WCM CLAUDIA MUNOZ IS GONE TO DALLAS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE NATIONAL K-12 SCHOLASTIC CHAMPIONSHIP

WCM Claudia Munoz left earlier today to participate in the National K-12 Scholastic Championship in Dallas, Texas. Claudia and her mother will be spending the night at Brady, Texas, with family friends, in order to proceed to Dallas in the morning. This tournament is the first of several steps to be taken in the next 140 days, to increase Claudia's rating to where she can participate in 2010 in the World Youth Championship.

Since the age of six Claudia had been living in Mexico as an American due to her parent's business ventures, therefore only playing in two or three tournaments per year in the United States. She just completed her relocation back to the United States after a 6-year absence to work on her chess rating. She leaves behind in Mexico a difficult track record to beat as she won 5-consecutive Coahuila state championships without ever losing a game as well 3-consecutive prenational championship without losing as well. In 2007, she won the bronce medal at the Mexican Open in her category and in 2008 she proceeded to win 3 medals at the Mexican Scholastic Championship. The Mexican Scholastic Championship has 3 events and takes a week to complete. With these accomplishments she still managed to win a gold medal for the United States - undefeated - in the North American Youth Championship 2007, where she earned her FIDE Woman Candidate Master title. Ninety days later she won the Susan Polgar National Open 2008, again undefeated.

With Claudia's exit from Mexican chess, she will now concentrate on getting her USCF rating to reflect her true strength, her current rating is not even close to her strength.