Michael Yang, Photo Monroi 2009
Michael is a 16-year-old master from Minnesota and is the 7th highest ranked player in his age group in the nation. Yang was also the co-champion at the 2010 Cadet Championship and is a three-time Minnesota high school state champion.
The US Chess School (USCS) is a series of training seminars with talented American youth and coached by leading Grandmasters. The USCS was founded by IM Greg Shahade and is sponsored by the American Foundation for Chess. Read more details and see an index on other US Chess School recaps on the official website.
The Judges Sound Off
Read more about the judges here.
Teenager Michael Yang wrote a brilliant two-part report which allows the reader experience the US Chess School camp in Seattle without leaving their own house. Yang gave a detailed chronology of the five days in Seattle, sharing much advice from lead instructor GM Seirawan , such as "for a combination to work, we must have an advantage." What impressed me the most was the large selection of puzzles and sample games, many well annotated and each corresponding to a lecture theme. I high recommend this material for any A or B rated junior seeking to reach master. Stories about Portisch, Polugaevsky and other famous chess players that Seirawan met in his youth brought to life an already exciting piece. The lengthy report concluded with interviews and photos of each participant—Michael "f-pawn" Aigner
Instructive and lengthy in-depth overview of training sessions, well worth a close look—Arne Moll
Michael Yang is clearly an old soul and promising author in the body of a young chess prodigy. This is one of the best-written CLO articles of the year. It pays deep and respectful homage to GM Yasser Seirawan and his many contributions to chess, while taking the reader through a fascinating chess camp. The article lets us appreciate the depth of chess education that Yang received in Seattle, much of which gets pass along through his patient and articulate descriptions—Damian Nash
Best of CLO 2010 Countdown
#5- ???
#6-the US Chess School Comes to Seattle Part I and Part II by Michael Yang.
#7- The US Championship in Black and White by GM Joel Benjamin
#8-Adamson on IM Norm #2 at the North American Masters by Robby Adamson (Judging article)
#9-The Sicilian Slayed by GM Gregory Kaidanov (Judging article)
#10- Hilton on Not Winning the Pan Ams by Jonathan Hilton (Judging article)