2020 - THE YEAR IN REVIEW

[Bill Salot]

The contest themes in 2020 were:
1 - Kingless Kapers,
2 - 3x3s,
3 - Starry Wins,
4 - Zugzwangs,
5 - An Unfamiliar Maneuver, and
6 - Quadruples into Spread Eagles.

Roy Little and Mark Sokolovsky were each double winners, making them Co-Problemists of the Year. It was Roy’s 5th such title and Mark’s 1st.

Leo Springer (Netherlands) and Ed Atkinson won the other two contests.

The backlog of problems submitted for entry in future contests is dwindling, making it difficult to build competitive contests on common themes. If you are tempted to test your luck as a composer, this year could be your year. Believe it or not, in the 54 contests so far, eight (8) composers have won with their 1st contest entry.

Send your original, unpublished problems to the address under the diagrams at the end of any contest on this web site: http://www.usacheckers.com/problems/show_contest.php.

The contest statistics for 2020 showed a huge drop in visitors to the web site. Should we add Unofficial World Championship Problem Composing Contests to the victims of COVID-19?

Year........Problems/Contest............Votes/Contest...........Visitors/Contest
2012..................3.6...........................19.9..........................no data
2013..................4.8...........................17.7..........................no data
2014..................4.7...........................17.8...........................304.7
2015..................4.2...........................15.8...........................322.6
2016..................4.3...........................17.3...........................313.7
2017..................5.2...........................16.2...........................373.0
2018..................5.5...........................15.7...........................314.2
2019..................4.8...........................19.0...........................349.7 2020..................4.7...........................16.2...........................217.3

[George Hay]

Congratulations to Roy Little and Mark Sokolovsky as Co-Problemists of the Year 2020 with two wins each.
Congratulations to Leo Springer and Ed Atkinson with one win each.

The themes and problems show there is plenty of creativity in the Grand Old Game.

I would have guessed that the lockdowns and shutdowns of COVID-19 would have increased participation.
But 2020 proves that it is difficult to predict the future, so we will see what we shall see in 2021.

--George Hay

[George Hay]

We shall see what we shall see. (I'm correcting my grammar.)

[Russian GM]

Very passive ours leaders ,if they want wake up 2021 become even worse.
Mark Sokolovsky.