The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley chess team is once again making a bid for the title of national collegiate chess champion.
According to a release from the university, UTRGV is one of four universities that have qualified to compete in the President’s Cup, which determines the U.S. champ.
UTRGV’s team won that competition in 2018 and 2019; there was no competition in 2020 on account of the pandemic, the universities release says.
UTRGV’s team qualified for their slot after a successful run at the Pan American Intercollegiate Chess Championship held Jan. 4-6, it says, beating out 58 other teams.
“Everyone is happy and exhausted. The main goal was to be among the top four to qualify. It was a difficult task, and our students took it very seriously,” Bartek Macieja, grandmaster and UTRGV coach, wrote in the release.
The university will see four grandmasters represent it at the upcoming competition: Mateusz Bartel and Kamil Dragun, seniors from Poland, Vladimir Belous, a graduate student from Russia, and Hovhannes Gabuzyan, a sophomore from Armenia.
“ Our team has prepared and practiced. We have played several times successfully, so competing at this level isn’t new to us,” Gabuzyan said in the release. “It was a little difficult to play after a long break, but we felt confident. We are excited to be in the Final Four.”
Along with intense competition, UTRGV’s players now have to adapt to playing remotely in the now-virtual competitions. One student player who was having problems with internet at home was worried about being able to stay online, so he went to a hotel to ensure a stable connection for the competition, the release says.
“That shows dedication. All our players were motivated and would prepare very seriously for their matches,” Coach Macieja said in the release. “They wanted to do their best. They really wanted to qualify, and I am very proud of them.”
Macieja’s players will compete for the national title virtually in early April, the release says, vying for the win against teams from Saint Louis University, Texas Tech University and Webster University.
