Best of CLO 08: #8
January 9, 2009
Mikelead.jpg
FM Mike Klein had his work cut out for him in Dresden.
The #8 article in the 2008 Best of CLO competition is U.S. Teams Celebrate Bronze Medals by FM Mike Klein. Judges praised the spirited writing that made readers feel as though they were live witnesses to the double bronze Dresden score. This was just one of many German dispatches from Klein, which included Let the Games Begin in Dresden , USA Stumbles in Round Two, USA Almost Perfect in Round Three , Rested Squads Resume Action, U.S. Men Win Bronze Too!! and Women Take Bronze.  Klein is also a frequent contributor to the print magazine. He wrote a Dec 08 cover story on chess and nutrition, a Kaidanov profile in the current (Jan 09) issue and will also contribute a cover story on the Olympiad. You can find even more of Mike's writing on his travel blog sendmemoneyplease, which includes photos and funny stories. When not traveling the world on sabbatical, Mike hails from Charlotte, NC, where he runs a chess coaching business.   


The Judges Sound Off
Read more about the judges here.

"Starting with a well-chosen basketball comparison (referring to other sports is something we should do more often in chess writing!) the author gives a very good impression of the tense atmosphere and the excitement of the Dresden Olympiad's final round. His chronological round report vividly describes the double success of the US teams. A nice punchline finishes a "perfect" tournament report. (Good photos too!)"-Peter Doggers

"Mike did a good job of capturing the atmosphere and spirit of one of the biggest U.S. chess stories of 2008. I would probably be more excited about this article, had I not been there and didn't know what it was like :)"-  IM Irina Krush

"Good solid reporting that has a little bit of everything: games, anecdotes,  fun."- Mark Taylor

"The success at the Olympiad was no doubt the most joyful story of 2008 and Chess Life Online was lucky to have Mike Klein as the reporter.  He shows the two sides of our top Grandmasters: the professional game face (or "in the zone") and the nervous excitement while calculating tiebreaks.  I am sure many readers can relate to both emotions. I gave this article solid marks in all six categories  , including a top mark for chess content."- Michael Aigner  Aigner's categories are , Chess content, weighted 3x, Interesting reading, weight 3x, Games or puzzles, 2x, writing style 2x, Photos and Miscellaneous 1x