Contention arose between the board and the judges concerning the panel's decision not to award prizes for fourth and fifth place, worth $2,500 and $2,000, respectively. This meant that the Svetlana Smolina of Russia and the United States and Vicky Chow of Canada, the two remaining finalists, received no prize money, even though the five semifinalists who had not advanced to the final round received $700 each, according to the paper.

To resolve the discrepancy, the board then voted to give an honorarium of $2,000 to each unranked finalist in recognition of their having reached the finals.