National Events / All-Girls Championship
A Decade of Success!
The 2013 All-Girls National Championships in Chicago draws big stars, garners more attention, and continues to flourish. Photos & text by Jorge Barrera
Anticipation! Nervousness! Excitement! In its 10th year, the young players attending the All-Girls National Championships on April 26-28, 2013 in Chicago, Illinois had the same emotions as in many previous tournaments, but this time there were special reasons to look forward to this great Chicago event. For starters, the championship has gotten better with age: there are more participants, more awareness, and more fun surprises every year. This year’s tournament stands out
for being action packed and eventful from the moment it started. Before round one, Rahm Emanuel, mayor of the city of Chicago and former White House Chief of Staff for Barack Obama, transformed the tournament hall more into a rock-and-roll arena than a chess venue when he stopped by to witness the event. Amidst the flashes of photographers, the mayor met with players of all ages and asked them about their experiences preparing for the tournament. He was introduced to USCF President Ruth Haring and also to members of the I.S. 318 school in New York, who were recently made famous by the documentary Brooklyn Castle that explores the effect of chess in schools. Emanuel clearly exhibited surprise and growing interest as the young players from around the country enthusiastically explained the importance and joy of chess in their lives. With a record 282 girls battling
it out in seven sections, the tourna - ment began with even larger crowds and even more anxious parents. Among the discussions between attendees was the interest in the all-new Under 20 section. It was truly a positive change to see how in the space of one year, more girls joined the ranks of chess players, and the public’s awareness of the benefits of chess were more pronounced. The organizers of the event, The Kasparov Chess Foundation, along with the Renaissance Knights, a local organization that provides chess to schools throughout Chicago, made it possible for many of the girls to have a great experience. Volunteers from Bank of America helped out with the running of the tournament, and Hipsters for Sisters, a company which designs purses and donates to causes that help women overcome obstacles, provided chic prizes for some of the winners.
26 July 2013 | Chess Life However, every participant had a chance to win something
special. Before the last round, those girls who found a sticker under their queen won their choice from a collection of stuffed animals! Though not every child could win their section, it was details like this that made the experience and travel well worth it for many of the girls who had journeyed from as far away as California. On the boards, the games were fiercer than ever, and perhaps the emergence of a chess star was seen as 12-year-old Anupama Rajendra, who last year won the Under 18 section, won the Under 20 section this time! This year’s Under 18 winner was Lilia Poteat, while Claudia Munoz won the Under 16 section with a perfect 6-0 score. Another perfect score came from Ashritha Eswaran, who won the Under 14 section and pushed her rating above 2000. Samritha Palakollu tied for first with Vivian Cao-Dao in the Under 12, Naomi Bashkansky won the Under 10 and finally the youngest section, Under 8, was won by Aksithi Eswaran, half a point ahead of four different girls. Of course, the highlight of the
tournament came on Sunday afternoon. In the last round, none other than Garry Kasparov came to watch the girls compete in their final game. He also held a public book signing where he was able to meet with many of the girls in person; he shook hands and asked personally engaging ques - tions like, “How did you do?” and, “How many games did you win?” Some girls were truly ecstatic to meet the former world champion as he signed their books, chess - boards, and pictures. Undoubtedly, these mementos of the experience, with Kasparov’s personalized greet ing, will stay
with them and help fuel their memories and love of chess throughout their lives. During the closing ceremony, Kasparov’s words inspired every one in the room, and he kindly stayed to hand out the trophies to the top players in each section, as well as pose for photographs. In just one year, it is thoroughly apparent that many positive
changes have occurred for the All-Girls National Chess Champi- onships, and therefore, for chess-playing girls in general. There are more players, more enthusiasm, and more people working together to create a great experience for the young players, who made the tenth championship a resounding success. We can only hope that such a level of dedication will lead to even better opportunities for these girls, and that chess continues to be recognized as a medium for success.
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