SPORTS COMMISSIONER PODZIBA ANNOUNCES
THE MAYOR’S CUP CHESS INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT
New York City Sports Commissioner Kenneth J. Podziba welcomes the Mayor’s Cup Chess Invitational Tournament to New York City on June 25-26, 2006. The tournament will be held at the prestigious New York Athletic Club, where five-time World Chess Olympiad gold medalist Susan Polgar will face off against some of the best male chess players in the world.
“New York City has a rich tradition of world class chess events including Garry Kasparov’s memorable “Man vs. Machine” match in 2003 and his championship match versus Anand in 1995,” declared Commissioner Podziba. “Chess is a challenging sport of the mind that develops mental discipline, critical thinking and self-esteem. With the help of organizations such as the Susan Polgar Foundation, we can help create a positive environment for New York City’s kids to expand their cognitive skills through the game of chess.”
Polgar, currently the #1-rated women’s player in the United States, will face off against a talented field featuring many of the world’s top chess players including the reigning 2006 United States Champion Grandmaster Alexander Onischuk and co-winner of the 2005 United States Championships Grandmaster Alexander Stripunsky. Also participating will be the 2006 World Chess Olympiad bronze medalist Grandmaster Ildar Ibragimov, the USCF and FIDE #1-ranked player in the U.S. Grandmaster Gata Kamsky and former Soviet and US Champion Grandmaster Boris Gulko.
“Chess – A fun, social game that offers enormous educational benefits for young people!” stated event organizer Susan Polgar. “This historic NY Mayor’s Cup – the strongest tournament ever in U.S. history – will provide incredible visibility for chess in our city and indeed worldwide!”
Opening ceremonies will be held at 10:30am at the New York Athletic Club on Sunday, June 25. Matches will be held the remainder of the day and will resume at 10:00am on Monday, June 26 with closing ceremonies scheduled for approximately 5:00pm.
Proceeds from the event will go to the Susan Polgar Foundation whose mission is to promote the educational, social and competitive benefits of chess to children.
The New York City Sports Commission ensures the continuation and growth of a healthy environment for professional, amateur and scholastic sports activities in New York City. In recent years, the Sports Commission has played a role in attracting or creating many new sporting events, including the NFL Kickoff Live from Times Square, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series™ Champions Week, the BMC Software NYC Cycling Championship, the NYC Fiesta Cup, the NAUTICA NYC Triathlon Presented by Toyota, Senior Men’s Tennis Championship, Let Freedom Run and The Wild Onion Urban Adventure Race.