Come See UT Dallas Chess Champs Play Blindfold Chess in McDermott Library Lobby Feb. 26

Playing chess takes special skill, so imagine playing with no eyes on the board! As part of ChessFest 2020, UT Dallas students have a chance to watch or even go head to head with some of the best chess players in the world—players who will be playing blindfolded—from noon to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 26 in the lobby of the Eugene McDermott Library.

This year, UT Dallas Chess Team Grandmaster Joshua Ruiz of Columbia and International Master Titas Stremavicius of Lithuania will go up against any student, staff or faculty member who wishes to challenge the champs to a game of blindfold chess. During the games, Ruiz and Stremavicius will either sit with their backs to the board or be blindfolded and will be unable to see the position of the pieces or touch them.

Dr. Kenneth A. Kiewra, educator and international speaker

The event, which features the chess program’s giant chess set called “Chess Grande,” is free and open to the public. Enjoy the fun, meet members of the University’s chess team and have a cupcake while they last.

The chess games are an integral part of ChessFest, an annual celebration of chess as competition, recreation and education at UT Dallas. ChessFest was created and is co-sponsored by the University’s renowned chess program and the McDermott Library.

Another important part of ChessFest is a reception and awards ceremony recognizing a key figure in the chess world. This year, author, educator and international speaker Dr. Kenneth A. Kiewra has been named the 2020 UT Dallas Chess Educator of the Year. Kiewra, the father of International Master (IM) Keaton Kiewra, a former UT Dallas Chess Team player and now a chess teacher and professional chess player, will speak about “The Nurturing of Chess Talent: The Strong and Loving Moves Parents Play” at this year’s ChessFest awards ceremony. The ceremony will be held at 7 p.m. following a reception with refreshments at 6:15 p.m. on Feb. 25 in the McDermott Suite, which is located on the fourth floor of the library.

James “Jim” Stallings, Director of the UT Dallas Chess Program

Kiewra, a professor of educational psychology at the University of Nebraska—Lincoln, is an expert on learning strategies and talent development. His research pertains to world-class talent development, particularly the roles parents play, and to strategies for academic success.

Kiewra’s chess roots extend to the early 1990s when he introduced his son to chess. At the time, he knew little about chess or talent development, so he turned to studying the game and interviewing parents of highly talented children in chess and other domains to understand how parents best help cultivate children’s talents.

This work led to several talent development articles, interviews and books including his newly published book, Nurturing Children’s Talents: A Guide for Parents, which chronicles the talent experiences of Olympic medalists, professional athletes and other champions of talent domains ranging from chess to rodeo, as well as their coaches and parents.

Reservations for the Blindfold Chess games are not required; however, reservations for the awards ceremony and talk are. To attend the talk, please RSVP with Jim Stallings at james.stallings@utdallas.edu.