1996 Award Winners

Congratulations to this year’s CJA Award Winners!

Each year the Chess Journalists of America judge chess material published during the previous year and submitted to them for competition. Following the judging, awards are made in various categories. Here is a list of the awards presented in 1996, as listed on a web page apparently set up by a former CJA President Jim Eade.

Journalist of the Year: Pending
(September 1996 issue of The Chess Journalist lists Jasser Seirawan and George Koltanowski as co-winners.)

Best State Magazine (Open): Chess Horizons, Joe Sparks, editor, Honorable mention: Atlantic Chess News, David Burris, editor

Best State Magazine, Under 1000 Circulation: Atlantic Chess News, David Burris, editor; Honorable mention: floridaChess, Don Schultz, editor

Best Club Bulletin: En Passant, edited by Bob Dudley. Honorable Mention: Chess Nuts, Mack and Ben Tyner

Best Postal Magazine: APCT News Bulletin, Helen Warren, editor.; Honorable Mention, The Chess Correspondent, Herbert Hickman, editor

Best Independent Serial Publication: Inside Chess, Mike Franett, editor

Best New Magazine: Chess Pioneers, Steve Stepak, editor

Most Improved Magazine: Atlantic Chess News, edited by David Burris; Honorable mentions: California Chess Journal, edited by James Eade

Best Cover: Red Wings, Samuel Bak, Chess Life, October, 1995; Honorable Mention: Inside Chess #21, Philip Peterson, October 30, 1995.

Best Layout: California Chess Journal, M.L. Rantala, Spring, 1996; Honorable Mention: floridaChess, Don Schultz, Editor;

Best Regular Magazine Column: “65th Square,” by GM Robert Byrne, Chess Life.Honorable Mention: “From Both Sides“, Don Schultz, floridaChess.

Best Magazine Tournament Report: “My Terrifc Tournament” by Robert Woodworth, Gambit; co-Honorable Mention: “Deep-Blue-Kasparov” GM Yasser Seirawan, Inside Chess, Chess-in-the Schools, Don Schultz, floridaChess

Best Regular Newspaper Column: co-winners: David Sands, the Washington Times, Larry Evans, syndicated column.

Best Regular Newspaper Column of Local Interest: George Mirijanian, Sentinel&Enterprise; Honorable Mention: Bill Cornwall, Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel.

Best Newspaper Tournament Report: “CheckMate,” by Melva Shelor, Independent Messenger , Oct. 19, 1995; Honorable Mention: “Lugo comes up big in Big Apple,” by David R. Sands, the Washington Times, April 20, 1996.

Best Chess Promotion: “Chess-in-the-Schools,” by Don Schultz; Honorable Mention: “Chess via the Computer”, by Robert Horobik

Best Press Release: “Bobby Fischer,” Inside Chess #15

Best Human Interest Story: “Mr. Soviet Chess Is No More,” by IM Anthony Saidy, Chess Life, November, 1995. co-Honorable Mention: “Who is Claude Bloodgood?” by IM John Donaldson, Inside Chess #10, “In Memory of Mikhail Botvinnik, The Great Fighter and Artist, , by GM Leonid Shamkovich,Chess Life, November, 1995

Best Historical Article: “The Immortal Game,” by Robert Huebner, American Chess Journal #3, co-Honorable Mention: “The Man Who Beat Alexander Alekhine,” by Arnold Denker and Larry Parr, Chess Life, March, 1996. “Lessons from a Single Ending,” by Mark Dvoretsky, American Chess Journal #3“, Olympic Moments,”, by Peter Tamburro, Chess Life, October, 1995.

Best Interview: “Interview with GM Gufeld,” by Larry Evans, Chess Life, January, 1996; Honorable Mention: “Interview with Iljumzhinov,” by Rosa de las Nievas and Leontxo Garcia, Inside Chess, April 1, 1996.

Best Editorial: “FIDE: A House Divided,” by GM Yasser Seirawan, Inside Chess; Honorable Mention: “New World Disorder,” James Eade, The Chess Journalist

Best Humerous Contribution “Life as a Nouveau Master,” by Frank Sisto, Chess Horizons, Jan/Feb 1995; Honorable Mention: “Endorphins”, by Rick Kennedy, Chess Life, January, 1996

Best Reviews “The Bobby Fischer I Knew: and Other Stories,” by Tim Redmen, The Chess Journalist/floridaChess, Honorable Mention: “A Classic Study of Fischer’s Style”, Fred Wilson, American Chess Journal, #3.

Best Analysis, Openings: “Phildor Countergambit,” by James R. West, Atlantic Chess News.

Best Analysis, Endings: “Kasparov-Karpov,” by GM Edmar Mednis, Chess Horizons

Best Analysis, other: “Miracles in the Najdorf,” by Jacob Nemchenok, Chess Horizons.

Honorable Mention: “Last Round=Crunch Time,” by GM Yasser Seirawan, Inside Chess, #11

Best Instruction: “Chess Symbols and Their Meaning” by James Eade, California Chess Journal, Spring, 1996. Honorable Mention: “Art of Development,” Jeremy Silman, Chess Life, October, 1995.

Best Cartoon: “The Pawns Wouldn’t Help,” Gary Robinson, En Passant, Nov., 1995

Best Chess Art: “San Francisco, 1995 (Cover),” by Bill Cone, Hypermodern Press, Nov., 1995; Honorable Mention: “Inside Chess #21 (Cover),” by Philip Peterson, Oct. 30, 1995.

Best Chess Photograph: “Two-year old Analysis,” by Don Schultz, floridaChess, Dec. 1995.