Marist High School junior, Shakira Luster, was recently selected to represent the state of Illinois in the Annual Susan Polgar Girls International Invitational!
Shakira, and another student from Resurrection College Prep, have been selected to represent the state of Illinois in the Annual Susan Polgar Girls International Invitational. This event is the most prestigious all-girls chess event in the United States, and was the first All-Girls event approved and sanctioned by the US Chess Federation back in 2003. It is an international invitational event and will be held at Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri from June 20-25. Each state is allowed to nominate two representatives. Best of luck Skakira as you represent Marist and the state of Illinois!
Shakira, who is the captain of the Marist Chess Team, is currently the number 2 rated scholastic female in the state of Illinois. She is ranked among the best in the nation with girls aged 16 and 17 according to the US Chess Federation’s Top 100 list for March. Shakira came in ranked at 14 overall for girls aged 17!
In 2021, Shakira was featured on a McDonald’s commercial for winning the chess state title in 8th grade with her now Marist teammates Imani Hill ’24 and Trechelle Williams ’24. That commercial, featured during the Superbowl, has to date over 50 million views! You can read more about that experience here.
