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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley chess team |
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has once again earned the mantle of national champion by winning the |
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2021 President's Cup tournament, which was held virtually in April; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, UT Rio Grande Valley's journey to the title began |
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with strong showings in several events, including wins at the |
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Kasparov Chess Foundation University Cup and the international FIDE |
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World University Online Blitz Championship; the team qualified for |
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the President's Cup following a successful run at the Pan American |
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Intercollegiate Championship in January; and |
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WHEREAS, UTRGV competed against the top schools in the nation |
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at the President's Cup, the Final Four of collegiate chess that is |
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hosted by the United States Chess Federation; overtaking Saint |
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Louis University in the final match, the Texas team claimed the |
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program's third consecutive President's Cup title and retained its |
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first-place rankings from 2018 and 2019; no tournament was held in |
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2020 because of the pandemic; and |
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WHEREAS, The highest rated player from the UTRGV team, |
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grandmaster Kamil Dragun won third place in individual scores; the |
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team also received valuable contributions from grandmasters |
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Mateusz Bartel, Hovhannes Gabuzyan, and Vladimir Belous, who |
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respectively came in fifth, sixth, and seventh; over the course of |
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the year, these talented players benefited from the able guidance |
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of coach Bartek Macieja; and |
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WHEREAS, By accomplishing the rare feat of winning three |
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consecutive President's Cup crowns, the members of the UT Rio |
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Grande Valley team have furthered their school's exceptional record |
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of achievement in chess, and they may indeed reflect with pride on a |
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job well done; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate The University of Texas Rio Grande |
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Valley chess team on winning the 2021 President's Cup tournament |
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and extend to all those associated with the program sincere best |
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wishes for continued success; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the team as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |