How I Spent My Memorial Day Weekend

Well, most of it, anyway. For a number of years now in our house, this weekend has been synonymous with the Chicago Open, a chess tournament that in spite of its name is an international draw. The tournament began on Friday night and concludes today; I played driver and chaperone for the first three days, with my husband taking over today (the first day of his long-anticipated sabbatical!).

I'm not complaining, mind you; in the last three days I have had more time to think, plan, and ponder than I have had all year. What else is there to do at a chess tournament when you are not the one playing chess? It has been wonderful, except for the fact that the location was changed this year from a venue within a half hour's drive of our house to one that is an hour away. Ouch--why now, with gas in Chicagoland currently costing more than anywhere else in the country?

For those of my readers who may have wondered, just what is one of these tournaments like? here's your answer. Below is an approximately 1-1/2 minute video of the beginning of last night's round. It begins with the sound of the TD's (tournament director's) voice making announcements, then skips forward to a couple of minutes later when the round starts. Notice how much quieter the room suddenly becomes. I quickly scanned the room to give an idea of the scope of the event, and then tried to zoom in on Trevor without getting close enough to distract him.

Please don't fall off your chair with excitement.