2002 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 this year’s competition. The awards were first announced at the US Open Championship in July 2002.
Following is a list of categories, the winners and honorable mentions, and a list of the CJA members who judged that particular category (in parentheses). Only material originally published during the period June 1, 2001 through May 31, 2002 was eligible for this competition.
The CJA/Cramer Awards were announced at the US Open in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Over two hundred entries were received. This gave ample work for over twenty judges. For the first time ever, the CJA website was used to list all entries and even give links to some of the entries’ sites.
Notable awards went to Yasser Seirawan for Journalist of the Year. Jerry Hanken and Daaim Shabazz were “honorably” mentioned as tying for second. Seirawan will receive the handsome Cramer trophy and have his picture displayed in each issue of Chess Life along with the other US champions. This suggestion by Don Schultz was accepted by the USCF, and this will also be a first.
Book of the Year went to John S. Hilbert for his Essays in American Chess History (Caissa Editions, PO Box 151, Yorklyn, DE 19736). Best State Magazinewent to Georgia Chess and its editor Dan Lucas. Andy Soltis was Columnist of the Year.
In the non-Cramer categories, another first was achieved. Dan Heisman won three awards and was honorable mention in one. One curiosity: A crossword puzzle was entered in the “Humor” category for lack of a better category perhaps. None of the judges thought it was really “funny.” However, its creativity is being recognized (a first rate crossword puzzle) by the Chief Judge with a Special Chief Judge’s Award to Robert Basalla of the Ohio Chess Bulletin.
Another first, we believe, is a sad one. Edmar Mednis was the winner of the Best Analysis Endings category. It was certainly not a first time win for him as he produced much quality work that all chess fans are familiar with.
Categories such as Human Interest and Best Magazine Tournament Report had twenty entries, and both sections were hotly contested–especially the tournament section. Six writers all ended up with honorable mention as their total scores were exactly the same, but clearly trailing Daaim Shabazz’s Wilbert Paige Memorial tournament report, which can be linked from the CJA main page.
All in all, this was a banner year for the CJA awards and all involved– entrants, judges and CJA members who emailed their votes for Journalist of the Year–are thanked for this extraordinary effort!
Respectfully submitted,
Peter J. Tamburro, Jr.
Chief Judge, President, CJA
Peter J. Tamburro, Jr., Chief Judge
Cat. 1 Chess Journalist of the Year: (by CJA vote)
Coordinated with Cramer Awards Committee
| Yasser Seirawanwon chess journalist of the year in a combined Cramer Committee / CJA members vote. |
Cat. 2: Best State Chess Magazine-Open (Cramer Award Category) (judges: Wilson, Schultz, Brady, Tamburro)
| 1st | Georgia Chess edited by Daniel Lucas |
| HM | Florida Chess ed. by Harvey Lerman |
| HM | California Chess Journal ed. by Frisco del Rosario |
| HM | Chess Horizons ed. by Mark C. Donlon |
Cat. 3 Best State Magazine, Under 1000 circulation (judges: Dillinger, Sparks, Petersen )
| 1st | Georgia Chess edited by Daniel Lucas |
| HM | Florida Chess ed. by Harvey Lerman |
| HM | California Chess Journal ed. by Frisco del Rosario |
Cat. 4 Best Club Bulletin (judges: Hough, Donlan, Lucas)
| 1st | Columbus Chess Gazette ed. by Tom Britt, Dave Raymond, Michael Steve |
| HM | En Passant (Pittsburgh Chess Club) ed. by Bobby Dudley |
Cat. 5 Best Postal Magazine (Uncontested)
| 1st | The Chess Correspondent edited by Joseph Ganem |
Cat. 6 Best New Magazine-No entries
Cat. 7 Most Improved Magazine (judges: Frisco del Rosario, Smythe, Tamburro)
| 1st | Chess Horizons edited by Mark C. Donlon |
| HM | Chess Life edited by Peter Kurzdorfer |
Cat. 8 Best Cover (judges: Wilson, Schultz, Brady)
| 1st | Jami Anson, Brian Killegrew, Kathleen Merz; February 2002 Chess Life |
| HM | Brian Killegrew; October 2001 Chess Life |
Cat. 9 Best Layout (judges: Del Rosario, Petersen, Ganem)
| 1st | Jami Anson, August 2001 Chess Life |
| HM | Dan Lucas, Georgia Chess |
Cat. 10 Best Regular Magazine Column (judges: Marsh, Del Rosario, Lerman)
| 1st | Andrew Soltis, “Chess to Enjoy”; Chess Life |
| HM | Dan Heisman, “Novice Nook” ; Chess Café |
Cat. 11 Best Magazine Tournament Report (judges: Petersen, Lerman, Tamburro)
| 1st | Daaim Shabazz;Wilbert Paige Memorial Chess Tourn.; The Chess Drum(Internet Entry) |
| HM | Daaim Shabazz; 2001 FIDE Wrld Chps; The Chess Drum (Internet Entry) |
| HM | Jerry Hanken; Continental Open; Chess Life, January 2002 |
| HM | Jerry Hanken; US Open; Chess Life, December 2001 |
| HM | Paul Truong, Jennifer Shahade, Peter Kurzdorfer; US Chp Chess Life December 2001 |
| HM | Jennifer Shahade, Super Nationals, Chess Life, September 2001 |
| HM | John Fedorowicz, US Championship, Chess Life, May 2002 |
Cat. 12 Best Regular Newspaper Column (judges: Marsh, Donlan)
| 1st | David Sands, “Chess” Washington Times |
| HM | Lubos Kavalek “Chess” Washington Post |
Cat. 13 Newspaper Column of Local Interest (judges: Marsh, Smythe, Johnson)
| 1st | E.S. Doyle, Pete Tamburro, “Chessmates” Sunday Star-Ledger |
| HM | Bill Cornwall, “Chess: A Knight’s Tour” Ft. Lauderdale Sun- Sentinel |
| HM | Daren Dillinger, “Chess” Florida Times-Union |
Cat. 14 Best Newspaper Tournament Report (uncontested)
| 1st | David R. Sands, “Four Share Honors at US Open” Washington Times |
Cat. 15 Best Chess Promotion (judges: Dillinger, Donlan, Sparks)
| 1st | Jami Anson, “World Chess Hall of Fame” Chess Life October 2001 |
| HM | Mike Marsh, “She Got Game” Chicago Reader |
Cat. 16 Best Press Release-No entries!
Cat. 17 Best Human Interest (judges: Sands, Johnson, Cornwall)
| 1st | “The Convict Who Would be King” Virginia Pilot |
| HM | A. Mengarini, J.S. Hilbert, “Marshall CC in the Early 1950s” Chess Life, October 2001 |
| HM | John Donaldson, “Elmars Zemgalis” Chess Life, January 2002 |
Cat. 18 Best Historical Article (judges: Campbell, Anderson, Smythe, Ganem)
| 1st | Aristea D. Mengarini, John S. Hilbert “Marshall CC in the Early 1950s” Chess Life, October 2001 |
| HM | Edward O’Brien, “Shadows Over Morphy” Chess Life, August 2001 |
Cat. 19 Best Interview (judges: Hogg, Lucas, Lerman)
| 1st | Howard Goldowsky, “Michael de la Maza” Chess Horizons |
| HM | Anne Henry, “Arthur Bisguier” Chess Life, August 2001 |
| HM | Brian Killegrew, “Edmar Mednis” Chess Life, August 2001 |
Cat. 20. Best Editorial (judges: Hough, Sands, Dudley)
| 1st | Dan Heisman, “Encouraging Tournament Participation” Chess Café |
| HM | Nikolai Vlassov (Marfia trans.), “Advanced Chess” Chess Life, March 2002 |
Cat. 21 Best Humorous Article (judges: Campbell, Anderson, Tamburro, Ganem)
| 1st | “The Cheating Chess Tournament” NM Dan Heisman’s Chess Page |
| HM | Nevin Grimsley, “Martial Chess” Chess Horizons |
Cat. 22 Best Review (judges: Sands, Smythe, Dudley)
| 1st (tie) | Allan Bennett, “Terrifically Tarrasch” Chess Horizons |
| 1st (tie) | Jennifer Shahade, “Chess is Fun, Too?” Chess Life, February 2002 |
| HM | Mark C. Donlon, “Being a Chess Hero…” Chess Café (Internet Entry) |
Cat. 23(a) Best Analysis – Opening (uncontested)
| 1st | Lev Alburt, “Discoveries in the Opening” Chess Horizons |
Cat. 23(b) Best Analysis – Endings (uncontested)
| 1st | Edmar Mednis, “The Practical Endgame” Chess Horizons |
Cat. 23(c) Best Analysis – Other (judges: Johnson, Ganem, Campbell)
| 1st | Frisco del Rosario, “100th Anniversary of Capablanca…” California Chess Journal |
| HM | Mark C. Donlon, “Databases: Using PGN…” Chess Horizons |
Cat. 24 Best Instruction (judges: Hogg, Dillinger, Sparks)
| 1st | Dan Heisman, “The Six Common Chess States” Chess Café |
| HM | Tal Shaked, “Power Openings” School Mates |
Cat. 25 Best Cartoon (judges: Hough, Donlan, Campbell, Tamburro)
| 1st (tie) | Ed Bogas, California Chess Journal |
| 1st (tie) | Jose Angel Pardo, School Mates, Spring 2002 Cover |
Cat. 26 Best Chess Art (judges: Wilson, Schultz, Brady)
| 1st | Murphy Anderson (artist), Alter Ego Magazine Cover (#13) |
| HM | Jose Angel Pardo, School Mates, Spring 2002 Cover |
Cat. 27 Best Chess Photograph (judges: Wilson, Schultz, Brady)
| 1st (tie) | Alan Kirshner, “Jeremy Chow” California Chess Journal |
| 1st (tie) | Tony Cortizas, “Re6” Chess Horizons |
Cramer Categories Separate from CJA Categories:
| Best Columnist: | Andrew Soltis |
| Book of the Year: | John S. Hilbert, Essays in American Chess History, Caissa Editions, Yorklyn, Delaware, 2002 |