Invitational brings together girls from across the nation

The eighth annual Susan Polgar Girls’ Invitational began Wednesday, where the top-rated girl player from each state has been invited to Texas Tech for three days of intensive chess training, followed by three days of tournament play.

Considered the most prestigious all-girls chess championship in the country, the invitational was established by Knight Raiders coach, Susan Polgar, who was the first woman to earn the Grandmaster title in chess.

When she came to the United States from her native country, Hungary, Polgar said her main mission was to give young girls increased opportunities to hone their chess skills through the Susan Polgar Foundation.

“It’s a dream come true for me,” she said. “When I was a little girl growing up in Hungary, I vividly remember in most events I was the only girl or one of the very few girls. I always thought it was something that should change.”

This year’s competition also has had its share of unexpected surprises with Dyhemia and Vanita Young. The pair, though unrelated, both say they were unsure if they would even make it to Lubbock for the competition.

Each year the institute grants “wild card” invitations, Polgar said, to girls who have never been ranked in an official chess competition.

“I thought that it would be a good idea to give opportunities to some girls around the country who otherwise, without a special wild card, wouldn’t have the chance to come,” she said.

Polgar said Dyhemia Young, a 15-year old from the San Francisco area, was chosen from a recommendation made by the Hip-Hop Chess Federation.

Dyhemia Young said at first she had no idea she had received an invitation.

When she was chosen as a wild card, she said, a call was made to the Hip-Hop Chess Federation, founded by her coach Adisa Banjoko. Banjoko, a security guard at Dyhemia Young’s old high school, who then tried contacting her, but she had not been seen or heard from her since the end of the school year.

Her mentor then searched the web, she said, where they found a missing person’s poster from 2008 with her picture on it. Banjoko then called a detective from the San Francisco Police Department, who was able to direct the coach to a social worker, then to Dyhemia Young’s foster mother, and eventually, to her.

“I didn’t know what to say,” she said. “I just wanted to thank everybody. I really don’t know all of what they went through to find me. I know it took a lot for…everybody to not give up and to just give me a chance and have faith in me.”

Vanita Young, a 17-year-old from Philadelphia, beat out more than 600 girls at the State Scholastic Chess Championship to earn her spot at the invitational.

She was unsure if she would be able to attend the invitational because of the $2000 price tag, Vanita Young said, but then discovered that Rep. Bob Brady from Pennsylvania, along with other donors, would pay her way to Tech.

“It’s heart-warming,” she said. “One guy actually contributed from jail. He read my story in the paper, and because he played chess in jail, donated five dollars for (my cause).”

Although she has been learning chess at the Walter D. Palmer Charter School, Vanita Young said she has been studying the game consistently since middle school.

Charis Miller, head of the chess club at Walter D. Palmer, said Vanita Young is an inspiration to other chess players at her school and is glad she is getting an opportunity she might not have had, thanks to the generosity of other people.

“We couldn’t have done it without them,” he said. “This shows that they are paying attention to, not just chess in Philadelphia, but young kids who need a little extra help to achieve their goals.”

Dyhemia Young said she also was sponsored to attend the event from a number of benefactors, including a celebrity.

“I was shocked when I even got the news that I was going to Texas,” she said, “and then I thought, ‘How am I going to get all the way to Texas?’ I was told that it was paid for and when I got off the plane and heard that Jada-Pinkett Smith and her family was sponsoring me, I just couldn’t help but smile.”

There will be $1,000 awarded to the top three competitors during the invitational, Polgar said, but for out-of-state players it means $40,000 over a four-year period.

Both Dyhemia Young and Vanita Young said if they placed in the top three during the invitational they would use the money toward furthering their education, though they are both unsure if they would attend Tech.

The girls also said they will always be thankful for the chance to attend the competition and will use what they have learned in everyday life.

“Chess changed my life in so many different ways,” Dyhemia Young said. “You’ve got to be patient and you’ve got to make sure all your pieces are protected, the same thing with your life. I’m happy to even be here and I’m really blessed.”

Overall, Polgar said, she believes the invitational is a great way to increase visibility for Tech and is a good way to bring excellent chess players from across the nation together.

“We hope to continue to bring pride and honor to Texas Tech,” she said, “and I think it also gives Tech a special way to recruit students who otherwise would never think of coming to Texas Tech, if it wasn’t for the chess program.”