Chess Craze Sweeping Arizona: Support 9Queens' 7th Annual Chess Fest Kickstarter Campaign

Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2014

Hello everyone,

On April 26, 2014 from 12-3 pm, Hotel Congress will play host to 9 Queens 7th Annual Chess Fest, a community wide celebration, with special guest 19-year-old Rochelle Ballantyne. Featured in the inspirational documentary Brooklyn Castle, Rochelle sits on the verge of history as she becomes the first African-American female chess Master.

Contribute now via Kickstarter to help make the 7th Annual Fest a Reality

Your sponsorship will also allow 9 Queens to have an amazing simultaneous Chess exhibition with Rochelle Ballantyne against 25 players. Your contributions will ensure that everyone who wants to learn how to or just play chess will be able to by having enough staff, tables and chairs available.

 

"Rochelle is the perfect embodiment of what the 9 Queens Player of the Year Award is about. She represents an individual with incredible passion for the game and someone who has shared her talents with youth in her community. She serves as a fantastic role model for how hard work and dedication pay off, and can ultimately lead someone to achieving their dreams. -- Amanda Mateer Women's Fide Master and recipient of the 2013 9 Queens Player of the Year Award 

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9 Queens is a great organisation working to promote chess. They have set up a Kickstarter page for the 7th Annual Chess Fest Fundraiser! Pledge your support to make Chess Fest happen this year in Downtown Tucson at the Hotel Congress! 

• Did you know 9 Queens has been providing free educational chess programs since 2008?
• Want to help? You can join other chess players from Pueblo, Catalina Foothills and Cholla High schools by volunteering your time at Chess Fest!
• 9 Queens anticipates attracting 1,000 chess enthusiasts from across Arizona for their annual fest!

Check out the cool 9 Queens website

9 Queens is a 501c3, nonprofit organization dedicated to empowerment through chess. Founded by Jennifer Shahade and Jean Hoffman in 2008, 9 Queens offers a range of free chess programs and workshops in Tucson, Arizona.

WHY ARE THEY CALLED 9 QUEENS?
In chess, the queen is the most powerful piece on the board. Although every player begins the game with only one queen, every pawn has the potential to become a queen. In theory, it is possible to transform all 8 pawns into queens, thus creating a position in which there are 9 queens on the board. 9 Queens is a metaphor for the all too often unrealized capacity to empower all children through chess.

THEIR MISSION
9 Queens is dedicated to empowering individuals and communities through chess by making the game fun, exciting, and accessible. We offer free chess education programs specifically designed to promote critical thinking skills, academic performance, and self-confidence. Our mission is to use chess as a tool to motivate, empower, and engage under-served and under-represented populations to realize their potential and achieve academic and personal success.

12th Women's World Chess Champion Chess Queen™ Alexandra Kosteniuk was invited by 9 Queens in 2012 to hold a super chess simul. Read all about it at www.chessqueen.com. Of course, GM Kosteniuk is a great supporter of 9 Queens because of the wonderful work they do with chess!

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