Best of CLO 2009: #7
January 22, 2010
The #7 article in Best of CLO 2009 is Abby Marshall on her Denker Win by Abby Marshall. Judges praised Abby's frank and insightful thoughts on her historic accomplishment.

Abby Marshall's writing debuted on CLO in the summer of 2007, when she wrote about a breakthrough tournament at the US Open in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. In 2008, Marshall wrote about playing in the US Amateur Team East (Part I and Part II) and her trip to the Mind Sports Games in China, Abby on Her Best Trip Ever. Other 2009 contributions included Abby Marshall Previews the World Youth and Abby Marshall Reflects on the World Youth.

Marshall also wrote a piece on the Denker for the November 2009 issue of Chess Life Magazine and she writes a column for chesscafe.com, The Openings Explained. 

As the first female Denker champion, a young chess master and two-time winner of the Susan Polgar Invitational for Girls, Abby Marshall has a fan base and a media following. A November 2009 article in the Virginia Daily Press wrote about Abby, "Underneath her trademark T-shirt beats the heart of a warrior—one whose remarkable displays of grit, cunning and ferocity on the 64-square battleground of chess have generated international admiration."  

The Judges Sound Off

Read more about the judges here


I believe Abby is the most interesting writer working for CLO.  When I see her name as the author, I immediately stop all my Web surfing, and read read read!  It is thrilling!  Abby makes chess fun, exciting, and gives excellent analysis all at once.- GM Ben Finegold 

Marshall’s honesty and blunt opinions (“I believe that women can play chess as well as men, I mean why not”), combined with her informal tone when annotating her games made this a fun read.  We are laughing and clapping with her when she wins, and marveling at her idealistic enthusiasm as she moons over Kosteniuk: “I think Kosteniuk is super cool…I’m going to be her cheerleader.”

It is wonderful to be privy to a young person’s excitement, accomplishment, and modest pride.-Jessica Martin


Best of CLO 2009 Countdown

#1-#6- ??
#7-Abby Marshall on her Denker Win by Abby Marshall
#8-How to Score a Summer Upset by Matan Prilleltensky
#9- Adventures of a Samford: Friedel on the 2009 US Champs  by GM Josh Friedel 
#10-Interview with a Hall of Famer: GM John Fedorowicz  by WGM Jennifer Shahade