Webster – SPICE Top 10 Facts
1. 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 in the A team: So, Meier, Robson, Corrales, and Hoyos)!
2. Webster University A team has never relinquished the top ranking!
3. Webster University A team has never lost a match!
4. Webster University won the last 2 straight Final Four Championships, both by 2.5 points, the largest ever margin in College Chess history!
5. Webster University won the last 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 sophomore Wesley So won the World University Championship, and is ranked #15 in the world!
7. Webster University freshman won the World Blitz Championship, and is ranked in the top 40 in the world!
8. Webster University sponsors and hosts the annual SPF Girls’ Invitational, the most prestigious all-girls event in the U.S., as well as the prestigious annual SPICE Cup.
9. Students of Webster University actively volunteer in the community to bring chess into schools. They, as a team, also maintain a very high GPA.
10. The SPICE chess program has won 4 consecutive Final Four Championships, and has not lost a match in 4 straight Final Four Championships!
In spite of the clear facts that no other university even came close to the unprecedented achievements of Webster University – SPICE, and its students, we have NEVER won the College of the Year honor. Can you imagine Connecticut or Florida State not getting the top honor after winning the division I basketball and football national championships?
But in chess, that honor went to a team which did not make the Final Four last year, and a team which finished 3rd this year. In addition, the team which won this year lost to Webster in both the PanAm and Final Four Championships!
There was even rumbling about not allowing any female coach (me) in men’s division I chess in the future. That idea quickly went away after seeing how chess fans react, especially on Social Media. One fellow male coach even told me that the ONLY reason why my teams win is because of my looks, and it has nothing to do with my coaching ability, credentials, and hard work!
Below are the members of the US College Chess Committee. These are the only people who are eligible to vote for this award. Their votes are then provided to the USCF Executive Board for the final decision.
Webster University is NOT allowed to be represented in this committee, and our applications (Dr. Peter Maher, Associated Dean of the George Herbert Walker School Of Business & Technology and WIM Inna Agrest) were rejected. However, a number of universities are allowed multiple members and can vote twice!
The College Chess Committee also repeatedly refused to publish the exact guidelines and criteria for this award, and voting is done behind the scene. I challenge the College Chess Committee to publish the accomplishments of the teams which won the College of the Year award in the past 4 years, and who from the College Chess Committee voted for this. Let the public see the facts and make the comparison!
USCF College Chess Committee Members
Karlsson, Hal (chess@ttu.edu) – Texas Tech
Lawrence, Al (al.lawrence@ttu.edu) – Texas Tech
Stallings, James (james.stallings@utdallas.edu) – UT Dallas
Milovanovic, Rade (rade.milovanovic@utdallas.edu) – UT Dallas
Harwood, Russell (Russell.Harwood@utb.edu) Chair – UT Brownsville
Rendon, Clemente – Brownsville
Garcia, Rene (Miami-Dade College)
Gonzalez, Renier (Miami-Dade College)
Sherman, Alan (dralansherman@starpower.net) – UMBC
Aigner, Michael – Stanford
Haskel, Jon – Florida
Hutton, Jack – Princeton
Petersen, Glenn – USCF
Mike Nietman (mike.nietman@charter.net) USCF EB Liaison
Welcome to the world of College Chess in America! Welcome to the life of a female coach in a male dominated world!
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)
National Championships (20)
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)
Who have the right to vote for this joke award? NCFP?
So college of the year award is the consolation prize for losing teams?
It is so hard to believe what I just read. They can scour through the entire country and see if they can find any male, or even female coach who can even come near Susan in terms of coaching skills, experience, and talent. And then they have such audacity to give out stupid remarks that Susan’s team won because of her looks – as if all the opponents were dying to make her smile by losing to her team.
This is so pathetic, but also so prevalent in the States – not just in Chess, but also in business world, services sector, and athletic sports.
But soon times will change, as the results will force them to change their tones, and practices.
– Patrick
I bet if Susan Polgar can make GM Wesley So a top 10 or 5 player, the more these ego maniac self centered male chess coach would be JEALOUS to Susan because of his accomplishments… Imagine GM Wesley So coach and trained by a woman whipping other elite GM’s with male coaches bwahahaha Cant wait for that day to come and im overly excited 🙂
Susan, this will be another incentive for you to do even more wonderful things. We live in a crazy world and most of the time the good is considered bad and the bad- good.
During the past you suffered in the hands of bigots but you pulled it through with your many accomplishments. Now you have a chess team to coach.Continue with what you’re doing with bold conviction. Your international exposure that gives you credence will be enhanced.
But things may change. This recent fiasco of the USCF officials may expose their
real agenda.
Even more proof your decision to leave and head to Webster was the correct decision!
Let them win all the fake awards and consolation prizes – you and Webster are winning in the real world.
As a Life Member of the USCF for more than 50 years I am disappointed that the USCF has become so biased. I am aware of previous “situations” that have evoked controversy within the organization. This, however, is a blatant example of the worst kind.
As a Life Member of the USCF for more than 50 years I am disappointed that the USCF has become so biased. I am aware of previous “situations” that have evoked controversy within the organization. This, however, is a blatant example of the worst kind.
This is unfair. Nakamura can be a top female coach as well.
Hurray for Susan Polgar for challenging the misogyny she faces in her efforts as a coach. This is more important than any chess award, by the way. And look! Tennis star Andy Murray has also decided that a female coach is a good thing. He just hired former number one in the world, Amelie Mauresmo, to coach him.
This is a real stupid decision by the college chess folks. They should be ashamed of themselves. And why do some universities get 2 votes? Is this to stack the deck for these pseudo awards?
This is a real stupid decision by the college chess folks. They should be ashamed of themselves. And why do some universities get 2 votes? Is this to stack the deck for these pseudo awards?
Wesley jumped ftom the ftying pan to the volcano’s crater…the.future seems not.so bright after all.
…is there.a pot of gold at the.end of the rainbow?
Go back to Pacland Jerry and start your own Wesley So hate thread 🙂 Instead of ranting bullshit and all your crab mentality, go get yourself some real work. Dont be such an ass to your parents… otherwise its you who would be jumping on a volcano crater like the rest of your pactards wesley so haters lol
Your future is not so bright pactards… got get some job and help your parents. Dont be such an ass 🙂
Obviously a bogus award.
Does this have anything to do with the lawsuit and the whole not being in good standing with USCF thing???
This is not a personal award to Polgar. This is to recognize what the students / university accomplished. Once may be justifiable. But 4 years in a row? And why do some universities have 2 votes while others have none? It’s a rigged system.
Why did these bozos give the GM of the year award to Onischuk? He did nothing last year. Why not Krush who became a GM and had many good results? Sexist pigs. Polgar isn’t the one who has to face discrimination.
“One fellow male coach even told me that the ONLY reason why my teams win is because of my looks, and it has nothing to do with my coaching ability, credentials, and hard work!”
Next time you play his team you should wear an Burqa from Afghanistan, so there are no unfair advantages! LOL!
Susan Polgar should wear an Abaya and Niqab. Abaya is a dark dress while niqab is the one that covers the face. Just like Arab women. In that way, Susan will not be able to use her beauty and smile to “scare off” chess teams and their coaches in US collegiate chess competition. Bwhahahaha!
Perhaps the chess coach is gay he hates Susan Polgar because Susan looks more beautiful than him lol
Susan, next time your chess team play in the PanAm and Presidents Cup, for petes sake where some abaya and niqab or cover your entire body with a mummy wrapping sheet so you wont scare the opponents of your team and cause them to lose games against your team 🙂