The chess team won’t rest during the winter break, instead competing in two high-level events before the New Year.
The team will wrap 2010 competition at the Pan-American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship, known as “The World Series of Chess,” Dec. 27-30 in Milwaukee. Since 2000, the UT Dallas Chess Team has won the championship outright or tied for first seven times. The University of Maryland, Baltimore County team – UT Dallas’ biggest rival – won in 2009, so the stage is set for a title rematch.
“While it is true that our two universities have dominated the last 15 years, there is now a new world order in college chess,” Chess Program Director Jim Stallings said. “Texas Tech and UT Brownsville, with their four and three grandmasters respectively, have equal seats at the table. The tournament is stronger and more competitive than ever.”
Approximately 30 teams from the likes of UT Brownsville, New York University, Stanford University, Texas Tech, the University of Chicago and the University of Toronto will be fighting for the title as well.
Before the team heads to Milwaukee, six members will play in the seventh annual UTD Grandmaster Invitational at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Richardson Dec. 16-21:
- IM Sal Bercys, a senior majoring in accounting.
- GM Christian Chirila, a freshman international political economy major.
- FM Tyler Hughes, a junior majoring in molecular biology.
- GM Alejandro Ramirez, an arts and technology graduate student.
- IM Julio Sadorra, a sophomore majoring in applied mathematics.
- IM Puchen Wang, a junior majoring in actuarial science.
Opening ceremonies for the nine-round robin event begin at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 16. Round 1 begins immediately afterward.
During the opening, local Plano star 14-year-old FIDE Master Darwin Yang will play former UT Dallas team captain GM Magesh Panchanathan in a two-minute blitz match for the Richardson Cup.
UT Dallas Chess Coach Rade Milovanovic says that spectators should not be fooled by Yang’s age.
“He is quite capable of defeating GM Panchanathan,” he said. “Don’t underestimate him.”
Aside from UT Dallas Chess team members, other players in the event include Grandmaster (GM) Aleksey Dreev from Russia, GM Panchanathan, FM Yang and World Gold Medalist and International Master (IM) Steven Zierk.
The public may watch the tournament for free. Space is limited; RSVP to Jim Stallings.
Moves from both tournaments can be watched live from the Mon Roi website.