Title of “grandmaster” bestowed upon her

JANUARY 15, 2011
Making a Move to Help Students
By CHRIS HERRING
Wall Street Journal

Agnes Gund is savoring her moment as a chess champion.

Ms. Gund, a former president at the MoMA, recently had the title of “grandmaster” bestowed upon her. She garnered the title after pledging to make a hefty donation to Chess-in-the-Schools, a nonprofit organization that has offered chess lessons in dozens of low-income New York City schools since 1986.

“It’s the only time I’d ever be called a grandmaster because I certainly wouldn’t get it through playing the game,” said a laughing Ms. Gund, adding that she doesn’t have the patience to play.

Both Ms. Gund and organization officials declined to state the donation’s exact amount. But Marley Kaplan, the group’s president, suggested it was a six-figure number. “We’ve gotten donations that range from one dollar to $400,000,” she said. “It’s safe to say this donation falls in the upper range.”

The donation will help boost the finances of the organization, which has had to cut back on some expenses—from pencils to the chess sets it used to provide—because of the economy.

Ms. Gund, who serves as a board member with Chess-in-the-Schools, said she’s enamored with the program. While she is happy to help provide the students with a challenging game that they can “have for the rest of their lives,” Ms. Gund insisted her favorite part of the program was “College Bound” portion, which helps high schoolers visit and apply to colleges.

“Chess-in-the-Schools offers a privileged education for kids who otherwise wouldn’t have it,” said Ms. Gund, who President Barack Obama recently nominated to be a member of the National Council on the Arts. “In my mind, they have just as much right to have access to it.”

Full article here.