The 2004 U.S. Women’s National Team is heading to the 36th World Chess Olympiad in Calvia, Spain next week hoping to capture its first ever women’s Olympiad medal. The team consists of three players and one reserve.

Leading the team is legendary four-time women’s world champion and three-time Olympic champion, Grandmaster Susan Polgar. Susan is also a world-renown chess trainer and award-winning, best-selling chess author.

Susan is joined by International Master Irina Krush, a two-time Olympian. Part of her remarkable resume includes the titles of US women’s champion, Pan-Am youth champion and Mayor’s Cup champion. Irina also has one Grandmaster norm under her belt.

On board three is International Master-Elect Anna Zatonskih. Anna is also a two-time Olympian. She impressively won the Ukrainian women’s Championship two years in a row prior to coming to America. She will be competing in her first US championship in November 2004. The team reserve player is WIM Jennifer Shahade , the reigning U.S. Women’s Champion.

The Training program of the U.S. Women’s
 Team was sponsored by Kasparov Chess Foundation under direction of Master Michael Khodarkovsky, a well-known coach recently named New Jersey State coach of the year by
the New Jersey State Chess Federation. Michael Khodarkovsky will serve as a team Head coach at the Olympiad. He will be assisted by notable theoretician, Grandmaster Alexander Chernin.

The team captain is FIDE Master Paul Truong. Paul won 5 national championships of South Vietnam and 11 national titles overall.  He was considered a chess prodigy and one of the most promising juniors in Asia back in the 70’s.

The 2004 U.S. Women’s team is sponsored by the Kasparov Chess Foundation, a not-for-profit
organization supported by charitable donations from concerned individuals and corporate sponsors. Its
mission is to bring the many educational benefits of chess to children throughout the United States by providing a complete chess curriculum and enrichment programs. The Foundation promotes the study of chess as a cognitive learning tool in curricular classes and after-school programs for elementary, middle and high schools, both in the public and private school sectors. For more information, please visit http://www.kasparovchessfoundation.org.

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The United States Chess Federation, founded in 1939, serves as the governing body for chess in the United States and 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 more than 90,000 members. For more information, please see http://www.uschess.org. If you have any questions, contact: Joan DuBois at the US Chess Federation office. (845) 562-8350, ext. #123 or email: joandubois@uschess.org