TEXAS TECH CHESS CLUB TO HOST GRANDMASTER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: November 7, 2005
CONTACT: Scott Slemmons, scott.slemmons@ttu.edu

Texas Tech University's Knight Raiders chess club will host Susan Polgar, a four-time Women's World Chess Champion and holder of multiple world chess records, during the Texas Chess Association's Region One Scholastic Championships in Lubbock.

The chess tournament, for students in kindergarten through college, is scheduled to take place at Texas Tech's Student Union Building on Nov. 12-13.

Polgar was born in Budapest in 1969. She and her sisters were coached in chess by her father. By 1984, she was the world's top-rated female chess player, and in 1991, she became the first woman to earn the men's Grandmaster title. She won the Women's World Blitz and Rapid Championship in 1992, and the Classical Women's World Championship and a fourth World Championship in 1996.

Polgar was the first woman to be name Grandmaster of the Year by the United States Chess Federation in 2003, and she won the U.S. Open Blitz Championship in 2003 and 2005. In July, she broke four international chess records: largest number of simultaneous games played (326, with 309 won, 14 drawn and 3 lost); consecutive games played (1,131); highest number of games won; and highest percentage of wins (96.93%).

Polgar is the only World Champion, male or female, to win the chess "triple crown" – the World Blitz, the Rapid Championship and the Classical World Championship.

Polgar lives in New York City and runs the Polgar Chess Center to encourage chess play among children.

During the tournament, Polgar will give a lecture at the Student Union's Matador Room at 9 p.m. on Friday (Nov. 11). She also will play simultaneous matches at the Student Union on Saturday (Nov. 12). At 2 p.m., she will play simultaneous matches against tournament participants. At 8 p.m., she will play against anyone who would like to compete – there is a charge of $25 per person to participate.

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CONTACT: Hal Karlsson, associate professor of geosciences, Texas Tech University, (806) 742-3130, or e-mail hal.karlsson@ttu.edu.