Best of US Chess: 6th-10th Place Winners
In Best of US Chess (formerly Best of Chess Life Online), we countdown the top ten uschess.org articles of 2015, some of which you may have missed.
Here are the 6th-10th place winners. Stay tuned for the top 5, which will be posted in a couple days!
Additionally, read about our panel of esteemed judges: Best of US Chess 2015: Meet the Judges
6th Place: Eric Rosen on Final IM Norm: Keys to Success
Eric Rosen with the World Champ
"Perhaps unknowingly, perhaps intuitively, Eric borrows from Eastern philosophy when it comes to giving advice, and it couldn’t be more helpful. Yes, focus on the journey, not the result! In the end you’ll never know how something will play out, so you shouldn’t be attached to any one outcome…but you can take steps to put yourself in the position to succeed. Eric’s article is unpretentious and generous; he genuinely wants to share with the reader what worked for him and that is always very welcome." —Kostya Kavutskiy
You can find out more about Eric on his website, where he blogs about various intriguing topics such as “Meeting Magnus Carlsen” and “My Dog Went Viral.”
7th Place: Stepping Stones to 2500 at the U.S. Chess School by Samir Sen
"Great recap of the US Chess School written by high schooler Samir Sen. Samir’s “character” descriptions were a great touch in personalizing his fellow camp mates. He shows great promise for a long career in writing." -Jennifer Vallens
8th Place: Why Is Carlsen Dominant? (A Theory) by GM Cristian Chirila
"There is so much psychology in chess, and Christian’s theory is quite fascinating. His take on Carlsen’s success combined with concrete suggestions for improving players is really useful. The annotated games are very instructive as well, it’s clear a lot of work went into this piece." -Kostya Kavutskiy
9th Place: Shabalov Completes His Quest at the U.S. Open by FM Mike Klein
"The CJA Journalist of the Year consistently finds interesting aspects in games that might otherwise be considered just another GM contest. This article discusses the event winner’s misunderstanding of a position, and in doing so, provides another great example of the role of computers in revolutionizing modern chess." –Kele Perkins
10th Place: The View from the Other End of the Playing Hall by Ben Silva
Some friendly bughouse
"Awesome line “piece dropping madness” might have to steal that for my newsletter!
Ben’s article illustrates beautifully how chess is so much more than just a game. His article is an argument for making the PanAms Chess Championship the new road trip destination for college students." -Jennifer Vallens
Honorable Mentions
A few articles finished just a point or two shy from this year’s top ten include:
Acrobats & Pandas: Alisa’s World Team Photo Tour by FM Alisa Melekhina
"Melekhina’s prose that effectively communicates a sense of the struggle that characterizes our team’s experience getting through a tough event." -Kele Perkins
"While so much attention is placed on the U.S. overall team, one can easily forget that women’s team tournaments are just as intense and competitively intriguing. Alisa provides good insight into what it’s like to compete as a team in a foreign location; a solid and important article. Great photos too!" -Kostya Kavutskiy
Secrets of a Blindfolded Grandmaster Vagabond by GM Timur Gareyev
"US Chess has previously reported on the blindfold exploits by GM Timur Gareyev. In this story, the Grandmaster addressed one motivation for blindfold chess (to travel) and offered suggestions for how to improve (start by learning harmonious breathing). Could blindfold chess be the key to reach master level and beyond?" -Michael Aigner
"An interesting piece from one of the most unique personalities in chess." –Kele Perkins
Inspired Chess in Vegas By Vanessa West
"Lots of nice games, photos, and quotes from the players. It’s tough to cover a huge event like the Vegas Chess Festival so succinctly. Overall a great tournament report." -Kostya Kavutskiy
Grandmaster Benko Revisits Waterloo by GM Pal Benko
"One of the most enjoyable articles of the year for me. The author achieves a rare blend of history and chess." -Kele Perkins
