The Laura Aspis Prize (also referred to as the Aspis Prize or Aspis Award) was an award in the game of
chess
Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to disti ...
. Beginning in 1980, it was awarded annually to the number one ranked American chess player under the age of 13 by the
nonprofit
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
educational foundation Chess-in-the-Schools (formerly known as the American Chess Foundation) until 1999.
The first winner of the prize was John Litvinchuk, who became the US Junior Chess Champion in 1986. The prize offered a trophy and $1,500. It was funded by Dr. Samuel L. Aspis and presented in memory of his late wife Laura. Winners included 1989 U.S. Champion
Stuart Rachels
Stuart Rachels (born September 26, 1969) is an American philosopher and International Master of chess. He is the son of the philosopher James Rachels (1941–2003). He tied for first place in the 1989–90 U.S. Chess Championship. Although he is n ...
(1982), 1990 World Junior Champion
Ilya Gurevich
Ilya Mark Gurevich (born February 8, 1972) is a Soviet-born American chess player.
Born in Kyiv, he emigrated to the U.S. in January 1980. He was a student at Yeshiva Academy in Worcester, Massachusetts.
In 1983, Gurevich won the U.S. National ...
(1983), K. K. Karanja (1985), 1997 World Junior Champion
Tal Shaked
Tal Shaked is an American chess grandmaster who is best known for winning the World Junior Championship in 1997.
Shaked learned the game at the age of seven, and developed his chess skills in the scholastic chess organizations of Tucson, Arizon ...
(1991),
Jordy Mont-Reynaud
Jordy Mont-Reynaud (born August 16, 1983) became the youngest ever chess master in the United States when he became a master at the age of 10 years 209 days in 1994 (a record surpassed by Vinay Bhat, and presently held by Samuel Sevian). For his ...
(1994),
Vinay Bhat
Vinay Subrahmanya Bhat (born June 4, 1984) is an American chess player who holds the FIDE title of Grandmaster (chess), Grandmaster (GM)
Chess career
Junior years
Bhat first learned to play chess at the age of 6. His mother taught him and ...
(1996), and 2005 & 2009 U.S. Champion
Hikaru Nakamura
Christopher Hikaru NakamuraList of Aspis Winners 1980-1994 /ref>