SPICE at Webster University, 11,500 ft2 dedicated full time to chess! If you build it, they will come!
by Paul Truong
Some people just asked me privately about how big is the SPICE chess HQ at Webster University. I did not realize that I never mentioned it. We have 3 separate areas:
1. Main training area: 2,095 ft2 (can host training or tournament for 50 players). The back area of this space is like a lounge with a kitchen/refrigerator so players can hang out, play blitz, or snack, etc.
2. Tournament / camp area: 8,847 ft2 (can host 300-400 players)
3. 2 private offices (Susan’s is 249 ft2 and mine is 210 ft2)
So the total SPICE usable chess space is 11,401 ft2 not counting the entry area. As far as I know, it is by far the largest chess facility in the United States.
We have a state of the art chess library, which even impressed Magnus Carlsen. If any of our students needs a newly released chess book, we order for them immediately.
We also have 5 dedicated desktop computers (each is equipped with Intel Core i7 with 32 gb RAM, the latest version of Houdini, Komodo, and Stockfish, in addition to an exclusive database of over 7 million games (updated weekly). IT is working on hooking our computers to a super computer network.
The SPICE facility is available to all our SPICE team members 24/7. Each student chess player has card access to enter the secured building.
No university in the United States supports chess more. With this environment, our students won 2 world titles and 36 national championships in the past 4 years, including 12-0 to win 4 straight College Chess Final Four National Championships! In addition, our students have gained more ratings than any other chess program in the country by a big margin. We are like the Duke of Basketball or Alabama of Football and more.
I hope that explains it.
Webster University – SPICE Chess Program Top Facts
1. Webster University has 10 Grandmasters, and players from 14 different countries. The SPICE program has 4 World Champions, 8 Olympians, and 17 National Champions…
2. Webster University chess team has been ranked #1 in Division I College Chess since its inception in August 2012 (with 4 freshmen and 1 sophomore on the A team), which is over 250 consecutive weeks.
3. Webster University A team has never relinquished the top ranking.
4. Webster University team members won 2 world championships and 36 national titles in the past 3 years.
5. Webster University won the 2013 PanAm InterCollegiate Chess Championship with a perfect 6-0 score, and won all 3 Final Four matches, to close out the season with an unprecedented perfect 9-0.
6. Webster University sponsors and hosts the annual SPF Girls’ Invitational, the most prestigious all-girls event in the U.S., the annual prestigious SPICE Cup, Chess For Girls Global Elite Event, SPICE Invitational for Top Juniors, etc.
7. Students of Webster University actively volunteer in the community to bring chess into schools. They, as a team, also maintain a very high GPA.
8. The SPICE chess program has won 6 consecutive Final Four Championships, and has not lost a match in 6 straight Final Four Championships.
About Webster University
Webster students are around the world. There are about 22,000 students enrolled at Webster University – with students from 50 states and around 150 countries around the world.
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.
A historic mission. An inviting home campus: Founded in 1915, with five students and a pioneering educational mission, Webster has a history of shaping the future of higher education.
Average class size: 10 : Small, highly interactive classes encourage innovation, collaboration, and self-expression.
Faculty-to-student ratio: 1:9 : Students have all the advantages of a student-centered university that supports personalized learning and gives every student an opportunity to excel.
Global locations: We have metropolitan, military, and corporate locations around the world, as well as traditional campuses in Asia, Europe, and North America. Our Study Abroad programs are ranked in the top 2 percent by U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges 2013.”
163,000 Alumni: A growing and involved alumni community are connecting online, in-person, and at worldwide events.
One and only: Webster is the only Tier 1, private, nonprofit university with campus locations around the world including metropolitan, military, online and corporate, plus traditional, American-style campuses in North America, Europe, Africa and Asia.
Diversity is a core value: Webster is one of the most diverse universities in the country, which is an enduring part of our history and central to our future.Undergraduate and graduate programs. More than 75 different majors and around 60 graduate programs in a supportive, educational environment that allows students to excel.
A global, Tier 1, private, nonprofit university
* Global feature in academic programs. Globalized curriculum is our distinctive hallmark
* Academic programs engage your mind and stimulate your understanding beyond your home country and culture
* Every student experiences a global learning component
* Every student is exposed to a worldwide network of fellow students who live, work and study around the U.S., Europe, Africa and Asia
* Learn in class today and apply it in real life tomorrow
* Five schools and colleges: Arts & Sciences; Business & Technology; Communications; Education; and Fine Arts