game. And this is not to say that these girls cannot handle their male counterparts; quite the contrary! For at these tournaments, I’ ve seen a great deal of dedication, ingenuity, and mental strength that is hard to beat! So when I came to Chicago and I got involved in the chess scene here, I began to really appreciate the scale and effort that went into making the All-Girls Chess Championships successful.
Running into its ninth season, this year ' s tournament was held from April 20-22, 2012, at the Swissôtel, where the river meets the
lake in the heart of downtown Chicago. Outside the weather was cold, but downstairs in the basement, the large tournament hall was filled with the anticipation of over 200 girls in six classes as well as their nervous parents. Some players had travelled from as far away as Texas and New York while there were other players who came from nearby in Canada! Everyone was clearly excited and despite the fact that the tournament was at its largest size ever, the organizers, the Kasparov Foundation and the Renaissance Knights, kept everything on schedule and running smoothly.
GEORGIA WOLF AND MARISSA LI( FRONT TWO) TEAM UP IN A FRIENDLY BUGHOUSE MATCH WHILE WAITING FOR THEIR GAMES.
A COMFORTING PUP WITNESSES THE GAMES ON THE CHESSBOARD.
PRACTICING AND PASSING TIME WHILE WAITING FOR THE NEXT MATCH.
uschess. org Chess Life— July 2012 33