Webster's Chess Coach Suggests Chess as Perfect Holiday Gift

Webster University’s #1 ranked collegiate chess team for an unprecedented seven consecutive years has at its helm Susan Polgar, a grandmaster known as one of the strongest chess players ever. Polgar, head coach of the Webster Gorlok SPICE (Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence) team, recommends the game of chess as the perfect holiday gift for young people. There are all kinds of fun, non-traditional chess boards available for all ages.

At age four, Susan won her first chess tournament. By age 15 she was the top female chess player in the world. Her father was determined to prove the thesis that “geniuses are made, not born.” Home schooled by her parents, Susan and her two younger sisters were taught chess as their primary subject. In 2007, National Geographic produced a documentary entitled “My Brilliant Brain,” featuring Susan Polgar and her impressive success, along with her sisters, one a Grandmaster and the other an International Master.

“Chess is a game to begin very young for both boys and girls,” recommends Polgar. “I credit chess as giving me a life-long passion, inspiring my competitiveness and developing the critical thinking skills I have today.”

Increasing research supports teaching the game of chess to children of all abilities. Some schools now begin instruction in kindergarten and continue offering chess throughout high school. Evidence is building that chess provides performance opportunities for girls and behavioral guidelines for boys. The U.S. Chess Federation (USCF) states “Chess is an educational tool aiding in the learning of planning, cause and effect relationships, pattern recognition, and research, all key skills for success in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics).Thanks to the singer Sting, New York Knicks basketball player Larry Johnson and other world-class athletes, chess is now considered “culturally cool” by young people.

“At Webster University, we attract high level chess players who value the importance of attaining a college degree,” said President Elizabeth Stroble. "Just as they excel in chess competition, they excel as students in their chosen academic fields. Because they have proven themselves academically and in a global game that transcends continents and languages, they exemplify Webster's goal to prepare students to compete on the world stage."

“Webster University embraced the game of chess as a journey leading toward the developing of the whole human being. Chess is an integral part of Webster’s’ philosophy of providing education to everyone willing to pursue her/his dreams and limits,” adds Julian Provost, Senior VP and Chief Operating Officer, Webster University.

With its home campus in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, Webster University (www.webster.edu) comprises an action-oriented global network of faculty, staff, students and alumni who forge powerful bonds with each other and with their communities around the globe. Founded in 1915, Webster is a private non-profit university with students studying at campus locations in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa and in a robust learning environment online. The university is committed to ensuring high-quality learning experiences that transform students for global citizenship and individual excellence.