The tournament, run in an experimental format, proved to be a much greater success than anybody had imagined. Several players whose ratings had hovered just below the level required to be invited to the US Championship, finally got to play for the first time. Several young players who are hopes for the future also got to play, an important feature in view of the poor performance of the US Team in Istanbul. However, the greatest success turned out to come from the most controversial feature, because this year for the first time in the history of any country of the world, the US Woman's Championship was combined with the US Championship, which meant that the top women players got to play against the top men.

Jennifer Shahade

This also led to the greatest success of the event, because the sensation of the tournament was 21 year old Jennifer Shahade, who won the US Woman's Chess Championship without playing a single game against another woman. She won the tournament by playing primarily male grandmasters. In the first round she defeated grandmaster Sagalchik. She later had hard fought draws with grandmasters Kudrin, Seirawan and Fedorowicz.

By the last round, Jennifer had already made an International Master's norm. She needed to win the last round game against Grandmaster Stripunsky to gain a Grandmaster norm plus to tie for third in the overall US Championship. Although she lost in a nail biting endgame, Jennifer without doubt produced the greatest result ever for a woman chess player born in the United States.

However, Jennifer is being jeered by her detractors. Eric Johnson, also known as "ChessPride", who is a former USCF official in charge of FIDE affairs, wrote "she played some friendly opponents" and "Yasser has an interest in the tourney having a successful woman title winner" and "could be classified as a 'favorable opponent'." Johnson also wrote "Not all players are cutthroat ... and saw no reason to "ruin" her good start.

Similarly, Tim Hanke, who was Press Secretary at the 1999 FIDE World Championship, wrote "It clear that as a female, Shahade gets plenty of other favors ... [because she is] young, fresh, and female.

Because of these remarks, I have decided to post all the games played by Jennifer Shahade in the 2002 US Chess Championship. I now call upon Mr. Johnson, Mr. Hanke and anybody else who cares to comment to point out exactly which opponents were friendly and in which games she received easy opponents.

Sam Sloan

An Empty Chess Board

[Event "ch-USA"]
[Site "Seattle USA"]
[Date "2002.01.05"]
[Round "01"]
[White "Shahade,Jennifer"]
[Black "Sagalchik,G"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C82"]
[WhiteElo "2302"]
[BlackElo "2531"]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3
d5 8.dxe5 Be6 9.Nbd2 Nc5 10.c3 Bg4 11.Bc2 Qd7 12.Re1 Be7
13.Nf1 Bh5 14.b4 Na4 15.Ng3 Nxc3 16.Qd2 Bg4 17.Qxc3 Bxb4
18.Qe3 Bxf3 19.Bf5 Qe7 20.Bd2 g6 21.Bxb4 Qxb4 22.Qxf3 Nd4
23.Bd7+ Kxd7 24.Qxf7+ Kc8 25.Rac1 Ra7 26.Qxd5 c6 27.Qe4 Rd7
28.e6 Rd6 29.Qg4 Kc7 30.e7 Re8 31.Qg5 Re6 32.Rxe6 Nxe6 33.Qd5
Nd4 1-0

An Empty Chess Board

[Event "ch-USA"]
[Site "Seattle USA"]
[Date "2002.01.06"]
[Round "02"]
[White "Kudrin,S"]
[Black "Shahade,Jennifer"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B91"]
[WhiteElo "2524"]
[BlackElo "2302"]

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 cxd4 5.Nxd4 a6 6.g3 e5 7.Nb3
Be7 8.Bg2 O-O 9.O-O Nbd7 10.a4 b6 11.Nd2 Qc7 12.Re1 Bb7 13.Nf1
Rac8 14.Ne3 g6 15.Re2 Rfd8 16.Ned5 Nxd5 17.Nxd5 Bxd5 18.Qxd5
Qc4 19.Qxc4 Rxc4 20.Be3 Rb8 21.Rd2 Nc5 22.b3 Rc3 23.h4 h5
24.Ra2 a5 25.Rd1 Na6 26.Bd2 Nb4 27.Bxc3 Nxa2 28.Bd2 Rc8 29.Be3
Rxc2 30.Bxb6 Nc1 31.Bxa5 Nxb3 32.Bb6 Ra2 33.Rb1 Nd2 34.Rb4 d5
35.Rb5 Rxa4 36.exd5 Nc4 37.Bc7 Ra1+ 38.Kh2 Rd1 39.Rb8+ Kg7
40.Re8 Kf6 41.f4 1/2-1/2

Jennifer Shahade vs. Yasser Seirawan, final position. Draw by perpetual check.

[Event "ch-USA"]
[Site "Seattle USA"]
[Date "2002.01.07"]
[Round "03"]
[White "Shahade,Jennifer"]
[Black "Seirawan,Yasser"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B14"]
[WhiteElo "2302"]
[BlackElo "2644"]

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.c4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 e6 7.c5
Be7 8.Bb5 Bd7 9.Bxc6 Bxc6 10.Nf3 Ne4 11.Bxe7 Qxe7 12.Qc2 e5
13.Nxe4 exd4 14.O-O dxe4 15.Nxd4 O-O 16.Nxc6 bxc6 17.Rfe1 f5
18.Rad1 Rad8 19.b4 Qe6 20.a4 a6 21.Qe2 Qb3 22.Rxd8 Rxd8
23.Qxa6 Qxb4 24.Rc1 Qa3 25.Qc4+ Rd5 26.h3 h5 27.Rc3 Qb2 28.Rc2
Qe5 29.Rd2 e3 30.Rxd5 cxd5 31.Qe2 f4 32.fxe3 fxe3 33.c6 Qc3
34.a5 d4 35.a6 Qc1+ 36.Kh2 Qxc6 37.Qa2+ Kh7 38.a7 e2 39.Qxe2
Qc7+ 40.g3 Qxa7 41.Qxh5+ Kg8 42.Qe8+ Kh7 43.Qh5+ Kg8 44.Qe8+
Kh7 45.Qh5+ 1/2-1/2

An Empty Chess Board

[Event "ch-USA"]
[Site "Seattle USA"]
[Date "2002.01.08"]
[Round "04"]
[White "Fishbein,A"]
[Black "Shahade,Jennifer"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E90"]
[WhiteElo "2497"]
[BlackElo "2302"]

1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 g6 3.d4 Bg7 4.d5 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.e4 O-O 7.h3 e6
8.Bd3 exd5 9.exd5 Re8+ 10.Be3 Bh6 11.Qd2 Qe7 12.O-O-O Bxe3
13.fxe3 a6 14.e4 Nbd7 15.Rhf1 Kg7 16.Rf2 b5 17.b3 b4 18.Na4
Ra7 19.Rdf1 Ng8 20.Bb1 f6 21.Nb2 Nh6 22.g4 Nf7 23.h4 Rf8 24.g5
fxg5 25.hxg5 Nfe5 26.Nh4 Rxf2 27.Rxf2 Nf7 28.Nf5+ gxf5 29.exf5
Kh8 30.f6 Qe5 31.Re2 1-0

An Empty Chess Board

[Event "ch-USA"]
[Site "Seattle USA"]
[Date "2002.01.09"]
[Round "05"]
[White "Shahade,Jennifer"]
[Black "Strugatsky,V"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C06"]
[WhiteElo "2302"]
[BlackElo "2431"]

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.c3 c5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.Ne2
cxd4 8.cxd4 f6 9.exf6 Nxf6 10.Nf3 Bd6 11.O-O Qc7 12.Bg5 O-O
13.Bh4 Nh5 14.Qc2 h6 15.Bg6 Rxf3 16.Bxh5 Rf8 17.Bg3 Bd7
18.Rad1 Rac8 19.Qd2 Rf6 20.Bh4 g5 21.Bg3 Bxg3 22.hxg3 Be8
23.Bg4 Qg7 24.Nc3 Rd8 25.Rfe1 Bf7 26.Re3 h5 27.Be2 Bg6 28.Bb5
Rdf8 29.Re2 Bf5 30.Qe3 Ne7 31.Bd3 Rh6 32.Bxf5 Rxf5 33.Qd3 h4
34.g4 Rf4 35.Rde1 Kf7 36.Nb5 Rff6 37.Nd6+ Kg8 38.Ne8 Qf7
39.Nxf6+ Rxf6 40.Qd2 Rf4 41.Rxe6 Nc6 42.b4 Rxg4 43.Qe2 Rf4
44.b5 Nxd4 45.Re8+ Kg7 46.Qe7 Kg6 47.Qxf7+ Rxf7 48.a4 h3
49.Rg8+ Kf6 50.Rd1 Ne2+ 51.Kf1 Nc3 52.Rd3 hxg2+ 53.Kxg2 Ne2
54.Kf3 Nf4 55.Rd1 Kf5 56.Rg1 Ne6 57.Ke3 b6 58.Kd2 Ke5 59.Re1+
Kf5 60.Re8 Nc5 61.R8e7 Rxe7 62.Rxe7 Nxa4 63.Rxa7 Nc5 64.Ra6
Nd7 65.Ke3 Ke5 66.Ra7 Nc5 67.Re7+ Kd6 68.Rg7 Ne6 69.Rg6 Ke5
70.Rxg5+ 1-0

An Empty Chess Board

[Event "ch-USA"]
[Site "Seattle USA"]
[Date "2002.01.10"]
[Round "06"]
[White "Shahade,Jennifer"]
[Black "Schneider,Dm"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C07"]
[WhiteElo "2302"]
[BlackElo "2412"]

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.Ngf3 cxd4 6.Bc4 Qd8
7.Nb3 Nc6 8.Nbxd4 Nxd4 9.Nxd4 a6 10.Bf4 Nf6 11.O-O Be7 12.Re1
O-O 13.c3 Nd5 14.Be5 Bf6 15.Qe2 Bxe5 16.Qxe5 Nf6 17.Rad1 Qb6
18.Rd3 Ng4 19.Qh5 e5 20.h3 Nxf2 21.Rf3 Be6 22.Bxe6 fxe6
23.Qxe5 Rxf3 24.gxf3 Nd3 25.Qxe6+ Qxe6 26.Rxe6 Nxb2 27.Rb6 Na4
28.Rxb7 Nxc3 29.a3 Nb5 30.Nxb5 axb5 31.Rxb5 Rxa3 1/2-1/2

Final Position, Fedorowicz vs. Shahade, agreed draw.

[Event "ch-USA"]
[Site "Seattle USA"]
[Date "2002.01.11"]
[Round "07"]
[White "Fedorowicz,John"]
[Black "Shahade,Jennifer"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "E18"]
[WhiteElo "2517"]
[BlackElo "2302"]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 Be7 6.O-O O-O 7.Nc3
Ne4 8.Bd2 Nxc3 9.Bxc3 Be4 10.Bh3 c5 11.d5 Bxf3 12.exf3 Bf6
13.Rc1 Bxc3 14.Rxc3 e5 15.Re1 d6 16.Qa4 f5 17.f4 Nd7 18.fxe5
dxe5 19.d6 e4 20.Qd1 Kh8 21.f3 Ne5 22.fxe4 f4 23.gxf4 Rxf4
24.d7 Qh4 25.Rf1 Rxf1+ 26.Qxf1 Qxe4 27.Qd1 Rd8 28.Ra3 Qg6+
29.Rg3 Qf7 30.b3 h6 31.a4 Qf4 32.Kh1 Qe4+ 33.Kg1 Qd4+ 34.Qxd4
cxd4 35.Kf2 Nxd7 36.Bxd7 Rxd7 37.Ke2 g5 38.Kd3 Kg7 39.b4 Kf6
40.Rh3 Kg6 41.c5 bxc5 42.bxc5 g4 43.Rg3 Kf5 44.Rg1 h5 45.c6
Rc7 46.Rc1 Ke5 47.Rc5+ Kd6 48.Rxh5 Kxc6 49.Kxd4 Rg7 50.Rh6+
Kc7 51.Kc4 g3 52.hxg3 Rxg3 1/2-1/2

An Empty Chess Board

[Event "ch-USA"]
[Site "Seattle USA"]
[Date "2002.01.12"]
[Round "08"]
[White "Ambarcumjan,A"]
[Black "Shahade,Jennifer"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D94"]
[WhiteElo "2388"]
[BlackElo "2302"]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.e3 O-O 6.Bd2 c5 7.dxc5
Na6 8.cxd5 Nxc5 9.Bc4 Bf5 10.O-O Rc8 11.Qe2 Nfe4 12.Nxe4 Bxe4
13.Bb4 Na4 14.Ba3 Nxb2 15.Bxb2 Bxb2 16.Qxb2 Rxc4 17.Ne5 Rc5
18.Qd4 Qxd5 19.Nd7 Qxd4 20.exd4 Rg5 21.Rfe1 Rxg2+ 22.Kf1 Rxh2
23.f3 Rd8 0-1

An Empty Chess Board

[Event "ch-USA"]
[Site "Seattle USA"]
[Date "2002.01.13"]
[Round "09"]
[White "Shahade,Jennifer"]
[Black "Stripunsky,A"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B15"]
[WhiteElo "2302"]
[BlackElo "2542"]

1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 c6 4.Nf3 d5 5.h3 dxe4 6.Nxe4 Nd7 7.Bc4
Ngf6 8.Qe2 O-O 9.O-O b5 10.Bb3 a5 11.Nxf6+ exf6 12.a3 Re8
13.Be3 Nb6 14.Qd2 a4 15.Ba2 Be6 16.Bxe6 Rxe6 17.Rfe1 Qd5
18.Qc3 Qd7 19.Qd3 Bf8 20.Bd2 Nc4 21.Bc3 Rae8 22.Rxe6 Rxe6
23.Nd2 Nb6 24.Bb4 Bxb4 25.axb4 Qe7 26.c3 Re1+ 27.Rxe1 Qxe1+
28.Kh2 Qxf2 29.Ne4 Qf5 30.Qe2 Nc4 31.Nc5 Kg7 32.Nxa4 bxa4
33.Qxc4 Qf4+ 34.Kg1 Qc1+ 35.Kh2 Qxb2 36.h4 h5 37.Qxc6 a3 38.d5
a2 0-1

• Jennifer Shahade's team, 75% Pure Shahade, finished in fifth place again at the 2000 US Amateur Team Championship East.
• US Woman's Chess Olympic Team formed
• Americans Win US Chess Championship
• Ruslan Ponomariov is the new World Chess Champion
• The Unknown Girl Chessplayer is Unmasked
• Steve Brandwein, Professional Chess Hustler
• Why Kramnik Can't Get No Respect as World Chess Champion
• Protest to US Chess Championship
• Jennifer Shahade Fabulous Result in US Chess Championship
• Alexandra Kosteniuk is the new Anna Kournikova of chess
• Frank Niro is the new Executive Director of the United States Chess Federation
• World Chess Champion Bobby Fischer Interviewed over the Radio
• Report on the World Chess Olympiad in Istanbul
• Hikaru Nakamura makes master at 10 years, 2 months