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