Local girls place in world chess tourney
By Mike Baird Caller Times
June 21, 2006
What two Catholic school girls did in Vegas is too good to stay in Vegas.
Georgia Olvera, 8, won the under-10 age division in the blitz competition at the Susan Polgar World Open Chess Championship for Girls in Las Vegas, and her schoolmate at Central Catholic School, Kelliinez Lopez, 11, won seventh place in the under-13 division of regular play.
Georgia, a third-grader whose permanent teeth still are growing in, competed in six rounds of five-minute games against opponents as old as 17 last weekend at Riviera Casino Hotel. The first-place win brought the girl, who loves hula hooping and skipping rope, a hologram-etched trophy nearly thigh-high.
“Dad’s going to have to rework the house to make room for it,” Georgia said. “I’ve got 23 plaques, awards and trophies now.”
Georgia and her coach, Dan DeLeon, said being ambidextrous gave her an advantage against her opponents.
“Being able to slap the timer with either hand after a move gives her a little edge,” DeLeon said.
The three-day chess championship drew 78 players. Most were from the U.S., but some came from as far as Poland, France, Mexico, Peru and Mongolia.
“Playing against girls from Arizona and California was cool,” Kelliinez said.
Both girls were national winners in January against 212 girls from 13 states during the Susan Polgar National Open Championship. They are two of about 45 children who play chess regularly at Susan Polgar South Texas Chess Center on Antelope Street. Georgia is the local third-grade champion and regional primary champ.
“For her age, Georgia’s a very aggressive player,” said DeLeon, director of the center. He’s arranged for her to meet in New York next month with Polgar, world champion chess grandmaster. Polgar, a Hungarian native who lent her name to the center, will evaluate Georgia’s strategies and techniques, DeLeon said.
“We’ve got some money stashed away to get her there,” said Norma Colunga, Georgia’s mother, who also won in Las Vegas – 500 quarters on a slot machine. “If Georgia keeps it up, we’ll get her where she needs to be to compete somehow.”
The girls enjoyed seeing Las Vegas.
Kelliinez was interested in fashions and all the lights, and Georgia was amazed to find food everywhere her family went.
The rest can be seen here.
I am jealous of her trophy list. I am yet to win a single one.
Great job Georgia!
You will probably delete my comments, because it seems that anyone who questions your agenda gets censored. But I will try to communicate anyway. One thing I ponder is why chess exclusively for girls is such a high priority. Unless you still have deep wounds from what the Hungarian government did to your chess career by holding you out of mens tournaments etc. when you clearly had the talent. I appreciate your opinion that chess has educational benefits for children. But my opinion is that Americans should be working toward bettering chess programs in and out of schools for all, not just for a certain group or sex. I mean The United States the most powerful country in the world hasnt won a World Title since 1972!!! Thats right thirty four years have gone by without even a glimpse of a World Title. Now with my rationale, men have been at it, (chess) for the last hundred years or more and produced only two world caliber players in Paul Morphy and Bobby Fischer. So how is making the womens program strong going to help us Americans reach our goal of World Title? Since the women are behind in developemnet of our futile mens chess program and will take even longer to have success at the world level.
Obviously you haven’t done your research or read what Susan has stated hundreds of times in the past.
(Anonymous said…
You will probably delete my comments, because it seems that anyone who questions your agenda gets censored…)
This is the kind of false accusations that has no place in my blog.
No, I do not delete comments that question my mission. People are welcome to disagree with me. However, I delete rude, obnoxious and insulting questions or fabricated posts, especially toward young players.
If people do not like my blog then do not read it. But I will not allow anyone to attack young players, especially girls, and especially when they do it anonymously.
I have answered your question multiple times including in my column on chesscafe.com. Please feel free to do further research on this matter.
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
http://www.PolgarChess.com
http://www.SusanPolgar.com
” Thats right thirty four years have gone by without even a glimpse of a World Title.”
False. Kamsky played in 1996 under the stars and stripes.
” for the last hundred years or more and produced only two world caliber players in Paul Morphy and Bobby Fischer.”
False again. Google Harry Nelson Pillsbury. (I just mentioned this in a post a few days ago how often we forget Pillsbury).
“Americans reach our goal of World Title”
Why fixate on this? My goal is to improve my chess.
“our futile mens chess program”
Yeah, the US doesnt have any good male players. Guys like Christiansen, Benjamin and the many other male GMs who were born here and abroad are patzers, right? (ok, enough sarcasm out of me.).
Good night.
classplayer, Kamsky was born in RUSSIA!! I was talking about American born chess players. Yes Pillsbury played a brilliant tournament in England but he never won The World Championship. Larry Christiansen, and Joel Benjamin are pretty good players but are better at writing chessbooks than winning World Titles. This lends creedence to the old addage, “If you cant do it than teach it”. While youre improving youre chess The Russians have a system in place as does China, Bulgaria, and other countries in crafting, shaping, and molding world class players. The USCF chess program is like a 1950’s company without any new technology, left in the stoneage to fossilize. President John F Kennedy said on May 25th 1961 we would land on a man safely on the moon before the end of the decade. Well in 1969 that was achieved. If this country and big business was interested in achieving chessic goals believe me they would be achieved. But the “owners” of America and the lazy American society could care less. Until some pioneer type people like Kennedy come forward with the pride and determination to succeed which is what America used to stand for, we will fail miserably. Susan I think youre idea of teaching girls in a separate environment from boys because of peer pressure is wrong, because these same girls when they become women will have to compete against men. Why introduce them to added pressure when the pressure of winning chess is enough. Well Ive said my piece, thanks for the format.
“If this country and big business was interested in achieving chessic goals believe me they would be achieved. But the “owners” of America and the lazy American society could care less. Until some pioneer type people like Kennedy come forward with the pride and determination to succeed which is what America used to stand for, we will fail miserably.”
This is the typical kind of attitude that makes failure a self fulfilling prophecy. You seem to be here to troll this forum and are here like many for the purpose of aggrivating people while posting anonymously.
I’m curious why you assume that everyone in America is lazy and a failure? Your own shortcomings and insecurities are no reason to badmouth an entire country of people.
classless player you dont even know me. So keep your comments about me to your ignorant self. Im betting you are very young and dont know much of anything except what you read in a book or seen on television. I didnt come here to “troll” this blog. I am just speaking the truth about America’s attitude toward chessic success. American people like you dont like to hear the truth because it frightens you! People like you live in a Disneyland world “where the glass is not half empty its totally full dude” mentality. Hey stupid compare our track record of “American born” chess players with other countries the last 10 years, 20 years, 50 years, and you will see the embarrasment. I read your childish comments on here before about fantasizing about being a Super GM, well its time to grow up nitwit! Your 1300 elo wont get it done!!! You havent one intelligent thing to say but to quote what I already said and comeback with assinine comments. I used to really admire Susan and what I thought she was all about. I bought here dvd’s, and read here books. The few times I tried to communicate with her she didnt even answer except when I criticized her chess priorities. She is doing a good job for women! Outstanding really for girls and women. Men I guess dont matter to her. Its a shame really that shes not interested in the USCF corrupt insufficient system because she has two young talented male children who will not get the help they should recieve from America unless some major changes occur.
Congratulations, Georgia! My daughter was one of your opponents (2nd to your 1st), and it was a fun event. I wonder why “anonymous”, if ‘he’–I believe I can safely assume he’s a male–if he doesn’t support chess events for females, spent the time to navigate so far into a girl’s chess site? Anyway, I believe that putting so much importance into having an American world champion misses the point that chess, like painting and music, is an art that is equally the property of all humanity. Even if for argument’s sake I grant that the environment for chess in America needs improvement, and that producing world-class players (or champions) would be a sign of improvement, this brings up an interesting point. How can American (or any nation’s) chess improve if only one sex–half the population–is even minimally playing the game? I have both a daughter and a son who play chess. I love them both equally and want them both to be quality players. However I recognize that there is tremendous social pressure for girls not to play chess–it’s seen as nerdy, masculine, etc. The later in life they start the game, the harder it becomes both to start and to continue once started–age statistics for female players sadly bear this out. Therefore I assume that my son will keep playing all his life if properly exposed to the game, but that my daughter will need extra and better exposure to the game to so continue. She can get some of this encouragement from occasional all-girl events, especially ones that are superbly and generously produced, like this one. Girls see other girls playing, make friends, and don’t feel so socially isolated. They see role models up close/in person that reinforce their goals, whether it be a Susan Polgar or an Abbie Marshall. Analogous to myself, the chess community needs to make an extra effort to expose females to the game. Now if my daughter plays in 20 or more tournaments a year, 90% of them are mixed–she plays both boys and girls, and of course most of this competition is male. She is not being sheltered from anything, or having her development stunted, by playing in 2 or 3 all girl events a year. Lastly, I must say that in the vicious and unprovoked personal attack that “anonymous” made on “classplayer”, he sadly reveals to us by his own words what type of human being he is under his mask of anonymity.
“Inky” now that is a very legitimate name. Very revealing too! It’s really a fingerprint the FBI could do extensive research on! What if I answer this comment with Blinky would that suffice to my legitamcy, and make me really brave!? 1st of all I wasn’t aware this was an “all girl” chess site. Secondly If I were to organize all boy only events and exclude girls I would wind up in court for discrimination! I thought America was about diversity. Whatever you woman want to do is fine, just do it. I support all chess for everybody! I was very happy when Anna Zatonskih won the U.S. Open! The reason I dont have a blog handle is really simple I dont have a blog! I didnt want to sign my name as I usually do because I was upset. I thought Susan was a friend and I wrote a few times for tips on improvement, and she was too busy. I mean I have purchased Susans dvd’s. Its not like I dont respect her or woman chess players. In fact I always pull for Judith to beat the men. I was one of Susans biggest fans. I admit I am rather thin skinned at times and felt like a fool when my questions I wrote Susan werent answered. I guess the answer for me is, at my age there’s very little I can do to improve and Susan probably didnt know how to break the cold hard facts to me. But getting back to my comments on a winning American chess program. To me and this is probably the biggest difference between women and men is in a sport we want to win! Not socialize or make friends but compete and if not win at least go down fighting. Making friends comes out of respect of laying it out on the line vs your opponent and also mutual admiration for each others abilities, determination, and qualities of personal character that we all connect as human beings. I felt like classplayer was dumping on me, didn’t know what I was trying to say, and couldnt back up his argument. I apologize to you personally, and I think I may be part “human” anyway. If this is an all girl site I wont comeback Susan.
TFK
I agree with Inky. That anonymous poster makes us all look bad. I just hope that chessplayer and inky accept what little apology he gives.
I take back my little apology, because you man haters arent worth it. I didnt realize classplayer was 12 and in a training bra I thought she was a he. I always supported womens chess but now I will never supprot Susan or any other womens charity or event. I apologize and then get ridiculed! The hell with all of you feminists! Train the girls into GM’s and then let them have children like Susan and Judith, take 5 years off and then you can retire and write books. Thats how to attain World Championships! Why dont you castrate all men at birth and then get artificially inseminated like Rosie and her wife! How come the last bastard wrote anonomously and wasnt criticized?!