© 2024 WYPR
WYPR 88.1 FM Baltimore WYPF 88.1 FM Frederick WYPO 106.9 FM Ocean City
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
News

UMBC’s Chess Team Heads to Final Four …. Again

Giant Chess Pieces and Trophies are Prominently Displayed in the UMBC Commons
John Lee for wypr
Giant Chess Pieces and Trophies are Prominently Displayed in the UMBC Commons
Giant Chess Pieces and Trophies are Prominently Displayed in the UMBC Commons
Credit John Lee for wypr
Giant Chess Pieces and Trophies are Prominently Displayed in the UMBC Commons

  The chess team at the University of Maryland Baltimore County is arguably the dominant sports program in Maryland. The team will compete in the15thannual college final four in New York City later this month. The tournament is governed by the United States Chess Federation.UMBChas made it every year and won it six times.

Compare that to Maryland Men’s basketball. Not even close. Two final fours and one championship. The Maryland Women, Four final fours and one championship.

AtUMBC, chess is king. When you walk into the Commons, you see a dozen large chess pieces and multiple trophies on display. But it didn’t happen overnight. Dr. Alan Sherman, the director ofUMBC’schess program, became the team’s faculty adviser in 1991. The year before,UMBChad placed26thout of 27 teams in a different competition, the Pan-Am Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship. Dr. Sherman started building the program. He recruited top players. The university kicked in scholarships. There was coaching and mentoring. Five years later, in 1996, they won the Pan-Am for the first time. The program took off. Dr Sherman says the word got out to players around the world. Dr. Sherman says, “In the past we’ve had people from Ukraine, Russia, Mongolia,Tatarstan, even America.”

The last timeUMBCwon the final four was in 2010. Other colleges picked up onUMBC’ssuccess. Webster University in Saint Louis has won the last two tournaments. Dr. Sherman says Webster isoutspendingUMBCon chess by at least 3 to 1, so it can offer more scholarships and attract more top flight players. Webster is the number one ranked team going into the championship whileUMBCis in the underdog fourth place slot. ButUMBC’sNiclasHuschenbethisn’t worried about that. He says the four teams’ rankings are pretty close. “It means everybody can beat everybody,”Huschenbethsays. “And this will make it really exciting.” Huschenbethis a 23 year old junior from Germany. He is also a grand master attendingUMBCon a chess scholarship. He says one way to get ready for the tournament is to study the opposition. Most of their opponents’ previous games are on line. Huschenbethsays, “Based on what they’ve played in the past, you can make predictions on what they’re going to play against you and you can develop your own strategy against it.”

Doctor Sherman says his players also have to stay in good physical shape. He says chess is a catastrophic game. One bad move can mean defeat. “You have to be able to operate at a high level of intellectual functioning for six hours, and that requires extreme physical demands,” Doctor Sherman says.

Koreis graduating in May. So this is his last shot at a championship and he says he really wants to win.Koresays chess teaches logical thinking which he will take with him in his career as a software developer. Koresays, “I think also being a chess player, a sports person, that that instills a lot of character in you. Integrity. When to say no and when to stand your ground.”

University of Texas at Dallas and Texas Tech round out the Final Four. 

Copyright 2015 WYPR - 88.1 FM Baltimore

Tags
News WYPR News
John Lee is a reporter for WYPR covering Baltimore County. @JohnWesleyLee2