Dong Captures Susan Polgar Foundation Girls’ Invitational Championship

The 2012 Susan Polgar Girls’ Invitational (SPGI) came to a close Friday, July 27, on the stage of the Loretto-Hilton Center. Sitting across from each other during the final round were two friends — Alice Dong and Michelle Chen. To prevail, Chen needed to draw while Dong needed to win — and Dong did, capturing the championship.

Provost Julian Schuster officially closed the tournament with “mixed feelings,” sorry to see the event come to an end. “It was the best of chess and the best of education.” Schuster told the audience his own story of playing chess as a young student, entering regional tournaments and memorably finishing in third place — missing out on a scholarship. In this tournament, the top three finishers received scholarships.

The event showcased 48 of the top young (under age 19) female chess players from across the U.S.

Two well-known chess grandmasters from Russia, Alexander Riazantsev and Vladimir Kosyrev, were special guests at the closing ceremony. Riazantsev, 26, is head coach of the Russian Chess Federations national team.

More than $150,000 in scholarships was awarded to the three top winners: Alice Dong (N.J.) in first, with Michelle Chen (Mass.) and Annastasia Wyzywany (La.) tied for second place. Each received a scholarship to Webster University for $52,000 or $13,000 per year).

Other winners included:

• Carissa Yip (Mass.) the top 8-year-old in the U.S., won the “under 10″ prize (netbook computer).
• Katherine Davis (N.Y.), tied for 2nd and also won the top under 13 prize (netbook computer).
• The SPGI Puzzle Solving Championship was won by Taylor McCreary (Calif.).
• The SPGI Blitz Championship was won by 3 players: Michelle Chen, Anupama Rajendra (Wisc.), and Miranda Liu (Ill.).

Provost Schuster with Russian grand masters Vladimmir Kosyrev (left) and Alexander Riazantsev (right).

Related Stories and Photos

Previous posts in Webster Today as the tournament progressed include photos and news coverage, including attention from the Governor of Missouri, as well as photos from the opening ceremony and an interview with Fox2 News.

For more than 640 photos of the Invitational, visit this Picasa page.