These are the participants in the first ever Susan Polgar National Invitational for Girls in 2004
FM Paul Truong recently told the story of how the Annual Susan Polgar National Invitational for Girls, the most prestigious all-girls event in the United States, got started. Here is what he wrote:
“Dewain Barber basically started the Denker with GM Denker more than 20 years ago. During a breakfast on Monday after the big National Scholastic Event in Nashville in 2003, Dewain had breakfast with Susan and I. During this breakfast, GM Polgar asked Dewain how many girls have qualified for the Denker.
He gave some dismal numbers. Hearing this, she said she wanted to do something to help the girls with more opportunities. In addition, the USCF official asked GM Polgar to help turn around the trend of the USCF losing so many young female players. So the idea about having a similar event with girls was born. However, GM Polgar insisted on not having an age limit for the younger participants because this would not help the problem.
After the 3 of us agreed on the general ideas, we asked the (USCF) ED who was dining at another table 20 feet away. He said he would support it if GM Polgar can find the funding. She said fine. She made a personal guarantee that if she cannot raise over $6,000 to fund this event each year, she would pay for it herself.
After this, we approached Dr. Tim Redman (of UTD) who was sitting at another table not so far away about granting the same scholarship for the Polgar. He said it sounded great but he had to ask UTD. They eventually gave us 2 thumbs up and we are VERY grateful.
At the 2003 US Open in LA, we discussed this in person with GM Denker. GM Denker listened to what we had to say and he agreed. He gave us his full blessing. I am so glad he attended the Denker / Polgar event in 2003 (the first ever Polgar event) in Fort Lauderdale with GM Karpov and GM Polgar. I had him pose with the 2 WCs and all the kids.
He was always so kind to me and he gave me many wonderful advices about how to handle the US Women’s Olympiad Team and many other issues. He is one of the kindest and most generous man I know. He was also one of the most vocal supporters of the 2004 US Women’s Olympiad Training Program and Team.
The only major difference between the 2 events is the age limit. The Polgar is for any qualified player under the age of 19 and still is in HS or lower. The Denker is only for HS students.
Last year, we had the first ever case where a straight A’s student of GM Polgar (from the age of 6) won the NY State High School Championship (for boys and girls). She qualified for both Denker and Polgar and she can pick either. She chose to play in the Polgar and finished in a tie for 2nd.”
Mr. Dewain Barber added the following: “Dear Paul: I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the accuracy of the information on the Denker…”
I would like to add another point. After the funding was guaranteed by the Susan Polgar Foundation, scholarships from UTD was secured, and approval from the USCF ED was granted, some chess politicians still went out of their ways to derail this initiative and tournament. Because of the overwhelming support from the players, parents and coaches across the country, the event finally got off the ground in 2004 and the rest is history.
Today, the enthusiasm and support for chess for girls is way up and it forever changed the dynamic of chess in this country. I expect to see many more girls in chess and the top level will continue to rise. Changes are always difficult but the end result is worth it.
That is why I am very persistent about running in the upcoming USCF election. We desparately need positive changes within the USCF. I could not do it without your support before I will need your support again this time. We need to unite for the best interest of US Chess and the USCF to end the status quo that has hindered the growth of chess in this country for years.
Susan, thank you for all you do for chess. You inspire my daughters. Thank you!
Susan Inspires me and my son. I think Susan is wonderful. And I know I am right on this.
I sometimes think Paul does not get full credit for his chess playing ability. He is so good at promoting chess that sometimes I think people see his as the very best chess promoter in America, but Paul is also a FM by his own accomplishments. I know he could have made GM had he received better opportunities while he was young.
Anyway, I just want to salute Paul as a great chess player today.
Vote the Polgar Slate in June, 2007
On December 7, 2006 (interesting date choice, don’t you think – Pearl Harbor Day) – GM Susan Polgar officially announced at her blog that she would be running for the Executive Board of the USCF. But prior to that date fans of her blog had been encouraging her to run in the upcoming election (June, 2007), I’d say, going back at least to October, 2006.
So, when I read this last night in the May, 2007 issue of Chess Life magazine (official magazine of the USCF), I had a good laugh:
“Across the Board” page 9:
by Bill Goichberg, USCF President
USCF Membership Surges…
The seven months since my last report in the October 2006 Chess Life have seen an almost unprecendeted gain in USCF membership. Total members for the period 9/1/06 through 3/31/07 are up by 6,016, the second largest gain for any seven-month period in the history of the federation. Our current membership total of 84,495 is also the highest in almost three years.
The “due sales” offering adult membership…
During the seven months 9/06 through 3/07, USCF gained 494 adult members, the largest increase for any period of seven consecutive months in 12 years. …”
Bill Goichberg, bless his heart, attributes the increase in adult memberships (they are the only ones who can vote, as I understand current USCF policy – all the rest of the membership increase is, I assume, from scholastic members and they can’t vote and so, in the eyes of some chess politicans, they really “don’t count”) – to a “dues sale!” That increase couldn’t possibly have – nah – it couldn’t possibly have anything to do with Susan Polgar and her slate of candidates running for the USCF Executive Board and the fact that in order to vote in the election next month, you have to be a member in good standing – nah. LOL!
Mr. Goichberg goes on to say that he is aware that “one of the factors that has held back USCF growth in recent years is unwarranted negativism, especially popular on Internet discussion groups.” Yeah, all right. So in the face of all this negativism, why the sudden surge in membership – voting membership? Wouldn’t all the unwarranted and (it is implied, unrelenting and continuing) negativism lead, instead, to a further decline in membership?
As much as Mr. Goichberg tries to put a positive spin on the things that he cites as improvements since the near bankruptcy of the USCF in 2003, the USCF is actually just recently slowly and painfully attempting to rectify a gross decline in service that used to be provided to paying (and voting) members – adult members. I do not fault Mr. Goichberg for the prior failings of the USCF – he wasn’t an officer or Executive Board member when so many of the really bad decisions were made. Since he has come on board as President things have improved – but not enough. Certainly not enough for the long-suffering members of USCF.
My bet is that Mr. Goichberg has already read the handwriting on the proverbial wall and he’s now being the consummate chess politician that he has always been – and because he’s the President of USCF he gets a free in-print forum to do it. But no matter what spin Mr. Goichberg puts on it, there is only one reason for the increase of adult, i.e., voting membership in the USCF – Susan Polgar and her slate of candidates. People have joined (or rejoined) the USCF with the sole intent of voting in Susan Polgar and her slate of candidates to the USCF Executive Board next month.
Mr. Goichberg, will you embrace the four new Board members – Polgar, Bauer, Truong and Korenman – when they are elected in June?
http://goddesschess.blogspot.com/2007/05/vote-polgar-slate-in-june-2007.html