The United States Chess Federation - Irina Krush Gives Trosman Memorial Simul

Irina Krush Gives Trosman Memorial Simul

By Elina Cotler
December 13, 2012
On Sunday, October 28th, 2012 as New York officials were making final preparations for hurricane Sandy, twenty young chess players and their families in Brooklyn were preparing for a storm of their own. For the first time, they’d have a chance to play against four-time US Women’s Chess Champion Irina Krush in the Trosman Memorial Chess Simultaneous Exhibition. Though none of the participants managed to score, some held out for long battles. Irina made sure that each player took home more than just the participation trophies, giving some words of advice and posing for photos. The event took place at the Marks JCH in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, where Mikhail Trosman taught for nearly 10 years. Irina was one of Mikhail’s first students in Brooklyn, where each of them settled after emigrating from their respective cities in Ukraine. While Irina had several coaches afterwards, she credits much of her success to her old coach Mikhail. And many of Mikhail’s former students in France, Israel, Ukraine and the US share that sentiment. His passion and dedication to his work were an inspiration to many; to illustrate, he conducted his last chess lesson in severely deteriorating health only weeks before his passing in December 2011. But Mikhail was more than a coach – he took a personal interest in his students’ progress beyond the professional arena, sharing their growing pains, and their pride in academic achievements and family life. The Trosman Memorial Simul served as a way for us, his former students and the JCH, to express our gratitude to his family and to inspire young chess players. Many thanks to Alex Budnitsky, the Marks JCH Executive Director and Julia German, Marks JCH Program Coordinator, for making sure that the event went smoothly despite the unforeseen storm. We all hope to make this an annual tradition. See the latest US Chess Scoop video with Irina Krush , on her run at the 2012 Women's World Championship. Elina Cotler (née Groberman) is a former US Women’s Chess Champion.