Chess for Top Girls in Asia

“Chess for Girls Asia” event in Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City – Ho Chi Minh City will be the host of the second of three prestigious events this summer in the “Chess for Girls” series. This world-class initiative aims to promote and further women’s chess and to give learning and competing opportunities to some of Asia’s finest young female chess talents. Participants will arrive from the following nations: India, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Uzbekistan, as well as representatives of Vietnam as the host nation.

The Commission for Women’s Chess (WOM) of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), in partnership with the Vietnam Chess Federation, Webster University and the Susan Polgar Foundation, are co-sponsors of the first-ever “Chess for Girls Asia” event. It will take place from July 2 to 7 in Ho Chi Minh City.

After a four-day training session with four-time Women’s World Champion Susan Polgar and her team (including a guest visit by Vietnam’s No. 1 player Grandmaster Liem Le Quang), a two-day competition will take place on July 6 and 7. Spectators are welcome to attend and observe on those two last days.

The highest-rated participant and youngest (only 14 years old) in the competition is Zhansaya Abdumalik of Kazakhstan. India will be represented by Rout Padmini, who will be second seed of the event.

The girls will fight it out for a purse of over 6,000 Euros in prizes. The “Chess for Girls Asia” competition will be held at the Royal Hotel Saigon.

The first event of the “Chess for Girls” project took place on June 23-28 at Webster University’s Geneva campus, while the third and final event will take place on July 11-15 at Webster University’s home campus in St. Louis, Mo.

About FIDE and its Women’s Commission

Founded in Paris on 20 July 1924, the World Chess Federation (Federation Internationale des Echecs), known as FIDE from its French acronym, was recognized by the International Olympic Committee as an International Sports Federation in 1999.

With over 180 member federations, FIDE is among the biggest sports organizations in the world, very proud of over 40 official championships for youngsters, men, women and seniors. Its Women’s Commission aims to promote chess for girls and women and to open new opportunities for them in this traditionally male-dominated sport.

About Webster University

With its home campus in St. Louis, Webster University is the only Tier 1, private, non-profit U.S.-based University providing a network of international residential campuses.

Founded in 1915, Webster University’s campus network today includes metropolitan, military and corporate locations around the world, as well as traditional residential campuses in Asia, Europe, Africa and North America. The university is committed to delivering high-quality learning experiences that transform students for global citizenship and individual excellence.

More than 22,000 students worldwide are enrolled at Webster University, with students from 50 states and approximately 150 countries.

Webster University offers academic excellence in more than 100 programs offered at a vibrant home campus and at locations throughout the world, with all the benefits of a student-centered education and a real-world perspective.

The Webster University Chess Team is ranked No. 1 in the United States with nine Grandmasters, including two World Champions (Le Quang Liem – World Blitz Champion 2013, and Wesley So – reigning World University Champion). SPICE (Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence) has won the last four consecutive National Division I Collegiate Final Four Championships.

About the Susan Polgar Foundation

The mission of the Susan Polgar Foundation is to promote chess, with all its educational, social and competitive benefits throughout the United States, for young people of all ages, especially girls.

The Susan Polgar Foundation, with this in mind, has established many high- profile tournaments throughout the year for younger girls and boys to excel through chess. The top tournaments right now are the Susan Polgar Girls’ Invitational, Susan Polgar National Championship for Girls and Boys, the Susan Polgar World Championship for Girls and Boys, and the “Get Smart! Play Chess!” series. All of these events have received national and international acclaim and continue to grow every year.

Over the past decade, the Susan Polgar Foundation, through donors, sponsors and supporters, has awarded more than $3.5 million in chess scholarships and prizes to young talented players across the United States.

About the Vietnam Chess Federation

Vietnam Chess Federation was officially established on August 15, 1992, although it has been a member of the World Chess Federation since 1988.

Vietnam Chess Federation aims to promote not only chess, but also xiangqi, go, and other intellectual sports in Vietnam.

For chess, Vietnam Chess Federation focuses on the development of young players. Many young talents from the school system have now become one of the strongest players in the world, with names like Le Quang Liem, Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son, Dao Thien Hai, Hoang Thanh Trang, Nguyen Thi Thanh An, etc.

Vietnam Chess Federation is the co-founder and an active member of the Southeast Asia Chess Federation. It has contributed significantly to chess development in the region by organizing prestigious international open chess tournaments such as HDBank, Dragon Capital, and age-group championships in Southeast Asia for the last 15 years.

Contact
Mr. Nguyen Phuoc Trung, Secretary General of Vietnam Chess Federation
Email address: trung@vietnamchess.vn

Susan Polgar
Email: PolgarFoundation@live.com