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One of the biggest problems which cause players not to progress or at a much slower pace is the “Lack of Objectivity”.

We see this problem with so many chess players as well as coaches. We see the same problem in other sports, businesses, just as in politics, etc.

People are so blind of the truth because they cannot handle the truth. They do not want to know the truth. So bogus excuses or reasons are made up to justify the failures.

When a student comes to SPICE, and is ready to handle the truth, they will get the truth. And if they are willing to work hard to fix their problems, they WILL improve. If they are not willing to put in the work, results will not come. I wish there is a miracle pill. But there is not.

But it is critically important to be “Completely Objective” when it comes to evaluation, whether in chess or any other field. There should be no sugar coating. Your opponents will not be nice to you. They will do everything possible to beat you.

Only you can decide how the outcome will turn out.

We have won the last 6 straight Final Four Championships with 6 different lineups. Our students have won more world titles, national championships, Olympiad medals, and other major events than all other programs combine.

Why? Because we do not have perfect lineups or perfect players. Knowing this, we have to reassess after each time and make adjustments after “Objective Evaluations”.

Will we continue to win every year? Of course not. But we will give ourselves every possible chance by doing the right things.

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Titles won by Webster University – SPICE since August 2012 (2 World Championships, Olympiad Gold, 4 World Open Championships & 43 National Titles)

Chess Olympiad Gold 

2 members of Webster University – SPICE program,  GMs Ray Robson (current student) and Wesley So (former student), were part of the historic US team which captured Olympiad Gold for the first time (with full competition in a non-boycotted year) since 1937!

World Championships (2)

June 2013
– 2013 World Blitz Championship: 1st place (GM Le Quang Liem)

July 2013
– 2013 World University Championship: 1st place (GM Wesley So)

World Open Championship (4)

July 2014
– 2014 World Open Championship: 1st place tie (GM Illia Nyzhnyk)

July 2015
– 2015 World Open Championship: 1st place tie (GM Illia Nyzhnyk)

July 2016
– 2016 World Open Championship: 1st place tie (GMs Illia Nyzhnyk, Alex Shimanov, Vasif Durarbayli)
– 2016 World Open Blitz Championship: 1st place tie (GM Illia Nyzhnyk)

National Championships / Individual and Team titles (43)

August 2012
– 2012 U.S. Open Championship: 1st place (GM Manuel Leon Hoyos)
– 2012 U.S. Open Rapid (g/15) Championship: 1st place (GM Andre Diamant and IM Vitaly Neimer)
– 2012 U.S. Open Blitz Championship: 1st place (GM Andre Diamant), 2nd place (GM Anatoly Bykhovsky)

December 2012
– 2012 PanAm Intercollegiate Championship: Both A and B team tied for 1st place
– 2012 PanAm Intercollegiate Championship: Top reserve player (GM Manuel Leon Hoyos)

April 2013
– 2013 College Chess Final Four: 1st place (GMs Georg Meier, Wesley So, Ray Robson, Fidel Corrales Jimenez, Manuel Leon Hoyos, and Anatoly Bykhovsky)

June 2013
– 2013 National Open: 1st place (GMs Wesley So and Manuel Leon Hoyos)
– 2013 National Open Blitz Championship: 1st place (GM Wesley So)
– 2013 National G/10 Championship at National Open: 1st place (GM Wesley So)

August 2013
– 2013 US Open G/15 Championship: 1st place (GM Manuel Leon Hoyos)
– 2013 US Open Blitz Championship: 1st place (GM Manuel Leon Hoyos)

October 2013
– 2013 US National G/30 Championship: 1st place (GM Georg Meier)
– 2013 US National G/60 Championship: 1st place (GM Georg Meier)

December 2013
– 2013 PanAm Intercollegiate Championship: 1st place (A team won with a perfect 6-0 score)
– 2013 PanAm Intercollegiate Championship: Top board 1 (GMs Le Quang Liem, Fidel Corrales Jimenez)
– 2013 PanAm Intercollegiate Championship: Top board 2 (GM Anatoly Bykhovsky)
– 2013 PanAm Intercollegiate Championship: Top board 3 (GM Wesley So)
– 2013 PanAm Intercollegiate Championship: Top board 4 (GM Ray Robson)
– 2013 PanAm Intercollegiate Championship: Top overall performance (GM Wesley So)

April 2014
– 2014 College Chess Final Four: 1st place (GMs Le Quang Liem, Wesley So, Georg Meier, Ray Robson, Fidel Corrales Jimenez, and Anatoly Bykhovsky)

June 2014
– 2014 National Open Blitz Championship: 1st place (GM Wesley So)

August 2014
– 2014 US Open: 1st place tie (GM Illia Nyzhnyk)

December 2014
– 2014 PanAm InterCollegiate Championship: 1st place (A team scored 5.5–0.5)
– 2014 PanAm InterCollegiate Championship: Top board 1 (IM Ashwin Jayaram)
– 2014 PanAm InterCollegiate Championship: Top board 2 (GM Illia Nyzhnyk)
– 2014 PanAm InterCollegiate Championship: Top board 3 (GM Ray Robson)
– 2014 PanAm InterCollegiate Championship: Top board 4 (GM Andre Diamant)

February 2015
– 2015 USATN: Top College Team (WGMs Anna Sharevich, Katerina Nemcova, WFM Luisa Mercado, Mara Kamphorst)

March 2015
– 2015 College Chess Final Four: 1st place (GMs Le Quang Liem, Ray Robson, Illia Nyzhnyk, Vasif Durarbayli, Fidel Corrales, Andre Diamant)

June 2015
– 2015 National Open: 1st place tie (GM Illia Nyzhnyk)
– 2015 National g10 Open: 1st place (GM Illia Nyzhnyk)

December 2015
– 2015 PanAm InterCollegiate Championship: 1st place tie (B team scored 5–1)
– 2015 PanAm InterCollegiate Women’s Championship: 1st place (SPICE girls scored 4–2)
– 2015 PanAm InterCollegiate Championship: Top board 1 (GM Manuel Leon Hoyos)
– 2015 PanAm InterCollegiate Championship: Top board 4 (GM Ray Robson)

April 2016
– 2016 College Chess Final Four: 1st place (GMs Le Quang Liem, Illia Nyzhnyk, Aleksandr Shimanov, Ray Robson, Vasif Durarbayli, Fidel Corrales)

August 2016
– 2012 U.S. Open Rapid (g/15) Championship: 1st place (GM Fidel Corrales Jimenez)
– 2012 U.S. Open Blitz Championship: 1st place (GM Illia Nyzhnyk), 2nd place (GM Vasif Durarbayli)

September 2016
– 2016 Chess Olympiad: Team USA got Gold for the first time (1937 in a full Olympiad or 1976 in boycotted Olympiad) in 79 years (GMs Ray Robson [current student] and Wesley So [past student])
– 2016 US National g/30 Championship: 1st place tie (GM Illia Nyzhnyk)
– 2016 US National g/60 Championship: 1st place (GM Illia Nyzhnyk)

December 2016
– 2016 PanAm InterCollegiate Championship: Both A and B team tied for 1st place
– 2016 PanAm InterCollegiate Championship: Top board 4 (GM Manuel Leon Hoyos)

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