Chess Team Heading Back to the Boards

Hot on the heels of their Trans-Atlantic Cup victory, UT Dallas Chess Team members are gearing for battle again when they host the Grandmaster Invitational tournament Thursday.

UT Dallas arts and technology major Alejandro Ramirez, 19, of Costa Rica will be one of four grandmasters competing in the nine-day competition. The tournament will include 12 players in all.

The youngest is 13-year-old Ray Robson of Florida.  Robson has won numerous scholastic events and recently won his first norm for the international master title.

The top-ranked player will be Zviad Izoria, a grandmaster, from the Republic of Georgia. He is the fourth-highest rated player on the U.S. Chess Federation rating list.

 “UT Dallas is pleased to again be able to bring together such a formidable collection of college chess talent in what is truly a rarity in this part of the world – an international tournament rated by the world governing body of chess, FIDE,” said Jim Stallings, director of the university’s chess program.

Chess coach IM Rade Milovanovic views this tournament as essential training to prepare the team for the Pan-American Tournament in Miami. “It is like lifting weights; you get stronger by lifting them, not reading about lifting them,” he said.

The other grandmasters are Zhao Jun, 21, a junior student from Nankai University; and Magesh Chandran Panchanathan, 24, at UT Dallas graduate student majoring in computer science.

In addition, Woman Grandmaster (WGM) Ning Chunhong, 39, from Nankai University will be competing. UT Dallas graduate and former team captain Dmitri Shneider will also enter the fray.

Five UT Dallas students rated as international masters will also be competing:

• Drasko Boskovic, 25, of Serbia, a junior business administration major.
• Davorin Kuljasevic, 22, of Croatia, a junior majoring in business administration.
• John Bartholomew, 20, of the U.S., a junior majoring in business administration.
• Salvijus Bercys, 17, a freshman majoring in finance.
• Jacek Stopa, 20, of Poland, a sophomore majoring in international political economy.

All 11 rounds in the round-robin competition will be held in the community room of the First Bank of Canyon Creek, 429 Belle Grove Drive, in Richardson.  The public is invited or can follow the moves online on the Internet Chess Club or Mon Roi web sites.

A brief opening ceremony is planned for 5 p.m. Thursday, featuring Dennis Kratz, dean of UT Dallas’ School of Arts and Humanities; John Jacobs, the Richardson Chamber of Commerce’s senior vice president for economic development; and Don Reavis, president of the First Bank of Canyon Creek.  The first round will begin at 5:30 that evening.

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