Elina made chess history

Elina Kats (middle) was the first ever member of the Polgar Chess Center nearly 10 years ago. She didn't even know how to play chess then. A few months ago, she won the 2005-2006 Polgar Club Championship.

Today, she just won another big one, the 2006 New York State High School Championship. She was one of a very few girls in a section that is dominated by boys. That made it even more special!

By winning this tournament, she has earned the right to represent the state of New York in the 2006 Denker Tournament of High School Champions or the Susan Polgar National Invitational for Girls. She is the first female player in the country to earn the honor of qualifying for both events.

Unfortunately, the Denker and Polgar Tournaments are being held at the same time. Therefore, she must choose one. After consulting with her Mom, she informed the chief organizer (FM Sunil Weeramantry, step father of GM Nakamura) that she chose to participate in the Polgar tournament. Congratulations to Elina!