Wrapping up

I turned in my official application for graduation from the community college today. All things considered, it was something of an anticlimax, especially considering there are still seven and a half weeks left in the program. Once I am finished with the program, though, my way will be paved as far as the community college's bureaucracy is concerned.

The World Open chess tournament kicks off tomorrow in Valley Forge, PA. Held every year over Independence Day weekend, the World Open is the largest open chess tournament in the country. There are also a number of side events held concurrently in the same venue, and recently the Philadelphia International was organized to be played the week leading up to the World Open. It's not so much a tournament as a festival of chess, a chance to spend a week eating, sleeping and breathing the game. Unfortunately I cannot attend this year, but I have many fond memories of World Opens past.

Earlier this month, I finished my last game in the correspondence chess tournament in which I'd been competing. Final results have yet to be released, but it appears that my score of 3-2 is good enough for a three-way tie for second-place. I blundered in the final game, but on the whole I was pleased with my games. Correspondence chess is a much different animal than over-the-board chess, but I've been enjoying discovering its nuances.

I was recently invited to contribute to the Collegiate EMS blog, which you can find at collegeems.blogspot.com . If this topic is of interest to you, look for my first post soon. Check back often, as what I write there may or may not be reprinted in this space.