MEDIA KIT CHESS CLUB AND SCHOLASTIC CENTER OF SAINT LOUIS ABOUT US The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, a non-profit, 501(c)(3) educational organization, is the premier chess facility in the country and one of the best in the world. Our 6,000-square-foot, state-of-the- art chess center features a world-class tournament playing hall, classroom, library and casual play area. Through our Scholastic Outreach Initiative, we’ve brought the educational benefits of chess to thousands of students across the greater Saint Louis area, and we also promote chess at the highest levels by hosting the U.S. Championships and high-profile matches between the world’s top players. Membership to the club starts at just $5/month, and we currently have more than 900 active members. We’re open six days a week for casual play, and we also offer free classes and lectures, weekly tournaments, private lessons, merchandise discounts and more! OUR MISSION: It is the mission of the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, an educational orga- nization, to maintain a formal program of instruction to teach the game of chess and to promote and sup- port its educational program through community outreach and local and national partnerships to increase the awareness of the educational value of chess. Phone: 314.361.CHESS (2437) [email protected] www.saintlouischessclub.org Street Address: 4657 Maryland Avenue Saint Louis, Missouri 63108 Club Hours: Tuesday 3 pm - 10 pm Wednesday 3 pm - 10 pm Thursday 11 am - 10 pm Friday 3 pm - 11 pm Saturday 12 pm - 11 pm Sunday 12 pm - 10 pm CHESS CLUB AND SCHOLASTIC CENTER OF SAINT LOUIS OUR BEGINNINGS The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis was founded in 2007 as a not-for-profit organization to promote the game of chess, with emphasis on the promotion of scholastic chess, across the entire greater Saint Louis area. The club opened its door at the physical space, located at 4657 Maryland Avenue in the Central West End, in July of 2008. The building selected for the club was built in 1897 by A. M. Eeinke. The renovation took seven months to complete. Impetus for creation of the club came largely from Mr. Rex Sinquefield, a retired executive with strong interests in both chess and helping people. His donations have gotten the club off to a promising start. Club goals include providing ample opportunities for existing players to play as well as introducing newcomers, including students, to the game. Since opening its doors in 2008, the Chess Club has helped revitalize the U.S. chess scene and has served as a thought leader for the promotion of chess at both the schoalstic and national levels. CHESS CLUB AND SCHOLASTIC CENTER OF SAINT LOUIS FACTS AND FIGURES | AWARDS AND ACCOLADES The CCSCSL was founded in 2007 and opened its doors in July of 2008. It is a not-for-profit organization that is committed to promoting the game of chess both locally and nation- ally, with a specific focus on bringing the benefits of chess to Saint Louis area schoolchildren. Located in the historic Central West End District of Saint Louis, the CCSCSL is a three-level, 6,000-square- foot community center featuring a classroom, library and world-class tournament playing hall. The club is widely recognized as the premier chess facility in the nation and one of the best in the world. The Chess Club’s scholastic outreach program brings chess to students in school and has been rapidly expanding. Over the 2011-2012 school year the club implemented programming in more than 100 different classrooms and community centers across the Greater Saint Louis area, affecting more than 3,300 students. Numbers for the 2012-2013 school year are on track to exceed last year’s figures. It is open six days a week and offers kids classes, adult beginner classes and intermediate classes free for members on a weekly basis. The club currently boasts more than 900 active members and has more than 80 tournaments on the sched- ule for 2013. Membership is remarkably affordable at just $5/month or $30/year for students and $12/month or $80/year for adults. Family memebrships are just $120/year. Saint Louis has hosted the U.S. Championship and U.S. Women’s Championship each of the past four years (2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012) and the U.S. Junior Closed Championship in 2010, 2011 and 2012. These are the three most prestigious, invite-only chess tournaments in the U.S. All three will be hosted here again in 2013. In addition to the club’s affordable student rates, it offers summer camps, field trips, private lessons and free classes in an effort to make the game accessible to all students. The club always has a full-time Resident Grandmaster on staff. This rotation of the country’s top players is an invaluable resource for our members. These top players give private lessons and present special lectures, free for members, multiple times per week. They also present a free kids’ class on Sundays. No other club in the U.S. has a full-time Resident Grandmaster. The club has also remained active in the community, hosting and participating in several events at local venues, including the Muny, high-school football games, the Science Center, the Contemporary Art Museum, the Sheldon, the World Chess Hall of Fame and more. In 2013, the Chess Club was recognized with FOCUS Saint Louis’ prestigious What’s Right with the Region! award. Finally, the United States Chess Federation (USCF) has recognized both the Club and the city for their extraordinary accomplishments with the following awards: • In 2009 and 2011, the USCF awarded Saint Louis the title of “Chess City of the Year.” • In 2010, The CCSCSL was named “Chess Club of the Year.” • In 2009 and 2010, Executive Director Tony Rich won “Organizer of the Year.” • In 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012, club founder Rex Sinquefield won the Gold Koltanowski Award, given to the person who does the most to further chess in the U.S. each year. • In 2012, club founder Jeanne Sinquefield also was awarded the Gold Koltanowski Award for her work in establishing the Boy Scouts of America Merit Badge for Chess. CHESS CLUB AND SCHOLASTIC CENTER OF SAINT LOUIS BOARD OF DIRECTORS Rex Sinquefield: President & Chairman of the Board Raised in Saint Vincent Home for Children in Saint Louis, Rex graduated from Saint Louis University with a business degree before pursuing an MBA from the University of Chicago. Along with associate David Booth, Rex formed Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA) in 1981, which today oversees more than $158 billion in assets worldwide. Rex’s wife, Dr. Jeanne Sinquefield, who has an MBA and a Ph.D. in Demography from the University of Chicago, was instrumental in the achievements of DFA as well. Through the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation, Rex and Jeanne support organizations that are focused on music, children and education. Rex provided the seed capital for the creation of The Chess Club and Scholas- tic Center of Saint Louis, which is a destination for both new and seasoned chess players in Saint Louis. Rex Sinquefield is a life trustee of DePaul University and serves on the boards of the Missouri Botanical Garden, Missouri History Museum, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Saint Louis Art Museum, Saint Louis Symphony and Saint Louis University. He is also a member of the Investment Committee of the Archdiocese of Saint Louis and the recipient of numerous awards for scholarship and service. Jim Voelker: Treasurer Jim was born in Akron, Ohio, and had some successes in Ohio chess, winning the Cincinnati Championship and tying for first in the Ohio Championship. Jim moved to Missouri in 1992 and was Missouri Champion in 1994, 1998, and 2004. He tied for first in the 2010 CCSCSL Championship. Jim is a former member of the Missouri Chess Association Board of Directors and a former editor of the Missouri Chess Bulletin. He maintained a website for Missouri chess news from 1998 to 2011. Jim has BA, MLS, and JD degrees and works as a law librarian. He and his wife Joan live in Webster Groves with their son Andy. Mike Lueken: Secretary Mike Lueken graduated from Saint Louis University in 1973 with a BS in Finance. Currently, he is president of General Marine Services, Inc. GMSI and affiliates operate barge terminals and pro- vide transportation services on the inland waterway. Mike is extremely active in the community through a number of different enterprises. He was appointed by Gov. John Ashcroft to a six-year term on the 22nd Judicial Commission and to the St. Louis Election Board as Secretary from 2003-2005 by Gov Holden. He also represents the City of Saint Louis to the board of directors for the Saint Louis Zoo. Mike is a member of Saint Raphael Catholic Church and is a past council member and president of the school board. Currently, he is the chair of the Legacy of Faith endowment campaign. CHESS CLUB AND SCHOLASTIC CENTER OF SAINT LOUIS BOARD OF DIRECTORS (continued) Jim Davies: Board of Directors Jim Davies is a veteran of the chess world and has been a member of the U.S. Chess Federation since 1964. From 1971 to 1986 he was a chess coach at Ladue senior and junior high schools, where he was also a math teacher. Since then, he has been a private chess tutor. Jim has played in hundreds of USCF-rated events and was inducted into the Missouri Chess Hall of Fame in 2000.