be as well, but that doesn’t make it a sport.

Don’t get me wrong. I have a lot of respect for those who play chess. It takes some serious mental preparation and strategic thought put into every move. But if I can play against a computer, it’s certainly not a sport.

On May 11, 1997, IBM’s chess computer Deep Blue defeated world chess champion Garry Kasparov in a six-game match. Deep Blue won two games while Kasparov won one. Three matches ended in a draw.

I’d like to see a computer on a baseball diamond, basketball court, football field or hockey rink. If the very best in your “sport” cannot defeat a computer, then your “sport” clearly doesn’t require any physical or athletic ability at all.

Chess does require a lot of strategy and planning ahead, which is why a computer is capable of playing and defeating a chess champion. The strategy required to play chess is also a counter argument for those considering chess as a sport.

A lot of other games played on a board require strategy as well, but I don’t see people debating whether or not Battleship, Monopoly or Life should be considered a sport. Checkers, the closest equivalent to chess, doesn’t get nearly the amount of attention in debate over what is considered a sport.

The rules of chess are rather difficult, so not anyone could sit down at a chess table and start playing. It requires sophistication and intelligence, but that doesn’t justify the reasoning for why this board game should be considered a sport.

While sports affiliates like ESPN and Sports Illustrated may report on the next chess prodigies and who is the world champion, it doesn’t automatically mean it’s a sport. While it is entertaining, ESPN broadcasts the National Spelling Bee every year. I’d like to hear the reasoning for why people believe that is a sport.

Some define a sport as having a clear offense and defense, which chess does have. However, it lacks the physical and athletic ability that defines a sport.

Now, if chess was played similarly to the end of the “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” movie, then I’d be more likely to define chess as a sport. Sadly, it is not.

Chess just doesn’t have the physical aspect of the game to be seriously considered as a sport. In fact, it probably took more physical activity for me to write why chess isn’t a sport than for chess players to complete a match.


Unique characteristics define chess as a sport — Joshua Coppenbarger
Josh Coppenbarger is a sophomore journalism and film production major and assistant multimedia editor for The Journal

There seems to be tension when it comes to defining what can be a sport and what can’t. Women get enthusiastic when it comes to curling. Men find it baffling. Americans get angered when the Olympics won’t let American football into the games.

Chess is more than just a game — it’s a sport.

I wouldn’t recommend playing chess to lose weight, but where athletic skill lacks, chess utilizes patience, strategy and accuracy to win the game.

Oxford dictionary defines a sport as, “an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.”

The only problem here is chess lacks the ability to be athletic, yet some still consider it a sport.

Like all rules, chess is an exception. The International Olympic Committee believed chess was a sport, so they added the game to their list. It’s not practiced in the actual Olympic games, but chess has its own international league held bi-annually called Fédération Internationale des Échecs — or World Chess Federation.

After all, there’s only so much drama you can create to televise someone capturing the opponent’s queen. It’s more exciting to play than to watch.

Last December, Rex Sinquefield was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. No, the 62-year-old businessman can’t slam dunk, but he did help fund and establish the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, and the World Chess Hall of Fame — both of which are right here in St. Louis.

Even ESPN covers chess. In 2003, they showed a match between Grandmaster Garry Kasparov and computer-based chess board X3D. They also continuously profile players of the game.

So far, internationally and locally, these sports organizations consider chess a sport.

Athletes get up early in the morning to stretch, exercise and train so they can be in their best shape for their competitions. Chess players are no exception. When I used to play — more in elementary school than now — I often woke up early on the weekends, stayed after school to practice, and learn new ways to defeat an opponent for the upcoming tournament that weekend.

Chess is also taken so seriously that players all have their own rankings and are matched depending on the wins and losses of the player. I was never fantastic — I held a 710 for a little bit — though I did manage to snatch more than 10 trophies and plaques in my day.

The lack of physical activity seems to be the common argument against chess being a sport. Good thing chess doesn’t need to be played sitting down or even with a board.

In 2009, Jefferson County in New York held a chess biathlon where skiers raced to different parts of a hill to solve different chess problems, trying to be the first to finish without missing a problem or getting it wrong.

It may take a 3-D board such as one in “Star Trek” for players to move pieces from different levels to be more “active” to qualify as athletic. Perhaps bringing the pieces to life and having players be the chess pieces would suffice for them (see: “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”).

There’s a multitude of ways for chess to be played and still be engaging enough for the sports fanatics to consider it a part of their league. We can’t help but to continue to play in its own traditional way.

So when Webster University announced it will be hosting the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence and all of its “A”-team members will attend school here, I couldn’t help but get excited.

Maybe now Webster students, and hopefully most of the world, can begin to see that chess is much more than a game and as more of a competitive sport.

Source: http://websterjournal.com

Top collegiate chess team moving to Webster U

Top collegiate chess team moving from Texas to Webster U.
BY STEPHEN DEERE AND VALERIE SCHREMP HAHN
STLtoday.com | Posted: Saturday, February 4, 2012 12:00 am

WEBSTER GROVES • It's hard to imagine that the local competitive chess scene could get any more spirited.

St. Louis is home to the U.S. Chess Championships, the country's No. 1 rated player and the World Chess Hall of Fame.

Soon you can add the nation's No. 1 collegiate chess team to that list.

On Friday, Webster University announced that Hungarian-born Susan Polgar — winner of four world championships — is moving her Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence from Texas Tech University to Webster.

Polgar is bringing her 2011 collegiate championship team with her.

And that's not the only recent chess addition.

Lindenwood University leaders say they will begin offering chess scholarships this fall to build a collegiate chess team.

Almost overnight, St. Louis has gone from having a few players meeting in coffee shops and bookstores to being among the premier chess cities in the country.

That's thanks in large part to retired businessman and philanthropist Rex Sinquefield who built the multimillion-dollar Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis in the heart of the Central West End a few years ago. Some chess experts have called Sinquefield the most significant benefactor of chess in America, and they credit him with putting St. Louis on the map.

The club prompted Hikaru Nakamura — the top-rated player in the country and No. 6 in the world — to move to St. Louis.

"A NO-BRAINER"

Mike Wilmering, a chess club spokesman, said the club wasn't involved in discussions to bring Polgar to St. Louis but was thrilled with the development.

"We are really excited," Wilmering said. "For us, it means a lot of top players are coming to St. Louis."

Next year's Webster team will include eight grandmasters — something no other collegiate team has ever had, Polgar said. The team is expected to rank No. 1 in the nation this fall, according to a university press release.

The school has committed to giving the students scholarships, but a spokeswoman wasn't sure how many, or for how much.

Webster had discussed building a collegiate chess club for about a year, said Provost and Senior Vice President Julian Schuster, adding that Polgar had reached out to university officials through some mutual friends.

"It was a no-brainer," Schuster said.

Polgar is a five-time Olympic champion. In 1986, she was the first woman to qualify for the Men's World Championship Cycle. She holds world records for most simultaneous chess games played — 326 — and for most consecutive games played — 1,131.

Polgar said she was grateful for her team's stint at Texas Tech, where it grows from "literally nothing" in 2007 to its status today. But in the end, she felt that St. Louis was a better home.

"We felt we had better opportunities to grow in St. Louis," Polgar said, adding that the chess club "was definitely a big plus."

More here.

They've represented us well in chess

Sorry, Texas Tech: You've Been Checkmated
Wall Street Journal
FEBRUARY 4, 2012

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.

What should the Bird say about chess? Vote now!

St. Louis is about to become even more of a mecca for chess.

Grandmaster Susan Polgar, world and Olympiad champion, and her Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE) soon will relocate to Webster University from Texas Tech University. All members of the reigning national collegiate champion Texas Tech "A" chess team will transfer to Webster and be enrolled in the next academic year.

What should I say about this chess move? The bird line with the most votes at 8 p.m. will appear on the front page of Saturday's paper.

Click here to vote.

About Webster University

About Webster University

Innovative, Comprehensive, Fresh, Resourceful, Respected, Local, Global. There’s no one way to view Webster University.

The school — founded on the principle of providing a higher education to those who might not possess the opportunity to obtain one — today operates as a private, nonprofit, accredited university offering undergraduate and graduate education.

The home campus is located in Webster Groves, Mo., a picturesque suburb of St. Louis. The university certainly has grown since it was established in 1915 and now includes more than 100 campus locations throughout the United States and across the globe. Webster University is the only Tier-1, private, non-profit, U.S. based university with a network of domestic and international campuses.

It’s created a unique educational environment at Webster, blending the conveniences of a small university with the opportunities of a large one.

Webster is dedicated to academic excellence, innovation in higher education, meeting students’ needs in an ever-changing world and incorporating an international perspective throughout the curriculum.

Students can choose from programs in the schools of business and technology, communications or education; or select majors in the colleges of fine arts or arts and sciences. They can study in the U.S., Austria, China, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Thailand. It’s all a part of the Webster experience.

Currently the university enrolls about 22,000 students around the globe who range from traditional college-age students to adult learners. They represent more than 100 nationalities.

Mission & Values

Mission

Webster University, a worldwide institution, ensures high quality learning experiences that transform students for global citizenship and individual excellence.

Vision

Our vision is to be a premier U.S- based international university setting a distinct standard for global education.

This vision is built on a foundation of excellence in teaching and enhanced by an international perspective that fosters dialogue, respect and understanding across boundaries and between peoples. The educational endeavors in support of this vision are meeting the needs and enriching a global mix of learners within an ever increasing network of students desiring a U.S. education in multiple parts of the world. The institution is committed to offering these students a distinct personal experience and building the resources required to achieve this vision. The actions of the institution are shaped by our core values.

Core Values

• Students
  By sustaining a personalized approach to education through small classes, close relationships with faculty and staff, and attention to student life.
• Learning
  By developing educational programs that join theory and practice, provide an international perspective, encourage creativity and scholarship, and foster a lifelong desire to learn and actively serve communities and the world.
• Diversity
  By creating an environment accessible to individuals of diverse cultures, ages, and socioeconomic backgrounds and instilling in students a respect for diversity and an understanding of their own and others' values.
• Global Citizenship
  By educating a diverse population locally, nationally, and internationally, acting responsibly toward the environment to foster a sustainable future, and strengthening the communities we serve.

The university boasts more than 22,000 students at its worldwide campuses and more than 101,000 alumni. And although the university operates more than 100 locations around the world, the home campus of Webster University remains its largest in student population and physical size. More than 7,250 students study at the 47-acre campus in Webster Groves, Mo.

Traditional-aged students. Adult learners. International students. Military personnel. Webster University serves them all, dedicated to providing quality higher education with small class sizes and a blend of theoretical and practical knowledge. Excellence in education remains its primary purpose.

http://www.webster.edu