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Deadline for the Schein – Friedman Scholastic Project is Approaching (Sept. 30, 2010)

August 17, 2010 By Chess Press Leave a Comment

Schein – Friedman Scholastic Project

By FM Aviv Friedman and Mark Schein

Mark Schein and Aviv Friedman, in cooperation with the US Chess Trust, are happy to announce their third annual scholastic recognition project.

The project is designed to help some of our younger champions continue to improve and dedicate themselves to chess while offsetting some of the financial expense. The project is designed to reward some top-rated youngsters, and help them become tomorrow’s best players and eventual Grandmasters. These youngsters will be serving as role models and inspiration to the entire scholastic community.

The program is generally designed for youngsters age 7-17. Occasionally, in cases of unusual excellence (considerably exceeding the program’s criterions), applications by players up to age 20 would be considered, but in a lower priority to applicants under age 17.

The scholarships for 2010 are:

The top recipient will get $4000; the second recipient will get $3000; and the third $2000.

Applicants must have been US citizens or permanent legal residents for a minimum of 18 months prior to the deadline date (September 30th for 2010). They must show dedication to chess, talent and accomplishment. They also must exhibit a will to work hard and improve, as well as good sportsmanship and a positive attitude. Applicants must be active tournament players.

The minimum ratings qualification formula is as follows:

  • Ages 7-14: age * 100 + 1000 for boys, and age * 100 + 800 for girls.
  • Ages 15-16: age * 100 + 900 for boys, and age * 100 + 700 for girls.
  • Age 17: 2500 for boys, 2300 for girls.

All applications should be in the form of an essay, describing the applicant’s chess accomplishments, and why he or she should receive a scholarship. They should be sent via e-mail to Aviv Friedman at avivster@hotmail.com .

Also for the second year in a row, the Schein – Friedman Project will co-sponsor with the US Chess School, a free camp for 8-12 leading US juniors. This camp as well as all the other USCS camps, provides intensive, weeklong instruction by titled instructors. See www.USChessSchool.com for more info.

Filed Under: News, Scholastic Chess

Hall of Fame Committee Report by Harold J. Winston

August 10, 2010 By Chess Press Leave a Comment

Hall of Fame Committee Report By Harold J. Winston (IL)

The big news this year is the move of the Hall of Fame and Sidney Samole Museum from its long time home in Miami, Florida to St. Louis, Missouri, thanks to the generosity of Rex Sinquefield. The Museum will
probably reopen some this winter.  More can be found in my US Chess Trust report.

In 2010, the Trustees of the US Chess Trust voted into the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame the three persons recommended by our committee who made major contributions to American chess over three different time periods. The induction will take place at the USCF Awards Banquet at the Hyatt Regency Irvine Hotel in Irvine, California on Saturday August 7, 2010, starting at 12 noon.

Harold Winston and Diane Savereide

Our first inductee, Diane Savereide dominated US Women’s Chess in the 1970s and 1980s and won the US Women’s Champion six times. Savereide became a Women’s International Master in 1977. She was the first American woman to attain a master’s rating. She competed on six Women’s Olympiad teams from 1976-1988 and held down first board from 1976-1984 and Board 2 in 1988. She was Board 1 for the Women’s team that placed 4th in 1976. She will be the second woman to be inducted: the first was multiple times US Women’s Champion Gisela Gresser.

Our second inductee, Herman Steiner, not only won the US Chess Championship in 1948, ahead of Isaac Kashdan, but played on four U.S. Olympiad Teams from 1928- 1950, when he was team captain. In the 1945 radio match between the USSR and USA he was the only American with a plus score. Steiner also was a long time chess editor of the Los Angeles Times, from 1932 up to his death in 1955 at the age of 50. In addition, Steiner founded an important chess club in the LA area that became the Hollywood Chess Group and was a chess center in the 1940s and 1950s.

Our third inductee, Jackson Showalter (1860-1935), known as the “Kentucky Lion,” was a rival of Pillsbury and Marshall and one of the top American players in the 1890s and early 20th century. He won the US
Championship multiple times, played matches with the other top U.S. players, and participated in the Cambridge Springs 1904 tournament, where he took 5th place, ahead of Schlechter, Tchigorin, and Pillsbury. Showalter was US Champion in the early 1890s, 1894-97, and 1906-1909.

Savereide, Steiner, and Showalter are all worthy additions to the US Chess Hall of Fame.

I want to thank the other members of the committee: John Donaldson, John McCrary, John Hilbert, Al Lawrence, Shane Samole, Joel Benjamin, Arthur Bisguier, Jeremy Gaige, and Jennifer Shahade.

Filed Under: News