The Kasparov Chess Foundation celebrated it’s 15th Anniversary this weekend with a gala at the New York Athletic Club. The event was held in two parts, starting with a cocktail reception and 10-board simultaneous exhibition by Garry Kasparov himself.
A basketball injury was no deterrent for young Nathan Shuman to battle it out
Paula Mahoney, the only female participant, flew all the way from Hong Kong for the event!
A famous donor of the Kasparov Chess Foundation, and of chess itself: Rex Sinquefield
KCF co-founder Stanley Druckenmiller with KCF President Michael Khodarkovsky
The event’s youngest player Thomas Beck
Christopher Flowers, KCF board member, in deep thought
Jon Crumiller was the last man standing. Jon isn’t only known for his passion about chess, but also for his passion for collecting chess sets! His collection now numbers over 600 antique sets, the oldest dating as early as the 11th century.
Navy Admiral Wyman Howard
After the simultaneous, which ended with a 10-0 result for the former World Champion, the gala dinner started, celebrating not only the KCF’s anniversary, but also KCF’s supporters and special guests. Currently, the KCF has a global outreach through it’s different branches, and is involved in many programs, including:
KCF Curriculum Program
KCF’s curriculum program provides public, private, and home schoolers with instructional books to help them master the game. The three-volume book set is in use by more than 3,500 schools, across all 50 states, as well as in a number of foreign countries.
Regional Scholastic Championship Tournaments
KCF organizes and sponsors regional tournaments across the country. Thousands of students look forward to attending these tournaments each year. They make new friends, enjoy the thrill of competition, and form memories that last a lifetime.
Annual All-Girls Nationals
KCF’s Annual All-Girls Nationals is the largest open tournament available to young females, ages 6 to 20. The tournament, now in it’s 10th year, attracts girls from all over the country, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. The tournament has been held in such grand cities around the country as Chicago and Dallas.
Talented Children Program: Young Stars
KCF is partnering with The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (CCSCSL) on a five-year grant program to help develop several American chess prodigies from across the United States. The program, called Young Stars – Team USA, is capped off by a special training session with Garry Kasparov, held annually. During the two-day seminar, as many as twenty talented youngsters from around the country receive specialized individualized and group training by Garry Kasparov.
US Team Chess Olympiad Sponsorship
Since 2004, KCF has been the official sponsor of the US Olympiad Teams, both women’s and men’s.
World-famous commentator GM Maurice Ashley was the host for the evening.
The event was opened by New York Athletic Club’s President James Rafferty. Next year, the NYAC will be celebrating it’s 150th Anniversary, and the celebration of KCF’s 15th was a kick-off for a year long celebration! Despite the relatively young age of the KCF compared to the club, both organizations have an already long history of working together.
The evening was capped off with the highlight: an interview by Maria Bartiromo, anchor and Global Markets Editor on Fox Business Network with Garry Kasparov. The interview was quite broad, even touching on AI and collaboration between humans and machines. As Garry said: “We don’t have to afraid of machines, rather to learn how to use them for the good of the people”.
We at the KCF use this event as a way to thank all of the contributors and people that make our outreach possible.
Photos by Derrick Bryant