University of Texas at Dallas vs University of Belgrade [7.5-8.5]

The Match. U.T.DALLAS vs. BELGRADE [7.5-8.5]

The October 20 intercollegiate battle between the University of Texas at Dallas and the University of Belgrade ended in a 8.5-7.5 victory for the Serbians. UTD Chess director James Stallings congratulates the Belgrade team, but notes that preparations are already in place for a rematch next year. "The battle for the transatlantic cup will continue!", he says. The 16 board match was filled with brilliant fireworks, including a dazzling win by Texas State Champion Drasko Boskovic.

Match was played at 1:00 p.m. (2:00 pm EDT), October 20, 2006. in the Davidson Auditorium of the UTD School of Management. Open to the public. The time control was 40 minutes per player + 5 seconds incremental time per each move.

• ICC LIVE COVERAGE for the event.
• "Close Match ends in Serbia's favor" article by WGM Jennifer Shahade at USCF site.
• Download the games of the Match in PGN format.
• For more information visit the The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) Chess Program.

U.T.DALLAS BOARD 1 [Won PANCHANATHAN] BELGRADE MAGESH PANCHANATHAN 2500 Grandmaster Major: Computer Science M-Panchanathan BOJAN VUCKOVIC 2544 Grandmaster Major: Mathematics Vuckovic-BEL U.T.DALLAS BOARD 2 [Won JEREMIC] BELGRADE ALEJANDRO RAMIREZ ALVAREZ 2485 Grandmaster Major: Arts & Technology A-Ramirez VELJKO JEREMIC 2533 Grandmaster Major: Organizational Sciences Jeremic-BEL U.T.DALLAS BOARD 3 [Won PAVLOVIC] BELGRADE JACEK STOPA 2470 International Master Major: Crime and Justice Jacek-Stopa MILOS PAVLOVIC 2440 FIDE Master Major: Biology Pavlovic-BEL U.T.DALLAS BOARD 4 [Draw] BELGRADE MARKO ZIVANIC 2464 International Master Major: Computer Science Marko-Zivanic ALEKSANDAR DANILOVIC 2406 International Master Major: Mathematics Danilovic-BEL U.T.DALLAS BOARD 5 [Won BOSKOVIC] BELGRADE DRASKO BOSKOVIC 2444 International Master Major: Business Administration Drasko-Boskovic VLADIMIR PODINIC 2403 FIDE Master Major: Mathematicss Podinic-BEL U.T.DALLAS BOARD 6 [Draw] BELGRADE DAVORIN KULJASEVIC 2419 International Master Major: Business Administration D-Kuljasevic DUSKO PRELEVIC 2320 FIDE Master Major: Philosophy Prelevic-BEL U.T.DALLAS BOARD 7 [Won HEDJESI] BELGRADE AMON SIMUTOWE 2417 International Master Major: Economics and Finance Amon-Simutowe BALIND NAD HEDJESI 2351 National Candidate Master Major: Chess Training Hedjesi-BEL U.T.DALLAS BOARD 8 [Draw] BELGRADE JOHN BARTHOLOMEW 2406 International Master Major: Business Administration J-Bartholomew IVAN RADIVOJEVIC 2316 National Candidate Master Major: Mathematics Radivojevic-BEL U.T.DALLAS BOARD 9 [Won SHNEIDER] BELGRADE IGOR SHNEIDER 2367 FIDE Master Major: Finance Igor-Shneider IVAN MARTIC 2325 National Candidate Master Major: German Language Martic-BEL U.T.DALLAS BOARD 10 [Won KIEWRA] BELGRADE KEATON KIEWRA 2267 National Master Major: Psychology Keaton-Kiewra VASO BLESIC 2289 National Candidate Master Major: Pharmacy Blesic-BEL U.T.DALLAS BOARD 11 [Won VRBLJANIC] BELGRADE ALEXANDER CHUA 2227 National Master Major: Computer Science Alexander-Chua ALEKSANDAR VRBLJANIC 2251 National Candidate Master Major: Theological Studies Vrbljanic-BEL U.T.DALLAS BOARD 12 [Won STRBAC] BELGRADE CHRISTOPHER TOOLIN 2219 National Master Major: Business Administration C-Toolin MLADEN STRBAC 2290 National Candidate Master Major: Mathematic Strbac-BEL U.T.DALLAS BOARD 13 [Draw] BELGRADE YOSHODHAN GOGTE 2189 Expert Major: Telecommunications Engineering Y-Gogte MILOS SIBINOVIC 2195 National Candidate Master Major: Applied Art And Design Sibinovic-BEL U.T.DALLAS BOARD 14 [Won MILISITS] BELGRADE RYAN MILISITS 2181 Expert Major: Finance Ryan-Milisits MILAN MITIC Unrated National Candidate Master Major: Chemical Engineering Mitic-BEL U.T.DALLAS BOARD 15 [Won DRLJEVIC] BELGRADE LILIA DOIBANI 2178 Women’s FIDE Master Major: Business Administration Lilia-Doibani LJILJA DRLJEVIC 2199 Women's FIDE Master Major: Art History Drljevic-BEL U.T.DALLAS BOARD 16 [Draw] BELGRADE NELSON LOPEZ 2144 Expert Major: Computer Science Nelson-Lopez MARIJA STOJANOVIC 2185 Women's FIDE Master Major: Mechanical Engineering Stojanovic-BEL

Photo gallery

Special notes: Team Captain and highest rated UTD team member, Dmitri Shneider was in Washington, D.C., this semester since he had been awarded the highly prestigious Archer Fellowship.Match begins at 1:00 p.m. (2:00 pm EDT), October 20, 2006. in the Davidson Auditorium of the UTD School of Management.

These pictures were all taken by Tiffany Ornelas from UTD.

Postmortems with Davorin, Lopez, Gogte, and Chua [Photo: Tiffany Ornelas from UTD]

FM Jacobs GM Annakov VIP Room Commentary [Photo: Tiffany Ornelas from UTD]

The Battlefront With 16 UTD Team Members [Photo: Tiffany Ornelas from UTD]

Welcome from the USCF

Dear Fellow Chess Enthusiasts:

On behalf of the United States Chess Federation, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to the UTD vs. Belgrade Distance Chess Match. This is an historic event that shows the power of combining the prowess of the aged old game that we love with the advances of modern technology to bring together these competitors across an ocean. Not only is this a very strong chess competition, but it also represents the ability of chess to reach across cultures and the ability of technology to shrink the world.

Chess has had a significant impact in my life. Long ago a volunteer gave his time to go to each school in the system where I grew up, and he taught all of the children how to play chess. Through that opportunity, I got the chance to travel across the country, far beyond the confines of my rural, small-town heritage. This gave me the resume and the confidence to apply to the colleges that I most wanted to attend, including Yale and MIT. It prepared me to move a thousand miles from home at the age of eighteen. It truly set the course for my life in many ways and for that I will be forever indebted to chess. To all of the many individuals that work with children or help to facilitate a children’s chess program, I want to sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart. You may never fully know all of the good that you have done, but rest assured that the impact of your efforts is powerful and appreciated.

There can be little argument against the positive impact of chess as a part of the educational process. Countries around the world are implementing it in the curriculum. There is an explosion of chess in the schools here in the United States. These are exciting times to be involved in chess and I would like to applaud the efforts of UTD and in particular, Dr. Tim Redman, Dr. Alexey Root and Mr. Jim Stallings, for all of their efforts with the promotion of college chess and chess in education.

Now let the games begin!

Sincerely,

Bill Hall
Executive Director
United States Chess Federation

Welcome from the UTD

Hello everyone,

This historic chess match represents a matching of wits of one of the youngest universities

in the State of Texas against the venerable 200 year-old University of Belgrade in Serbia. Although the teams are quite literally thousands of miles apart, their moves will flash back and forth at almost the speed of light over the Internet. About 60 years ago a similar high tech transatlantic match took place between the USA and the former Soviet Union. That 20-game radio match took 4 days to complete; times have changed. Unlike the former match, this one will be viewed by scholastic chess clubs around the United States and by players around the world in real time.

We are very pleased that you are able to join us for this great intercollegiate chess match. The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) is fielding an extremely strong 16-board chess team. Almost every single team member has a master ranking.

The makeup of our chess team highlights UTD’s ability to attract strong scholar players from around the globe. As you look inside at the biographical information on the team, you will see team members not from the State of Texas and the United States. Indeed, you will see that we have top chess player scholars members from 7 other countries from Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa. Offering undergraduate students the opportunity to compete in intellectual competitions as part of their undergraduate experience makes UTD attractive to these very capable undergraduate students.

The Office of Undergraduate Education sponsors intellectual programs, such as the Chess Program with its international, national, and state tournaments and matches. These programs enhance the reputation of the university and are reflective of the intellectual environment at UTD. They also emphasize the role of intellectual endeavors as a part of the life of an educated individual.

It should be great fun to watch some of our scientists, engineers, and business leaders of tomorrow take time out to play the ancient game in today’s high tech venue. Later they return to their classes. This educational development of graduates is part of what UTD does for “Creating the Future.”

Regards,

Jim Stallings
Director, Chess Program
The University of Texas at Dallas