STATE OF NEW YORK
GEORGE E. PATAKI
GOVERNOR
October 2006
Dear Friends:
It is a pleasure to send greetings and a warm welcome to the young chess enthusiasts gathered at the prestigious New York Athletic Club for the Tri-State Scholastic Chess Challenge.
The Empire State is truly delighted to be host to this event that brings together some of the world’s best players in an exciting contest of intellect, strategy and carefully executed moves.
All of our citizens are proud that New York has been chosen as the site for such a wonderful competition that appropriately heralds the 30th anniversary celebration of National Chess Day, first proclaimed in 1976 by President Gerald Ford. Played for decades in the parks and neighborhoods of our great City, today the game of chess remains a favorite among players of all ages and an especially excellent opportunity for youth to develop their skills in critical thinking and problem solving.
As sponsor of this event, the Susan Polgar Foundation demonstrates outstanding leadership in keeping competitive chess a viable past time and in keeping interest among younger generations alive and strong. I applaud the Foundation and its namesake, Susan Polgar, and furthermore encourage all of the participants to continue their pursuit of mastering a game that is mentally challenging and requires so much forethought and study.
Those who have traveled here from outside New York as well as those from across our State can feel right at home in Manhattan, where many spectacular landmarks and attractions add to its dynamic lifestyle. Best wishes for an enjoyable experience and best of luck for a successful competition.
Very truly yours,
George Pataki
Dear George Pataki,
Thank you for not writing in about the World Chess Championship.
Too many people wrote letters about that already.
The fans
For a moment, I feared it would be another open letter about the world championship. 😀
Why is it that the children pursue chess as a noble activity but the adults get it so wrong?
When is the national chess day?
October 9th. This is the 30th anniversary of National Chess Day which was created by presidential proclamation by Gerald Ford in 1976. I am hoping that the antics from the World Chess Championship don’t trickle down into scholastic tournaments. I have a vision of some overly hyper chess dad (for some reason, it seems like it’s always the dads)complaining if my daughter takes too many trips to the bathroom during a game!