"Journal of Chess Research" launches this fall

Quote of the Day - "All too often in the international chess community many benefits of chess are assumed without any empirical research to support such claims. The problem is that there is a definite need to collect data systematically to determine what all of the benefits of chess are. The international chess community is in the enviable position to foster much needed research on chess and its many benefits." - William M. Bart, PhD, University of Minnesota

A new peer-reviewed academic magazine known as the Journal of Chess Research will be begin publication later this year with support from the Susan Polgar Foundation. As a result, empirical research that tests, extends or explores current theory concerning the benefits and scientific implications of the game of chess will be available in a single location.

Presently, there are no scholarly journals that relate specifically to chess research. Previous articles concerning chess research have appeared sporadically in other disciplines and many of these important articles have not been translated into English. Some researchers have remarked that little has been accomplished with respect to scientific research in chess, and what has been done is difficult to identify and retrieve. The articles that do exist continue to be fragmented, poorly cross-referenced and are not centrally indexed to facilitate review and further research. The Journal of Chess Research will bridge that gap.

William M. Bart, PhD, professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Minnesota, is known in the chess world as co-author of the 2003 “Functional MRI study of high-level cognition. I. The game of chess,” published in Cognitive Brain Research, 16, 26-31. Currently, Dr. Bart teaches a college level course entitled “Chess and Critical Thinking.” In accepting his appointment to the 20-member Editorial Board of the new Journal, he remarked:
"All too often in the international chess community many benefits of chess are assumed without any empirical research to support such claims. The problem is that there is a definite need to collect data systematically to determine what all of the benefits of chess are. The international chess community is in the enviable position to foster much needed research on chess and its many benefits."

As a result of these factors, a new world-wide organization known as the International Society for Chess Research (ISCR) has been formed. The

Journal of Chess Research has been designated as the official publication of the new group and will be available to all ISCR members as part of the annual membership fee.

The Journal of Chess Research will be published quarterly in Lexington, Kentucky, and distributed to university libraries, academicians, chess players, researchers and other interested parties both in printed and electronic formats. Each issue is intended to contribute broadly to awareness and understanding of the impact of chess on human development, psychology, cognition, philosophy, sociology, aging, business strategy, education and technology. Manuscripts that make strong empirical and theoretical contributions to the field of chess-related research will be solicited from scholars throughout the academic community, both in the United States and abroad, and will not be tied to any particular discipline, level of analysis or national context.

The Editorial Board, consisting of distinguished educators and physicians from five different countries, will review all articles in advance in order to ensure that contributions to the field meet rigorous academic standards, exhibit technical competence by researchers and topical relevance. Literature reviews will be accepted, at least initially, to generate a meaningful overview of the current status of chess research on a variety of topics such as chess in education, chess and mathematics, chess and cognitive development, chess and self esteem, chess and Alzheimer’s Disease, etc. Articles not previously available in English may also be accepted, if appropriate.

According to Dr. Joseph Ponterotto of Fordham University, also a member of the Journal’s Editorial Board, “The Journal of Chess Research will be open to multiple methodologies, including qualitative research, field and case studies, life story analysis and so forth, in addition to traditional quantitative and experimental research in various combinations. Many chess studies previously published in cognitive and experimental psychology journals are difficult to understand for the average student and scholar of chess research. The articles in the new journal will be published with the goal of being accessible and reader-friendly, to the extent possible, to a wide audience."

In addition, the Journal of Chess Research will provide an information and referral network to connect researchers and learners and to assist those seeking results and interpretations of research findings. This network will be supported by an interactive and engaging web site, scheduled to be unveiled in June, where profiles of personalities involved with chess research and links to copies of articles from all over the world will be available for examination and download.

Frank Niro, President of Chess Journalists of America, will serve as the Managing Editor of the new publication. Mr. Niro is a member of the adjunct faculty at Cornell University where he teaches Strategic and Business Planning in the Graduate Health Administration program. He is former President of the U.S. Chess Trust and is an award winning writer and editor.

Relevant articles between eight and twenty-five pages that conform to the style guidelines contained in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th Edition (APA-6) will be accepted on an ongoing basis. For articles written in a language other than English, abstracts that are translated into English may be submitted. If accepted for publication, the editorial staff will work with the author to get the entire article translated and consistently formatted.

All papers will be reviewed by the Editorial Board and notifications of acceptance will be made to the authors within 30 days of submission. Following acceptance, authors will be given an additional 15 days to submit a final manuscript. Deadlines for receipt of manuscripts for upcoming issues are as follows: Preview Issue – May 9th; Issue #1 – August 8th; Issue #2 - November 7th; Issue #3 – February 6th; Issue #4 – May 8th; Issue #5 – August 7, 2015.

Manuscripts should be attached in a Microsoft Word document and transmitted via e-mail with the subject heading Journal of Chess Research to the Managing Editor: editor@chessresearch.org. Charts and images should be compatible with Adobe Design Standard CS6 software such as InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator. The Journal of Chess Research will be available in both print and digital formats. No fees will be charged to potential contributors.

Inquiries concerning membership in the International Society for Chess Research, proposals, abstracts, web site content and other matters should be mailed to the publication office at: Journal of Chess Research, 3735 Palomar Centre Drive, Suite 150, Lexington, KY 40513.

Click on image to enlarge.

BENEFITS OF CHESS

The Benefits of Playing Chess, according to information collected by the Susan Polgar Foundation are as follows:

Improved test scores and academic achievement
Better mental clarity and overall health
Verbal reasoning skills as well as numerical aptitude
Enhanced creativity, concentration and critical thinking
Increased confidence and self-esteem
Development of memory skills
Ability to patiently plan ahead
Understanding the consequences of actions taken
Perceiving a situation from the other person’s perspective

The Cognitive Benefits of Chess are listed below:

Develop analytical, synthetic and decision-making skills, which young people can transfer to real life.

Learn to engage in deep and thorough chess research to help build confidence in their ability to do academic research.

Help children gain insights into the nature of competition which will help them in any competitive endeavor.

When youngsters play chess they must call upon higher-order thinking skills, analyze actions and consequences, and visualize future possibilities.

In countries where chess is offered widely in schools, students exhibit excellence in the ability to recognize complex patterns and consequently excel in math and science.

The above information concerning the benefits of chess was presented at the SPF fundraiser at the Hungarian Consulate in New York City, May 2013.

Journal of Chess Research web site

International Society for Chess Research web site

Announcement on Susan Polgar Daily News and Information

Chess Benefits in all areas!

regator.com backlink

LIST OF EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS

Best Wine I've Had in a Long Time

So, I bought this bottle of wine at a silent auction in NYC a few months ago to support the Susan Polgar Foundation. Tonight I tried it and I have to say it is REALLY good. Last time I had wine this good was at Al Lawrence's house in Wallkill, NY. I decided to look it up and found the following:

2005 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2005 vintage was exceptional for the Mt. George region of Napa Valley. Our cooler climate ensured wines of great depth and structure. The 2005 Palmaz Estate is deep, lush and wonderfully aromatic. The palate is generous and silky with flavors ranging from dark fruits and cassis to earth and spice. This is a complete wine that drinks well in its youth and will continue to improve over the next decade.


Apellation: Napa Valley
Blend: 97% Cabernet Sauvignon
3% Cabernet Franc
Barrel Aging: 22 Months
100% French Oak
70% New Oak
Analysis: Alcohol 14.5%
pH 3.81
TA 5.1 g/l
Production: 2,800 six-bottle cases
Bottled: September 2007
Harvest: September 8 through November 4th, 2005
Fermentation: N/A
Tank Fermented: N/A

Cabernet is the soul of Palmaz Vineyards. It is the wine that inspired Julio and Amalia to make Cabernets that may be cellared and savored for years to come. The Palmaz Cabernets are deep, complex and well balanced by supple tannins. They are eminently ageable wines, yet approachable enough to be enjoyed in their youth.

Price on the web site - $180.00 per bottle (not case) and they are SOLD OUT!

I'm not a wine reviewer, but my feeling is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, if you can find it.

Sincere thanks to whoever donated it to SPGI for the event!

Now a toast to my friend Jeff in Idaho and his dad. Stay well, my friends.

Chess Journalists appoint new President and VP

The Board of Directors of Chess Journalists of America (CJA) has announced the election of Frank Niro and Jeffrey Roland as interim president and vice president, respectively, of CJA. Mr. Niro replaces Al Lawrence who recently stepped down in order to undergo surgery. Mr. Roland, currently President of Idaho Chess Association and editor of Northwest Chess, fills an existing vacancy. The leadership of CJA has been disrupted in recent years as a result of the passing of veteran journalists Jerry Hanken, John Hillery and Ira Lee Riddle. Niro and Roland have agreed to serve until the next CJA regular election in August.

Frank Niro is former President of the US Chess Trust and was the executive director of the United States Chess Federation (USCF) from 2001 to 2003. He was the editor of the Chess Horizons, the award winning Massachusetts state magazine, from 1984 to 1986, and served as interim editor of Northwest Chess from August to November 2012. Over the years, Frank has been recognized by CJA with individual awards for best feature article, best layout and best photograph. In 1986, he received Honorable Mention in the CJA category of Chess Journalist of the Year.

Additionally, Frank served brief editorial stints with Cap’n Harry’s Long Diagonal, where he was co-editor with Harry Simon, Princeton Children’s Chess News and APCT News Bulletin. He has contributed one or more articles, games, letters or photos to Chess Life magazine in each of the past five decades. Most recently his piece on the 36th Cardinal Open and the passing of Mike Anders appeared in the March 2013 issue of Chess Life and the May 2013 Ohio Chess Bulletin. His eight page tribute to the life and games of Robert Byrne will appear in the August 2013 Chess Life.

Frank passed the CPA exam in 1974 but spent the bulk of his professional career as a hospital administrator in the Boston area. He was selected as one of the “Top 25 turnaround hospital administrators in the U.S.” by Healthweek magazine in March 1989. After suffering a minor stroke in 1998, he enrolled at University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) to pursue a Ph.D. in Chess in Education He withdrew in December 2001 in order to serve as interim Executive Director of the USCF. While at UTD he was assistant coach of the national collegiate championship chess team.

Following a heart attack in February 2003 and a pulmonary embolism a few months later, Frank was unable to maintain the difficult travel schedule and, as a result, resigned his tenure at the helm of the USCF prior to the 2003 US Open in Los Angeles.

Frank relocated to Seattle in 2006 where he lived on the farm of radio personality Delilah Rene (www.delilah.com) while working on his memoir. He is on the faculty of Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, where he serves as Executive-in-Residence in the graduate program in Health Administration and teaches a course entitled “Strategic and Business Planning for Healthcare Professionals.”

Frank has collaborated on five chess books and is still trying to finish his memoir, All Over the Board, scheduled for release in 2014. He is a founding board member of the Susan Polgar Foundation, a non-profit organization that has awarded over $3,000,000 in college scholarships through its partners during the past ten years.

As president of CJA, Frank would like to see the web site expanded to provide resources and instruction to aspiring journalists on a variety of topics including style guides, copyright laws, photo credits, grammar and punctuation tips, diagrams, applets, writing feedback, outstanding examples of chess journalism, a certification track, and use of publication software such as InDesign.


Jeffrey Roland of Boise, Idaho at the Portland Chess Club in Oregon April 2013

As mentioned above, Jeffrey Roland of Boise, Idaho, was elected CJA vice president filling a vacant position on the CJA Board until the upcoming elections at the 2013 U.S. Open in Madison, Wisconsin.

Jeff played his first chess tournament at the age of 17 in 1980. Shortly thereafter, his career as a chess journalist began when he prepared a bulletin for the 1981 Boise State University Invitational. He bought a new typewriter for the purpose of typing each of the games from the October 1981 Boise Open, when he meticulously typed every game of every player in English Descriptive notation in order to save them for posterity. Later, with the help of his mom’s 35mm camera, he began a lifelong fascination with chess photography.

As a result, ICA President John Letterman asked Jeff to serve as contributing editor to the first few issues of the new state publication, Idaho Chess News, in 1982. He soon became the main editor and remained in that position until 1989. Additionally, he edited and published a special Annual issue in 1999. Jeff was a protégée of well known chess player and organizer, Dick Vandenberg, who was himself a Regional Vice President of the U. S. Chess Federation and long time tournament director of Correspondence Chess League of America. Mr. Roland was elected president of ICA for the first time in 1984 and has served multiple terms over the years. His present term expires in March, 2015.

Jeff recently completed a project to scan all of the old Idaho Chess Bulletins from the 1950s and 60s. He initiated the first ICA web site in 1999 and still maintains the current site today. He has remained an energetic catalyst for preserving Idaho’s rich chess history and presently holds the papers of Dick Vandenberg as well former Idaho state champion, Glen Buckendorf, who was the strongest player in Idaho for many years. Both are now deceased but, thanks to Jeff, their results and activities can be researched and enjoyed forever.

“Writing down and documenting tournament results, games and personalities so that they are available to future generations is what has motivated me to volunteer as an organizer and officer,” Roland said. “This urge is entwined in my being and continues as a motivating force. The record needs to be preserved!”

At present, Jeff is a participant in the massive project to scan old issues of Northwest Chess, a regional publication that has been in circulation since November 1947. He is also retyping old Idaho publications into HTML so, for example, names can be searched online. In the process, obvious typos have been corrected to make the search process more meaningful. He hopes to remain in his current role as Northwest Chess editor for many years to come now that he has successfully climbed the learning curve of the Adobe InDesign software.

As a Board member of CJA, Jeff seeks to promote a spirit of record preservation, including an effort to collect game scores at all chess tournaments and the creation of an archive of CJA award winning articles and other examples of good writing to assist aspiring chess journalists. He believes that a formal back-up plan should be developed so that if USCF records become unavailable, as has happened in the past, there is a guarantee that the historical record will be maintained.

“Everything we do today is the history of tomorrow,” Jeff said. “We, as journalists, have a responsibility to maintain an accurate account and not modify or interpret the historical record through a political filter. It is critical that CJA not become a political organization.”

Jeff anticipates working with Interim President Frank Niro, a good friend whom he has worked with on other projects such as the reunification of Idaho with Washington and Oregon into NWC, the publication of Northwest Chess magazine online in both black & white and color editions, and as co-tournament directors at various chess tournaments including the 2011 Portland Centennial. They have already made a commitment to work together to assist in the cataloguing of the USCF library in Crossville, Tennessee, to transition the CJA web site in support of education and research, and to develop a Strategic Plan for the organization in order to position CJA for the future.

For further information, please visit the Chess Journalists of America web site at:
http://chessjournalism.org/

Click here to see this announcement on Susan Polgar Chess Daily News and Information.