Chess Masters Head For Warmer Climate

SEATTLE - After three years in Seattle, the nation's premier chess event is moving down the coast. This year's U.S. Chess Championship is being delayed from January to December to accommodate the move into San Diego's new cultural and arts venue, the Promenade Centre.

Yasser Seirawan, a native of Syria who grew up in Seattle and became one of the country's best players, says he's disappointed Seattle won't be the host. But, he adds, San Diego is a nice city, and the weather is better in the winter.

Seirawan, a four-time U.S. champion, teamed up with local chess enthusiasts to bring the event to Seattle in 2000. At the time, the U.S. Chess Federation was struggling with dwindling membership and sponsorship, and faced the prospect of having to cancel the event. They brought the tournament to the Seattle Center, and over the next few years revamped it, hoping to inject excitement into a 1,400-year-old game by expanding the field of players and having men and women play each other.

But it was expensive, and San Diego made an offer the organizers couldn't refuse -- free lodging for the players.

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