College Recruitment of Chess Players Skyrockets!

In a very interesting development, chess players are now being viewed  as "prima donnas" the way blue-chip basketball and football players once were. With visions of attracting the best and brightest, universities and colleges have ratcheted up their recruitment efforts by wooing chess players with scholarships and incentives. Such was never the case for a chess player who was often ridiculed by the other students and athletes as "nerdy." However, chess on the Internet has made chess more popular and widespread and it has been demystified in a sense. Both University of Texas-Dallas and University of Baltimore-Maryland County have led the charge in recruiting top chess players by offering scholarships ranging from $43-000 to $60,000. There are now about 15 schools offering chess scholarships.

Posted by The Chess Drum: 9 April  2002