St. Louis, July 16, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Webster University will host the Ninth Annual Susan Polgar Girls’ Invitational, the most prestigious all-girls chess event in the United States, July 22 through July 27.
The tournament, which is a partnership between the Susan Polgar Foundation and Webster University, will showcase some of the top young (under age 19) female chess talent from across the United States.
The Girls’ Invitational begins with two days of intensive, world-class training sessions with Susan Polgar and her team, followed by a six-round championship tournament. More than $100,000 in chess prizes and scholarships will be awarded. The first- and second-place winners will each receive a four-year, $13,000-per-year scholarship to Webster University.
Webster University (Main Campus)
The formal opening ceremony for the Girls’ Invitational will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 24 at the Loretto Hilton Center on the Webster University campus, 130 Edgar Rd. in Webster Groves. Round 1 of the tournament will begin immediately following on the Loretto Hilton stage, at 2:30 p.m. The ceremony and all tournament rounds are free and open to the public.
Rounds 2 and 3 will take place on Wednesday, July 25, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., respectively. Rounds 4 and 5 will be held on Thursday, July 26, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The tournament wraps up on Friday, July 27, with Round 6 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., immediately followed by the closing ceremony.
St. Louis native Margaret Hua, 13, is the tournament’s top seed.
Chess is increasingly valued for its instructional impact. Globally, educators recognize chess as a tool to cultivate interest and success in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) disciplines.
