WEBSTER GROVES, Mo. (KSDK) – It is a Final four without the sound of sneakers squeaking. Where cheering is forbidden and trash talking really doesn’t exist.
“Like when you beat an opponent he’ll say you’re lucky,” explained Wesley So, a freshman from the Philippines.
See what I mean? But then this is chess, a game the team at Webster University plays quite well.
“Webster U is the number one ranked team currently, added head coach Susan Polgar.
That’s because Coach Polgar has recruited some of the top players in the world.
“Yes, just like in other sports students are recruited. We have a very international team,” Polgar added.
“I’m from Israel,” said Anatoly Bykhovsky, another freshman.
And although these gentlemen are freshmen on the campus
of Webster University, chess competitions are nothing new.
“Some of us were professional chess players before, so we’ve experienced some very big competitions,” Bykhovsky pointed out.
“We have eight grandmasters, eight from eight different countries,” Polgar explained.
And even they need to be challenged and motivated.
“It goes much beyond sharing with them the Xs and Os. I help them in many various ways including psychological aspects of the game,” she said.
She knows chess better than Pitino knows basketball.
“I’m a former world champion and Olympic champion,” Polgar added.
A chess prodigy, who now hopes to add one more title to her already long list of chess championships.
Source: http://www.ksdk.com
Go Wesley!