SPICE Cup 2009 update

Susan Polgar had just posted in her blog the latest update for the coming SPICE Cup 2009 in September. Below is the list of the confirmed players who will participate in the said event. SPICE Cup is aiming for a category 17-18 here. GM Wesley So is one of the earliest participants who confirmed his interest to join the event.

A Group - Category 16 - 2641.5 (6-player double RR)

GM Dmitry Andreikin 2659 - RUS (#6 junior under 20 in the world - Russian Junior Champion)
GM Wesley So 2646 - PHI (#7 junior under 20 in the world - #1 in the Philippines)
GM Yuriy Kuzubov 2635 - UKR (#8 junior under 20 in the world - #12 in Ukraine)
GM Varuzhan Akobian 2626 - USA (#6 in the U.S. - 2008 SPICE Cup Co-Champion - 2-time Olympiad Bronze Medalist)

B Group - Category 12 - 2529.4 (10-player RR):

GM Anton Kovalyov 2586 - ARG (Top junior from Argentina)
IM Papp, Gabor 2558 - HUN (2 GM norms - Texas Tech Student in 8/2009)
IM Davorin Kuljasevic 2547 - CRO (2 GM norms - Texas Tech Student in 8/2009)
GM Eugene Perelshteyn 2537 - USA (2007 SPICE Cup Champion)
GM Andre Diamant 2519 - Brazil (2008 Brazilian Champion)
IM Ben Finegold 2513 - USA (2 GM norms)
IM Ray Robson 2496 - USA (winner of the 2009-2010 Samford Fellowship)
IM Gergely Antal 2479 - HUN (2 GM norms - Texas Tech Student)

All ratings listed are FIDE ratings.

SPICE Cup Open and SPICE Cup Scholastic Open are once again two of the events which are a part of the SPICE Cup Chess Festival.

Just as last year, the SPICE Cup will be held on campus at Texas Tech University and is co-organized by Texas Tech University, SPICE and the Susan Polgar Foundation.