An excerpt by Alice from her blog http://alicechess.blogspot.com
“I went to NJ Junior Championship last week. Because this is the tournament to determine who will represent NJ in Susan Polgar Invitational, all top girls were there: Karsten, Anna, Jennie, Eve and Eve. I met Eve once before, but never talked to her. This time I got chance to play against 3 of them. I talked to all of them, and we played blitz between rounds. I have five more friends after the tournament.”
This is precisely the reason why I started a number of all-girls events and programs back in 2003 even though so many chess politicians were against the idea and proposal. For years, organizers, parents and coaches just did not know how to retain girls in chess. Neither did the USCF.
Understanding these young ladies are the key. If they do not enjoy or feel comfortable with the environment, they will not stay. I can see so much progress in just a few short years and I am so proud of all of these young ladies! I am not finished yet. Give it a few more years and we will see even more incredible changes. Not only these girls will stay in chess, their playing levels will also rise substantially!
Susan, Thank you for everything you’ve done for chess, especially for young girls. My daughter idolize you. You’re a wonderful role model for her and her enthusiasm for chess has changed so much in the past year because of you.
Please keep up the good work and thank you again!
NV Chess Mom
Bravo! Exactly correct. It is so great you are doing this for chess in the USA. We need to have a representation in accordance with population in our chess world tournaments. In this fashion you will eventually double our chess tournament population. This is the key to building an empire of chess for the future. I hope to see the day when we will have a female US Chess Champion and World Chess Champion. It is possible and viable.
I enjoyed the article on this subject in Games Magazine last month.
I still wish Judit Polgar might be the (i mean THE) World Champion of Chess!!! :)))
That would be so amazing! I wish she can do it!!