S P I CE

Two questions which I receive quite often are what SPICE is and what has SPICE done? Here is a short description of the mission of SPICE and what this institute has accomplished in the past 12 months:

1. Texas Tech created SPICE, the first institute of its kind in the world, with an annual budget well over $250,000. SPICE focuses on 3 very important areas: Chess Education, Chess Research, and Chess Outreach.

2. Texas Tech SPICE organized and sponsored the category 12 SPICE Cup in 2007 (highest rated in Texas since 1972 and the U.S. in the past 5 years) and will sponsor the category 15 SPICE Cup in 2008 (which will be the highest rated 10 person International RR event in U.S. history). In addition to the prestigious SPICE Cup Invitational, Texas Tech will also host and sponsor the Texas Women’s Open Championship, SPICE Cup Grand Prix, SPICE Cup Open, SPICE Cup Scholastic, etc. The sponsorship costs for these efforts are approximately $100,000 per year.

3. Texas Tech SPICE organized and sponsored the 2008 Lubbock Open Chess Tournament. In addition, TTU introduced chess to a region where chess was not popular at all. We signed up around 100 new USCF members in the past 12 months.

4. Texas Tech is the sponsor and host of the Susan Polgar National Invitational for Girls and the Susan Polgar All-Stars Training. Texas Tech has committed to host both events for 10 years. The sponsorship costs are approximately $1 million dollars over 10 years.

5. Texas Tech has agreed to host the first ever Chess: It’s a Girl thing Camp and multiple chess training seminars to teach teachers how to teach chess in the schools.

6. Texas Tech awarded the 2007 Denker and Polgar Invitational Champions two full tuition and fees scholarships in 2007 (approximately $136,000 value for out of state students).

7. Texas Tech received the approval from Texas State Educational Region 17 to introduce chess to schools within its regional boundaries. 60 school districts reside within Region 17.

8. Texas Tech received the approval from Lubbock Independent School District to introduce chess to schools. 62 schools reside within the Lubbock ISD.

9. Texas Tech SPICE just received a cash donation of $320,000 for chess scholarships from an anonymous donor. Additional funding from the same donor was provided to build a chess park right outside of the Student Union building on campus.

10. Texas Tech SPICE just received another large grant from an area foundation to introduce chess after school in some of the local schools.

I hope that a lot more will be accomplished in the near future. Here is just one example to give you an idea why SPICE has been so successful. A few nights ago, after a full day at work, Dr. Karlsson, Dr. Rice, Dean Santos, and Jerry Perez (some of the biggest supporters of SPICE) were at my home until 1 AM to discuss various ways to increase donations, grants, and sponsorships for SPICE. That is their personal commitment to help SPICE.

We have also received incredible support from Provost Marcy, vice Provost Brink, his assistant Peggy Flores, Chancellor Hance, former Mayor David Miller, the Convention and Visitors Bureau, Commissioner Ysidro Gutierrez and so many more people. We are fortunate to have received so much support from TTU and the Lubbock Community. Without them, SPICE would not have this kind of success. It is truly a team effort.

I informed the USCF EB during the last board meeting that SPICE and the SPF would be interested in hosting and sponsoring the US and US Women’s Championship if no other sponsor is found.