Abby Marshall of Virginia - First Female to Win Denker!
By Joan DuBois   
August 17, 2009
Official Press Release
August 17, 2009
Joan DuBois, [email protected]

(Crossville, TN)
The 25th Anniversary of the Denker Tournament of High School Champions was hugely successful.  Forty-eight high schoolers attended with Abby Marshall (VA) placing first with a 5.5 result ($800 scholarship from the Chess Trust).  Second place was a tie between Michael Yang (MN) and Jeffrey Haskel (FL) with 5.0.  The Ursula Foster award ($500 scholarship) for best under age 16 was awarded to Michael Yang. This U.S. Chess Federation National championship was held at the Indianapolis Mariott East between August 1 through August 4, 2009.

The University of Texas (Dallas) sponsored a four year scholarship that was awarded to Abby Marshall.  She was also the 2006 Polgar National Invitational for Girls winner with a Texas Tech University scholarship awarded in Lubbock, TX.  She is the first girl to win the Denker event and received a beautiful Ebony wood set from the Frank Marshall series presented by Frank Camaratta.
    
Mitchell Denker, the son of GM Denker, provided a $100 stipend to all participants with American Chess Equipment providing a $100 Gift Certificate for the Biggest Upset to Chris Andrews (WY) to be used in the USCF Sales Bookstore.  American Chess Equipment also provided Gold Medallions to each participant. 

Interview with Abby Marshall.

More details on the Denker.

Even more details!

Final crosstable.

The United States Chess Federation (USCF), founded in 1939, serves as the governing body for chess in the United States and is now headquartered in Crossville, Tennessee. USCF is devoted to extending the role of chess in American society. It promotes the study and knowledge of the game of chess, for its own sake as an art and enjoyment, and as a means for the improvement of society. The USCF is a not-for-profit membership organization with over 80,000 members. For additional information on the USCF see: http://www.uschess.org.