News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE: July 10, 2008

CONTACT: Cory Chandler

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(806) 742-2136

Texas Tech University’s Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE) announced Thursday it has assembled the strongest field of chess grandmasters in U.S. round-robin history for its 2008 SPICE Cup International Invitational Tournament.

The ten players – all grandmasters – confirmed for the event boast an average rating above 2605 according to World Chess Federation (FIDE) ratings.

This makes SPICE Cup a Category 15 tournament – the highest-rated tournament of its kind held on U.S. soil. The invitational round-robin tournament pits an international slate of 10 players against each other through nine rounds of play over ten days.

“We have secured a very prestigious roster of players from around the globe to compete in this tournament,” said SPICE Director Susan Polgar.

It will take place from Sept. 19-28 at the Texas Tech Student Union Building and is the main attraction of Texas Tech’s annual SPICE Cup Festival. Other activities include the 2008 Texas Women's Open Championship, SPICE Cup Grand Prix, SPICE Cup Scholastic and SPICE Cup Pro-Am.

Players with their U.S. Chess Federation (USCF) and World Chess Federation (FIDE) ratings are as follows:

Grandmaster Alexander Onischuk, United States, 2734 USCF / 2670 FIDE
Grandmaster Harikrishna Pentala, India, 2724 USCF / 2668 FIDE
Grandmaster Leonid Kritz, Germany, 2667 USCF / 2610 FIDE
Grandmaster Varuzhan Akobian, United States, 2660 USCF / 2610 FIDE
Grandmaster Gregory Kaidanov, United States, 2664 USCF / 2605 FIDE
Grandmaster Julio Becerra, United States, 2640 USCF / 2598 FIDE
Grandmaster Victor Mikhalevski, Israel, 2679 USCF / 2592 FIDE
Grandmaster Kamil Miton, Poland, 2703 USCF / 2580 FIDE
Grandmaster Hannes Stefansson, Iceland, 2597 USCF / 2566 FIDE
Grandmaster Eugene Perelshteyn, United States, 2619 USCF / 2555 FIDE (Defending Champion)

USCF Average Rating: 2669

SPICE website: www.SPICE.ttu.edu