2019 - THE PROBLEM COMPOSING YEAR IN REVIEW

[Bill Salot]

The contest themes in 2019 included an "open contest" (composer's choice of themes), compound strokes, kingless kapers, in-and-out shots, 2-phase problems, and twins.

The 6 contests in 2019 were dominated by 4 composers.

> Roy Little and Leo Springer (Netherlands) each won one contest outright and tied with each other for 1st place in a second. (Leo competed in only those 2 contests.)

> Bill Salot co-authored (with Ed Atkinson) one outright winner and tied with Ed for 1st place in a second contest.

> Ed Atkinson won one contest outright, co-authored (with Bill Salot) another outright winner, and tied with Bill for 1st place in a third contest.

Based on his 1st place involvement in 3 contests, Ed Atkinson is Problemist of the Year 2019. He won the title in 2013 and 2018 as well. To fill in the picture, recall that Roy Little won the title 4 consecutive years (2014 through 2017). These two gentlemen have shut out the rest of us every year. When will their dynasty end? It will not be before more strong players start sharing their inspired ideas.

The contests are governed by the problems entered. Enter a good, original, unpublished problem, and a competitive contest will be built around it. Enter several, and you are in the hunt for the annual award.

Please join us and participate as a composer, solver, judge, critic or fan at this web site.

We continue to generate contest statistics over time. In 2019, Votes/Contest were the highest since 2012, and Visitors/Contest were the 2nd highest ever.

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

Please enter your original, unpublished, dual-free problems in future contests by sending them at any time to:
Bill Salot
1006 Elmwood Drive
Colonial Heights, VA 23834-2905
Or at wjsalot@comcast.net.

[George Hay]

Congratulations to Ed Atkinson, Problemist of the Year 2019....Ed starts out 2020 with a problem in today's The Checker Maven column A Winter Saturday at the Beacon Cafe (01/11/20). As Sal would say "See for yourself,"

http://www.bobnewell.net/nucleus/checke ... temid=1252

You would have to have good 2020 checkers vision to solve this one!

--George Hay