IM Blas Lugo defected from Cuba while being in a tournament in Mexico and went across the border in El Paso, Texas as a “wetback”. When he arrived in Miami he found out there was no place to play chess seriously but parks and billiards and places when people got together but nothing like what Blas had dreamed of for Miami.
Miami International Chess Academy opened its doors in the month of April of the year 1996. Since then MICA together with its president cuban born International Master with one GM norm Blas Lugo, is offered lessons and tournament play among other services to all Floridian players and foreigners who come to Miami to spend a vacation . Located in the heart of West Miami, right on the famous 8th Street, MICA is home to the strongest players in the state. Mostly full of cuban born players, the academy opens from Tuesday to Sunday from 3pm till 9:30pm.
In all these years of hard work Blas Lugo is produced among other big results two national champions in grade championships. Robert Perez was a National Champion in K-5 in the last championship held in Nashville, Tennessee. Also Sam Silverman was the K-6 champion in the blitz event.
MICA is played a big role also in the chess career of FM Marcel Martinez who was US High School Champion in 1998 and US Junior Champion in 1999. Marcel also scored his first GM norm and second IM norm in Miami recently and says Blas Lugo together with MICA have played a big role in all his success. Rodelay Medina was a National High School Co-Champion in the year 2000 and one key member of the Miami Dade College Team in the past years was also formed in full at MICA. Among some of the students that have taken part of MICA’s summer camps or academy’s teaching have been: GM Alejandro Ramirez, IM Daniel Fernandez, FM Marcel Martinez, NM Marc Esserman among others.
Cuban born players like: IM Reinier Gonzalez, IM Alejandro Moreno, IM Emilio Pupo, IM Evelio Otero, FM Franklin Vilaseco,FM Javier Torres, FM Ivan Delgado, FM Alberto Hernandez, FM Osmany Perea, FM Raul Machado, FM Miguel Espino, WFM Yulia Cardona all make their home in Miami and are of have been part of MICA at some point either as coaches or players.
Miami is known in the US circuits for a very strong level of play among club players. Our academy is been host to very strong blitz or active tournaments including players of the level of GM Alex Goldin , GM Gildardo Garcia, WGM Alexandra Kosteniuk among others and in some cases they have not been victorious in these events.
Miami is also home to other strong juniors like Eric Rodriguez(former national grade champion) who right now is playing in the US Junior Closed, Marc Esserman who is a graduate student from Harvard University and is nowadays very close to IM strength. FM Bruci Lopez who earned a scholarship for UMBC and its been also part of MICA in one way or the other. In the year 1999 Miami received in its heart the strongest player of the state. Cuban born GM Julio Becerra defected while in the World Championship in Las Vegas and recently Becerra just tied for 3th-5th in the last US Championships held in Oklahoma.
Blas Lugo and MICA have been host to very important chess personalities such as : FIDE president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, former FIDE president Florencio Campomanes, President of FIDE for the Americas Jorge Vega, super trainer Mark Dvoretsky, GM Yasser Seirawan etc. MICA was given the award by USCF of best club in the country in the year 2003.
MICA and IM Blas Lugo are coming up with their best effort yet to date. From September 26-30 of 2007 sunny Miami Florida will host the biggest open tournament ever in the history of the town. 100,000 USD in prizes with 50% of these prizes guaranteed all coming from private sponsors. This event hopefully will have a big turn out since we would like to repeat it in the years to come. http://www.miamichess.com/ for more details. Blas Lugo feels fulfilled now because the dream of his life has always been having a chess academy and organizing a huge open like the one coming up in September. Let’s wish him luck!
Blas Lugo would like to thank the brainchild of this event: Two people who have given their money and time to this idea and if chess had more people like them we would absolutely have no problems. Their names: Elsa Echevarria and Dr Eric Hecht. They embraced the idea, they love the game and practice it on the daily basis. Hoorah for them.
Congratulations IM Lugo! Good luck with your center!