Miami Herald
Posted on Sun, Aug. 19, 2007
Teen proves she’s a queen of chess board
BY LUIS F. SANCHEZ
Cuban-American chess player Eunice Rodríguez, 17, won the Susan Polgar National Invitational for Girls, one of the nation’s most prestigious chess tournaments.
Rodríguez shared first place with Julia Kerr of Queens, N.Y. The tournament was held in Cherry Hill, N.J., July 29 to Aug. 3.
Each player won a full scholarship for four years at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.
”It was my fourth consecutive participation in this tourney, and I was able to top it successfully,” Rodríguez said.
To Rodríguez’s credit, in her last match she defeated Ettie Nikolova, of Virginia, who, with an Elo rating of 2033, was the top player among the 49 finalists.
The Elo rating, used by the U.S. Chess Federation, is based on a player’s won-lost record. ”To tell you the truth, I didn’t expect to win the title,” said Rodríguez, whose Elo rating is 1758.
“There were players better placed than I. But I played under no pressure and was surprised to finish in first place.”
It should surprise no one that Rodríguez is an excellent chess player.
Born July 19, 1990, in Miami, to Cuban parents, she learned the game at an early age. Her father, Oscar, is a chess coach and Spanish-language teacher. Her brother Eric, 18, is a national master, one of the youngest in Florida.
”I grew up in an environment where the playing of chess was encouraged, and that helped me a lot,” Eunice said.
Thanks to her excellence in chess, Rodríguez earned a scholarship to University School of Nova Southeastern University in Davie, where she is a senior.
She has been trained by some of the best coaches in the area, such as World Chess Federation masters Victor Delgado and Marcel Martínez, and grandmaster Julio Becerra.
Encouraged by her victory in New Jersey, Rodríguez prepares for next month’s Miami Chess Open, organized by international master Blas Lugo, which will hand out $100,000 in prizes.
”I will participate with my brother [Eric] in the Miami Open,” Rodríguez said. “It is a great opportunity to play against major stars in world chess.”
Winning the Polgar Invitational was a grand experience for Rodríguez. The tournament — named after Susan Polgar, 31, a Hungarian-born player who won four Women’s World Championships and garnered five Chess Olympiad medals — is nationally renowned.
”It was an unforgettable experience,” said Eunice’s father, Oscar Rodríguez. ‘The tournament’s Internet site mentions the `brutal offensive’ in the last game that allowed Eunice to gain first place.”
Source: MiamiHerald.com
Eunice is very pretty and nice. She’s also an excellent player.
EUNICE IS MY HERO!!!!!!!!!