Overview

Overall, 23 countries have participated in the NATO Chess Championships over the years. The 29th NATO Chess Championship will be the first Championship held in the United States.

NATO

In 1989, the official NATO Chess Championship was established inviting countries and individuals, to compete in Hammelburg, Germany. These tournaments are hosted every year in alternating countries, and each team is composed of International Military members from different countries around the globe.

Texas Tech University

Texas Tech University, founded in 1923 and located in Lubbock, Texas, is listed among the nation's top doctoral universities in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Of the 115 universities listed in the Highest Research Activity category, Texas Tech is one of 81 public institutions in the top tier.

Research and enrollment numbers are at record levels, which cement Texas Tech's commitment to attracting and retaining quality students. The university strives to foster an environment that celebrates student accomplishment above all else. With 10 colleges, a Graduate School and a School of Law, Texas Tech is large enough to provide the best in facilities and academics, but small enough to focus on each student individually.

Lubbock

Lubbock, known as "The Hub City," is situated at the center of the scenic South Plains, between the Permian Basin and Texas Panhandle. The City is home to more than 250,000 residents who enjoy the area's mild climate, beautiful sunsets, and a wide range of recreational and cultural amenities.

Lubbock provides a high quality of life that combines the art, leisure, and entertainment opportunities of a major metropolitan area with the friendly hospitality and charm of a small community. Lubbock County was founded in 1876. The settlement that is present-day Lubbock was not formed until late 1890 when two settlements within the county, Old Lubbock and Monterey, were combined to form the settlement of Lubbock.

The City has a rich tradition of collegiate athletics featuring the Texas Tech University Red Raiders, who have year-round sporting events from hard-hitting Big XII football match-ups to action packed basketball, baseball, volleyball, and soccer.

"The Hub City" has much to offer residents culturally. Lubbock has long been recognized as a birthplace for original music, producing greats like Buddy Holly and the Crickets and Natalie Maines. Today, Lubbock continues to launch some of the best musical talent around and is home to a diverse music scene, ranging from country and bluegrass to Tejano, classical, and rock. The City boasts a vibrant art scene with festivals, shows, performances, and exhibitions throughout the year.

From art galleries and museums such as Berg Studios, Louis Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts, the Silent Wings Museum, and the Museum of Texas Tech University, to theaters and performing arts spaces like the Buddy Holly Center, Cactus Theater, Depot Entertainment District, Lubbock Community Theater, and Lone Star Amphitheater, as well as Ballet Lubbock and Lubbock Symphony Orchestra, the arts are thriving in this unique Texas community.