Webster University Wins 2014 College Chess Title

Members of the Webster University chess team are crowned 2014 collegiate champions during the awards ceremony at New York Athletic Club.

The Webster University chess team defeated a tough team from Texas Tech University, 3 games to 1, in the third and final round of the 2014 President's Cup, commonly referred to as the Final Four of College Chess. This is the second consecutive win for Webster. Texas Tech was the champion in 2011 and 2012.

GM Anatoly Bykhovsky earned the distinction of being the only player to play on four consecutive collegiate championship teams. He played for Texas Tech in his freshman and sophomore years and moved to Webster with the SPICE Program preceding his junior year. Remarkably, GM Bykhovsky did not lose a single game in four years of President's Cup play.

This year's runner-up team from University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) has won the championship six times in the 14 years of the event. That is the most championships for any university, followed by four victories for University of Texas at Dallas, and two each by Texas Tech and Webster University. Webster head coach Susan Polgar has been the coach of the last four championship teams. She relocated from Texas Tech to Webster in June 2012. UMBC took second place in this year's competition by sweeping Illinois 4-0 in the final round. Texas Tech finished third and Illinois placed fourth.

This is the fourth year that the President's Cup was sponsored by Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. and the first year that it was hosted by the New York Athletic Club. Mike Hauffpauir was the tournament director for the fourth time.

Final Standings:

Webster University - 9.5 points
University of Maryland Baltimore County - 7 points
Texas Tech University - 6.5 points
University of Illinois - 1 point

Games from Round 3

Zherebukh,Y (2706) - Le,Q (2795) [D17]
New York, NY (3), 06.04.2014
[Board 1]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.Ne5 e6 7.f3 Bb4 8.e4 Bxe4 9.fxe4 Nxe4 10.Bd2 Qxd4 11.Nxe4 Qxe4+ 12.Qe2 Bxd2+ 13.Kxd2 Qd5+ 14.Kc3 0-0 15.Qe3 b5 16.Be2 Nd7 17.Nxd7 Qxd7 18.Qc5 Qd8 19.Rhd1 Qf6+ 20.Rd4 Rad8 21.Rf1 Qh6 22.Rdf4 Qxh2 23.Qxc6 Qg3+ 24.Qf3 Qg5 25.axb5 Qxb5 26.Bxc4 Qa5+ 27.Kb3 Rd7 28.Qc3 Rb8+ 29.Kc2 Qg5 30.R1f2 Qg6+ 31.Kc1 Rbd8 32.b3 Qg5 33.Kb2 g6 34.g4 a5 35.Ka3 Qc5+ 36.Kb2 Qg5 37.Ka3 Qc5+ 38.Ka2 Qg5 39.Kb2 Rb7 40.Qf3 Rdd7 41.Qc3 Qc5 42.Ba6 Rbc7 43.Qxc5 Rxc5 44.Bc4 Kg7 45.Ka3 h5 46.gxh5 Rxh5 47.Ka4 Re5 48.Bb5 Rb7 49.Be8 f5 50.Rg2 Re1 51.Ka3 Kf8 52.Bxg6 Ra1+ 53.Kb2 Rh1 54.Rc4 Rh3 55.Rc8+ Ke7 56.Rc3 Rh8 57.Bxf5 Rb6 58.Bc2 a4 59.Rg7+ Kf6 60.Rg6+ Ke7 61.Rg7+ Kf6 62.Rg6+ Ke7 63.Rc7+ Kd6 64.Ra7 axb3 65.Bxb3 Rh2+ 66.Ka3 Re2 67.Rg3 Ke5 68.Ra4 Re4 69.Ra5+ Kf6 70.Rh3 Ke7 71.Ra8 Kd6 72.Ra7 Re2 73.Rc3 Re1 74.Rd3+ Ke5 75.Re7 Re2 76.Re8 Re1 77.Rh3 Re4 78.Rd3 Re1 79.Kb2 Re4 80.Kc3 Rc6+ 81.Kb2 Re2+ 82.Ka3 Rb6 83.Ka4 Rd6 84.Rh3 Kd4 85.Rh4+ Re4 86.Rxe4+ Kxe4 87.Bxe6 Rb6 88.Bc4+ Kd4 89.Bb5 Rh6 90.Kb4 Rh1 91.Rd8+ Ke3 92.Bc4 Ra1 93.Kc5 Ra5+ 94.Bb5 Kf4 95.Re8 Kf5 96.Kb4 Ra1 97.Kc3 Rd1 98.Bd3+ Kf6 99.Kd4 Kf7 100.Re3 Ra1 101.Bc4+ Kf6 102.Rf3+ Ke7 103.Rf7+ Kd6 104.Rf6+ Ke7 105.Rh6 Rd1+ 106.Bd3 Kd7 107.Ke3 Kc7 108.Be4 Rd6 109.Rh5 Rd1 110.Kf4 Kd6 111.Rh6+ Ke7 112.Ke5 Re1 113.Rh7+ Ke8 114.Rb7 Re2 115.Rb3 Ke7 116.Rb4 Re1 117.Ra4 Re2 118.Ra7+ Ke8 119.Kf4 Kd8 120.Bf5 Re7 121.Ra8+ Kc7 122.Kg5 Kd6 123.Kf6 Re1 124.Rd8+ Kc5 ½-½

So,W (2760) - Moradiabadi,E (2658) [E11]
New York, NY (3), 06.04.2014
[Board 2]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ 4.Nbd2 d5 5.Qa4+ Nc6 6.a3 Bd6 7.c5 Be7 8.b4 0-0 9.e3 a6 10.Bd3 Nd7 11.Bb2 f5 12.Qc2 Bf6 13.h4 h6 14.0-0-0 Rb8 15.Rdg1 b6 16.g4 fxg4 17.Ng5 hxg5 18.Bh7+ Kh8 19.Rxg4 gxh4 20.Nf3 g5 21.Nxg5 Bxg5 22.f4 Nf6 23.Rxg5 Nxh7 24.Qxh7+ 1-0

Gorovets,A (2603) - Meier,G (2701) [E20]
New York, NY (3), 06.04.2014
[Board 3]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Nf3 c5 5.g3 Nc6 6.dxc5 Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 Qa5 8.Nd2 Qxc3 9.Rb1 Ne4 10.Rb3 Qa5 11.Rb5 Qc3 12.Bb2 Qxd2+ 13.Qxd2 Nxd2 14.Kxd2 f6 15.Bg2 Kd8 16.Rb1 Ke7 17.Kc3 Rd8 18.Bc1 Kf7 19.Bf4 Re8 20.Bd6 b6 21.cxb6 axb6 22.a3 Ba6 23.Rxb6 Rec8 24.Bxc6 dxc6 25.Bc5 h5 26.Rd1 Rc7 27.a4 e5 28.a5 Bb7 29.Kb4 Kg6 30.Rd6 Kf5 31.f3 e4 32.Rd4 exf3 33.exf3 g5 34.h3 Kg6 35.g4 hxg4 36.hxg4 Kg7 37.Rd6 Rf7 38.Bd4 Ra7 39.c5 Kg6 40.Bc3 Kg7 41.Ka3 Kg6 42.Kb3 Kg7 43.Kc2 Kg6 44.Kd2 Ra8 45.Ke3 Re8+ 46.Kf2 Ra8 47.Rb2 Re8 48.Rb6 Ra8 49.Rb1 Re8 50.Re1 Ref8 51.Kg3 Rh8 52.Ree6 Rhf8 53.f4 gxf4+ 54.Kxf4 Bc8 55.Re3 Rh7 56.Rxc6 Rh1 57.Kg3 Rg1+ 58.Kf2 Rc1 59.Rf3 Bxg4 60.Rfxf6+ Rxf6+ 61.Bxf6 Kf5 62.Bd8 Ke4 63.Bb6 Bd7 64.Rd6 Bb5 65.Kg3 Rc3+ 66.Kg4 Rd3 67.Re6+ Kd5 68.Rh6 Rc3 69.Kf4 Rc4+ 70.Kf5 Bd7+ 71.Kg5 Bb5 72.Rd6+ Ke5 73.Rd2 Ra4 74.Bc7+ Ke6 75.Rd6+ Ke7 76.Bd8+ Ke8 77.Bb6 Ke7 78.Kf5 Ra2 79.Re6+ Kd7 80.Rd6+ Ke7 81.Kf4 Rf2+ 82.Kg3 Rc2 83.Kf3 Rc3+ 84.Ke4 Rc2 85.Rh6 Kd7 86.Kd4 Rc1 87.Rh7+ Ke6 88.Rh8 Rc4+ 89.Ke3 Rc2 90.Rh6+ Ke5 91.a6 Bxa6 92.Bc7+ Kd5 93.Rxa6 Rc3+ 94.Kf4 Rc4+ 95.Kf5 Rxc5 96.Be5 Rc6 97.Ra1 Rc4 98.Rd1+ Kc6 99.Ke6 Kc5 100.Bd6+ Kc6 101.Ra1 Re4+ 102.Be5 Rc4 103.Ra8 Kb7 104.Rb8+ Kc6 105.Rd8 Kc5 106.Bd6+ Kc6 107.Ke5 Kb5 108.Kd5 Rc6 109.Rh8 Rb6 110.Rh3 Rb7 111.Ra3 Kb6 112.Bc5+ Kb5 113.Rb3+ Ka6 114.Ra3+ Kb5 115.Bd6 Kb6 116.Ra8 Kb5 117.Ra1 Kb6 118.Ra8 Kb5 119.Rd8 Rb6 120.Rd7 Ka4 121.Bc5 Rb8 122.Bd6 Rb5+ 123.Kd4 Rb1 124.Ra7+ Kb3 125.Ra3+ Kc2 126.Rh3 Rd1+ 127.Kc5 Rd3 128.Rh2+ Rd2 129.Rh6 Kd3 130.Rh3+ Ke4 131.Rh4+ Kf5 132.Rf4+ Ke6 133.Re4+ Kf5 134.Re5+ Kf6 135.Kc6 Rf2 136.Kd7 Rf5 137.Re8 Kg5 138.Ke6 Kg4 139.Rg8+ Rg5 140.Rf8 Rg6+ 141.Ke5 Kg3 142.Bb8 Kg2 143.Ke4 Re6+ 144.Be5 Rg6 ½-½

Robson,R (2714) - Torres,L (2381) [B90]
New York, NY (3), 06.04.2014
[Board 4]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.f3 Be7 9.Qd2 0-0 10.0-0-0 Nbd7 11.g4 b5 12.g5 b4 13.gxf6 bxc3 14.Qxc3 Nxf6 15.Na5 Rc8 16.Nc6 Qe8 17.Nxe7+ Qxe7 18.Qa5 Rc6 19.Kb1 Rfc8 20.b3 Qb7 21.Rg1 Ne8 22.Rd2 f5 23.Bh3 Qf7 24.exf5 Bxf5 25.Bxf5 Qxf5 26.Qd5+ Kh8 27.Rg5 Qf8 28.f4 Rc3 29.Qf3 Nc7 30.Qf2 Ne6 31.Rg4 Qf5 32.Rg2 exf4 33.Bd4 R3c7 34.Bb2 d5 35.h4 h6 36.Qb6 Rc6 37.Qa7 R8c7 38.Qf2 Kh7 39.Qf3 Qe4 40.Qd1 d4 41.Rge2 Qf5 42.Rf2 Rd7 43.Bxd4 Rcd6 44.Bc3 Rxd2 45.Rxd2 Rxd2 46.Qxd2 f3 47.Qf2 Nc5 48.Qg3 Ne6 49.Qf2 Kg6 50.Kc1 Kh7 51.b4 Qe4 52.Kd2 Nf4 53.Qd4 Qe2+ 54.Kc1 Ne6 55.Qd2 Qe4 56.a4 Kg6 57.b5 axb5 58.axb5 Kh5 59.b6 g5 60.hxg5 hxg5 61.Qe1 Qf4+ 62.Bd2 f2 63.Qe2+ Qg4 64.Qxf2 Nd8 65.Qh2+ Qh4 66.Qe2+ Qg4 67.Qe8+ 1-0

Members of the 2014 Championship team from Webster University speak with their Provost while waiting for the last two games of round 3 to finish. Pictured, left to right, are Head Coach Susan Polgar, Ray Robson, Anatoly Bykhovsky, Wesley So, Fidel Corrales and Webster University Provost Julian Schuster. (photo courtesy of Susan Polgar Daily News and Information)

Rosen,E (2398) - Huschenbeth,N (2620) [A28]
New York, NY (3), 06.04.2014
[Board 5]
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.a3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Qc2 Be7 7.e3 0-0 8.Nxd5 Qxd5 9.Bd3 Kh8 10.b4 f5 11.Bc4 Qd6 12.h4 Be6 13.Bb2 Bxc4 14.Qxc4 e4 15.Ng5 Bf6 16.Bxf6 Qxf6 17.Rd1 Rae8 18.g3 Ne5 19.Qb3 c5 20.bxc5 Qa6 21.d4 exd3 22.f4 Ng4 23.Rxd3 h6 24.Nf7+ Rxf7 25.Qxf7 Qxd3 26.Qxe8+ Kh7 27.h5 Qb1+ 28.Kd2 Qb2+ 29.Kd3 Nf2+ 30.Kc4 Qc2+ 31.Kb5 Qb3+ 32.Ka5 Qxa3+ 33.Kb5 Qa6+ 34.Kb4 Nxh1 35.g4 Qc6 36.Qf7 Qe4+ 37.Ka5 fxg4 38.f5 Qc6 39.e4 Qxc5+ 40.Ka4 b5+ 41.Ka5 Qb6+ 42.Kb4 a5+ 43.Ka3 Qc5+ 44.Kb2 Qd4+ 0-1

Kore, (2585) - Luo,X (2261) [B30]
New York, NY (3), 06.04.2014
[Board 6]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e6 4.Bxc6 bxc6 5.0-0 Ne7 6.d3 Ng6 7.Ng5 e5 8.Qh5 Be7 9.Nc3 d6 10.Ne2 Bxg5 11.Bxg5 f6 12.Be3 0-0 13.f4 exf4 14.Nxf4 Ne5 15.Qe2 g5 16.Nh3 Bg4 17.Qd2 Rb8 18.b3 Bxh3 19.gxh3 Qe8 20.Qg2 Rb7 21.Rf5 Rg7 22.Qg3 h5 23.Kf1 Qe7 24.Ke2 d5 25.Raf1 dxe4 26.dxe4 c4 27.Bd4 Nd7 28.Qe3 cxb3 29.axb3 Rg6 30.Ra1 c5 31.Bc3 Qd6 32.Qg3 Qc6 33.Qd3 Re8 34.Rxa7 Rxe4+ 35.Kd2 Rg7 36.Ra6 Qb7 37.Kc1 c4 38.bxc4 Rf4 39.Re6 Nf8 40.Rexf6 Qh1+ 41.Kb2 Rb7+ 42.Rb5 Rxf6 43.Bxf6 Nh7 44.Qg6+ Kf8 45.Be7+ 1-0

Auger,M (2256) - Bregadze,L (2518) [B06]
New York, NY (3), 06.04.2014
[Board 7]
1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nf3 d6 4.Be3 Nf6 5.Nc3 0-0 6.Qd2 Bg4 7.Be2 Nc6 8.h3 Bxf3 9.Bxf3 e5 10.d5 Nd4 11.Bxd4 exd4 12.Ne2 Re8 13.Qxd4 Nxe4 14.Qb4 Ng5 15.Kf1 Nxf3 16.gxf3 Qf6 17.Qb3 a5 18.a4 Ra6 19.Qb5 Qe7 20.Ng3 Rb6 21.Qxa5 Bxb2 22.Rd1 Qh4 23.Qd2 Qxa4 24.h4 Rb4 25.Ne4 Rd4 26.Nf6+ Kh8 27.Qxd4 Bxd4 28.Nxe8 Be5 29.Re1 Qxe8 0-1

Paikidze,N (2371) - Indusekar,A (2125) [D45]
New York, NY (3), 06.04.2014
[Board 8]
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 c6 4.e3 e6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3 c5 9.dxc5 Bxc5 10.0-0 Bb7 11.a3 Nbd7 12.Qe2 0-0 13.e4 Qc7 14.g3 Ne5 15.Bf4 Nfd7 16.Rac1 Nxf3+ 17.Qxf3 Ne5 18.Qe2 f6 19.b4 Bb6 20.Na4 Qd8 21.Bxe5 bxa4 22.Bf4 Kh8 23.Be3 e5 24.Rfd1 Bd4 25.Rc4 Rc8 26.Bc2 Rxc4 27.Qxc4 Qc8 28.Qxc8 Rxc8 29.Bxa4 Bxe3 30.fxe3 Bxe4 31.Bd7 Rd8 32.Rc1 Kg8 33.Rc7 f5 34.Kf2 g5 35.Ra7 Kf8 36.a4 Rb8 37.Rxa6 Rxb4 38.Bxf5 Bxf5 39.Rf6+ Kg7 40.Rxf5 Rxa4 41.Rxg5+ Kf6 42.Rh5 Ra7 43.Kf3 Rb7 44.h4 Ra7 45.Rh6+ Kg7 46.Re6 Ra5 47.Ke4 Ra4+ 48.Kf5 h5 49.Rg6+ Kh7 50.Rg5 Kh6 51.Kxe5 Ra5+ 52.Kf4 Ra2 53.Rd5 Ra3 54.Rd6+ Kg7 1-0

additional stories/links:
The Christian Science Monitor, April 7, 2014
The Washington Post, April 7, 2014
Additional photos here