Popular chess author and GM Andrew Soltis won the "Chess Journalist of the Year award this year at the U.S. Open in Fort Lauderdale.
Respected postal chess organizer Helen Warren and GM Robert Byrne tied for the new "Lifetime Achievement award." Thanks to fellow Movable Type blogger About Chess for the news.
The Air Force and Navy tied for the 2004 Interservice Chess Championship title. This is the first tie for the team title in the tournament's history.
According to the US Chess Federation, Rusudan Goletiani, a twenty-three year old chess teacher and Women's Grandmaster (WGM) of Hartsdale, New York has won the 2004 Samford Chess Fellowship. The press release notes, "The Samford Fellowship provides top-level coaching, strong competition and access to study materials. The Fellowship also provides a monthly stipend for living expenses so that the winners may devote themselves entirely to chess."
An independent film-maker "in the general Maryland area" is using a Chessopolis discussion group posting to solicit
guidance in the hippest chess terms, the best web sites for research, and just general warnings of things to avoid, so people overly familiar with chess won't see the film and go "Wow... now that writer knew NOTHING about chess."One tip: The thriving outdoor chess scene in Dupont Circle might make a good backdrop. I even saw an outdoor game in 40 degree zone weather on Wednesday in Lafayette Park, adjacent to the White House--even though it was even starting to rain!
Lubomir Kavalek reports in the Washington Post today that New York GMs Ildar Ibragimov and Igor Novikov won the National Congress in Philadelpia.
Grandmasters Suat Atalik of Turkey and Pavel Blatny of the Czech Republic and International Master Varuzhan Akobian of Glendale, Calif., won the American Open in Los Angeles.