International Master Irina Krush will present some of her favorite problems from the book Perfect Your Chess (authored by GM Volokitin and his trainer Grabinsky), share her thinking process in tackling these problems, and will reveal the "secret" chess principle she discovered while working through the book. There will also be a Q&A session after the lecture, and a few lucky comers will be able to play Irina some quick games.
Attendance is free to club members and registration is not required. Space is limited, so arrive early to ensure good seating. For more information, call (314) 361-CHESS (2437) or email info@saintlouischessclub.org.
Many of you will remember Irina from her visit to the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis this past May, where she was a competitor in the 2009 U.S. Championship. She is a two time U.S. Women's Champion, a title that she first won in 1998, at the age of fourteen. Since 1998, Irina has been one of the top female players in the country, representing the U.S. Women's Team in five Olympiads, and helping them capture an unprecedented silver medal in 2004, as well as a bronze medal in 2008.
In addition to being the youngest ever winner of the U.S.Women's Championship (a record she still holds), Irina was also the first (at age 16) American woman to earn the International Master title, the second highest title in chess. She has one grandmaster norm, and since graduating from New York University in May 2006, she has been pursuing the other two norms needed for that title.
In 2008, Irina won the prestigious Samford Fellowship, which, over a span of two years, provides young American players with the financial resources to devote themselves to realizing their chess potential.
In addition to chess, Irina enjoys reading, writing, listening to rap, and, occasionally, rapping herself.
