Garry Kasparov To Appear at SuperNationals!
February 17, 2009
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Garry Kasparov, Photo Macauley Peterson
Garry Kasparov, the greatest chess legend of our time and to many, the greatest player ever, will appear at the 2009 SuperNationals in Nashville, Tennessee (April 3-5)! The appearance is in conjunction with the Kasparov Chess Foundation and the United States Chess Federation. Kasparov said, "SuperNationals is the apex of scholastic chess competitions in the United States and I'm excited to have an opportunity to give encouragement to the thousands of kids participating."

The former World Champion was ranked #1 in the world for 20 years straight. Kasparov is now the chairman of the board of Kasparov Chess Foundation (KCF), a non profit that promotes chess in education in the U.S. Kasparov told CLO, "The Kasparov Chess Foundation is the preeminent non-profit organization promoting scholastic chess. I believe that our continuous cooperation with the USCF through scholastic events and our in-school chess education program will reach as many students as possible." Kasparov is a Wall Street Journal columnist, where he writes about chess and political activities associated with the opposition coalition of which he is a leader, "The Other Russia." Kasparov is also the author of numerous books including the acclaimed series, My Great Predecessors.

Kasparov will appear at the SuperNationals opening ceremony and will participate in other events throughout the weekend, which will be outlined later.

Don't miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet a hero to millions, and also to be a part of what may be a record-shattering event!


Four years ago, the SuperNationals, also held in Nashville, was the largest tournament in history, with 5320 participants.  Bill Hall, the executive director of the United States Chess Federation, thinks that Kasparov's appearance may result in a new record. "I am beyond excited that Kasparov, a living chess legend and one of the most inspiring figures of our times, will be at the SuperNationals."

Find out hotel information here. Click here for the official press release on Kasparov's appearance, register at the official site, and stay tuned for further updates on activities by all the stars in Nashville.
 
Stars Confirmed to Appear at the SuperNationals
Living Chess Legend Garry Kasparov
Women's World Champion GM Alexandra Kosteniuk
U.S. Champion GM Yury Shulman 
Grandmaster Alexander Stripunsky
U.S. Women's Champion Anna Zatonskih
Grandmaster Maurice Ashley
Four-time U.S. Champion Alexander Shabalov