International Chess Tournament Underway at Tech

A prestigious chess tournament is underway at Texas Tech.

The SPICE Cup 2011 is being held at Tech through Tuesday, October 25^th.

Players from around the world are participating in the fourth annual invitational, including six of Texas Tech’s own Knight Raiders.

Paul Truong, Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence marketing director said “It is like bringing the Super Bowl or Wimbledon to Texas Tech and Lubbock…More than 30 million people in over 170 countries follow this event online and through various media sources.”

The six Knight Raiders competing in the tournament include:

• Grandmaster Georg Meier of Germany
• Grandmaster Anatoly Bykhovsky of Israel
• Grandmaster Denes Boros of Hungary
• Grandmaster Andre Diamant of Brazil
• International Master Vitaly Neimer of Israel
• Senior Master Faik Aleskerov of Azerbaijan

Included in the tournament is a World Chess Federation Rated Open, a scholastic event, and an open competition.

The Texas Tech Knight Raider team is currently ranked first nationally. They are also the reigning national champions.