Daily Archives: April 11, 2012


Polgar Leaving Texas Tech 2

Susan Polgar is moving her chess program from Texas Tech University to Webster University in St. Louis, clearly affirming St. Louis as the hottest chess hot spot in the country. From the New York Times:

The top 10 players at Texas Tech — eight grandmasters and two international masters, some of whom had just committed to the university — are also switching. They are scheduled to start in the fall; Ms. Polgar is to begin on June 1. On paper, Webster will have the No. 1 ranked team in the country.

Webster had an endowment of about $80 million and was financing the new program, including the cost of scholarships, entirely on its own. The financial commitment would run at least long enough for the students who are matriculating, some of whom are freshmen, to graduate. Mr. Schuster said that having a top team would eventually more than pay for itself by raising Webster’s profile and stimulating interest in the university.