The FIDE Commission for Women’s Chess (WOM) has been very active this year again in promoting chess for young women around the world. There have been on-going training sessions and opportunities given for top girls from Latin-America to improve, earn norms, and gain experience in international competition.
Susan Polgar, on behalf of the WOM, is currently providing training for 10 of the top young Italian female players. Within the next couple of months, two more WOM training sessions will take place, one to Botswana, and the other in Madagascar.
WOM is proud to announce a new world class initiative to further advance the top young female players worldwide.
FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov has agreed to personally pledge 40,000 euros for two exclusive training sessions for the most talented young female players from around the world in 2014. He also pledged 20,000 euros each subsequent year for one annual exclusive training session. The idea is to raise the playing level of the elite young talent.
The first one will take place in Switzerland (Geneva) and a second one in Thailand (near Bangkok), both in the summer of 2014. These sessions will be hosted and co-sponsored by FIDE, Webster University, and the Susan Polgar Foundation.
About FIDE (www.fide.com)
Founded in Paris on 20 July 1924, the World Chess Federation (Federation Internationale des Echecs), known as FIDE from its French acronym) was recognized by the International Olympic Committee as an International Sports Federation in 1999.
With over 180 member federations, FIDE is among the biggest sports organizations in the world, very proud of over forty official championships for youngsters, men, women and seniors.
About Webster University (www.webster.edu)
With its home campus in St. Louis, Webster University is the only Tier 1, private, non-profit U.S.-based university providing a network of international residential campuses.
Founded in 1915, Webster University’s campus network today includes metropolitan, military and corporate locations around the world, as well as traditional residential campuses in Asia, Europe and North America. The university is committed to delivering high-quality learning experiences that transform students for global citizenship and individual excellence.
Webster students are around the world. There are more than 22,000 students enrolled at Webster University – with students from 50 states and approximately 150 countries around the world.
Webster University offers academic excellence in more than 100 programs offered at a vibrant home campus and at locations throughout the world, with all the benefits of a student-centered education and a real-world perspective.
The Webster University Chess Team is ranked #1 in the United States with 9 Grandmasters, including 2 reigning World Champions (Le Quang Liem – World Blitz Champion, Wesley So – World University Champion). SPICE (Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence) has won the last 3 consecutive National Division I Collegiate Final Four Championships.
About the Susan Polgar Foundation (www.susanpolgarfoundation.org)
The mission of the Susan Polgar Foundation is to promote chess, with all its educational, social, and competitive benefits throughout the United States, for young people of all ages, especially girls.
The Susan Polgar Foundation, with this in mind, has established many high profile tournaments throughout the year in order for younger girls and boys to excel through chess. The top tournaments right now are the Susan Polgar Girls’ Invitational, Susan Polgar National Championship for Girls and Boys, the Susan Polgar World Championship for Girls and Boys, and “Get Smart! Play Chess!” series, etc. All of these events have received national and international acclaim and continue to grow every year.
In the past 10 years, the Susan Polgar Foundation, through donors and sponsors, has awarded more than $3.5 million in chess scholarships and prizes to young talented players across the United States.
The USCF will vote against this.