Webster University Announces 2018-2019 Chess Team

ST. LOUIS – Webster University is pleased to announce it has entered the new chess season with the #1 ranked collegiate chess team for an unprecedented seven consecutive years. Head Coach Susan Polgar, of the Webster University Gorloks team, has achieved an unparalleled record of success.

Team members from all over the world chose Webster University as the place to attain an undergraduate or graduate degree while playing chess under the tutelage of Coach Polgar and the Susan Polgar Institute of Chess Excellence (SPICE). This year’s outstanding team represents six different countries, including some talented players in the U.S.

“Webster’s chess team reflects the value we place on building a global community of students who can compete at high levels. This diverse team of champions helps define sports in a global context for all of us, not only on campus but in the community. We look forward to watching their success as students and competitors this year,” added Webster University President Beth Stroble.

Team member GM Jorge Cori, a sophomore from Peru, is the #1 ranked Peruvian player and a member of the Olympiad Team. Recently, he made history for Peru and Latin America, winning 2 individual Gold medals at the Chess Olympiad in Batumi, Georgia - one for best performance on board #3 and for best performance in the entire 2018 Chess Olympiad among approximately 1,700 chess players from 185 nations. A huge accomplishment!

New freshmen Gorlok team members are:

GM Lazaro Bruzon, from Cuba, the #1 ranked Cuban player and member of the Olympiad Team

GM Yuniesky Quesada, from Cuba, the #2 ranked Cuban player and member of the Olympiad Team

Returning Gorlok team members, in addition to GM Jorge Cori, are:

GM Aleksandr Shimanov, a graduate student from Russia

GM Vasif Durarbayli, a graduate student from Azerbaijan

GM Peter Prohaszka, a sophomore from Hungary

GM Emillo Cordova, a sophomore from Peru, the #3 ranked Peruvian player, and member of the Olympiad Team

GM Illia Nyzhnyk, a graduate student from Ukraine

FM Williams, Justus Williams, a junior from the USA

SM Aaron Grabinsky, a junior from the USA

FM Joshua Colas, a junior from the USA

NM Tom Polgar-Shutzman, a sophomore from the USA

Shawn Swindell, a senior from the USA

“I am very pleased to have more world-class chess players joining the Webster University #1 ranked chess team this year. This proves that Webster University is the premier destination for some of the brightest young minds from across the globe,” said Coach Polgar. “We are so proud to be a part of a university that values diversity and excellence.”

Webster University’s SPICE program was founded in 2012 by Polgar, a former Women's World Champion. Under her leadership, Webster University’s team has won the National Collegiate Chess Championship “The President’s Cup” five consecutive times. Other teams coached by Polgar before she joined Webster previously won two President’s Cups, giving Polgar a record seven national championships and making her one of the most successful coaches in college history. 

With its home campus in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, Webster University (www.webster.edu) comprises an action-oriented global network of faculty, staff, students and alumni who forge powerful bonds with each other and with their communities around the globe. Founded in 1915, Webster is a private non-profit university with students studying at campus locations in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa and in a robust learning environment online. The university is committed to ensuring high-quality learning experiences that transform students for global citizenship and individual excellence.