There are 13 categories of awards. Each category is won by a specific Chessgames member, with the exceptions of #12 (Pun of the Year) and #13 (Player of the Year). Some of you might have some questions so we scribbled some notes for each category below.

There is no special voting booth for this process. You nominate/vote by making a normal post in the Chessforum below.

<Best Avatar> This must be an avatar currently in use by the member in question.

<Best Username> It's not required that the person signed-up in 2012.

<Most Helpful> Helpful in the sense of showing new people the ropes, providing links to the live video right when everybody needs it the most, and so forth. Not to be confused with "Most Constructive" below.

<Best Post> The post in question must be from 2012.

<Funniest Poster> Chessgames admins are excluded from this category ;-)

<Most Constructive> Making helpful suggestions to improve the website, organizing Chessgames members for any productive reason, regularly doing things that help the community, etc.

<Best Profile> It's not necessary that the profile was created in 2012.

<Best Analysis> Computer analysis does NOT count.

<Best Game Collection> It's not necessary that the collection was created in 2012.

<Most Informed> The kibitzer who seems to have all the answers at the tip of his or her fingertips.

<Best Historian> You'll probably want to check out Biographer Bistro for some ideas here.

<Best/Worst Pun of the Year> See Game of the Day Archive for the previous 365 puns.

<Player of the Year> This is our new category. It is not necessarily the strongest player of the year, but the most laudable player of the year, for whatever reason.

9. For Best Game Collection I nominate <Phony Benoni> in honor Game Collection: Game of the Day Pun Index (A-C) (and the others completing the alphabet)

10. I nominate <frogbert> for Most Informed

12. For Best/Worst Pun I nominate "Like a Hot Knife Through Baadur" Gelfand vs Jobava, 2011

"best pun of the year for 2012" - WannaBe

"I dont know whats better the game or the pun... I vote for both !!!" -checkmateyourmove

"Quite possibly the greatest pun in the history of chessgames.com" -bright1

1. Best Avatar - <parmetd> (User: parmetd) for his "octopi"

5. Funniest Poster - I like <Once> (User: Once) Not everybody likes his quirky daily puzzle commentary, but I do.

11. Best Historian - <Phony Benoni> (User: Phony Benoni) is the backbone of the Bistro.

12. Best/Worst Pun of the Year - I like Gossip vs Bird, 1873, "A Little Bird Told Me", a delightful double pun, not sure who came up with it.

13. Player of the Year - I'm going to nominate Phiona Mutesi because she deserves to be on the ballot.

<The people that tiredlessly work behind the scene in the Historical Tournament Project.

Who hides in the Biographer Bistro, never see the light of day, poring over old, yellow, probably folded over and over magazines, or newspaper clippings to verify moves, dates, names, and location.

Some, most likely, have to re-remember how to read descriptive game notation!

The ones who spent their energy recomposing games' PGNs and submission to make this site better.>

I nominate <checkmateyourmove> for best user name

I nominate <Ceri> for best analysis.

I nominate <Annie K.> for <Most Helpful>.

I nominate <morfishine> for <Most Constructive>.

I nominate <Phony Benoni> for <Best Historian>.

I nominate <WannaBe> for <Funniest Poster>.