Interview on Irish radio

Want to hear me talking about something other than chess? Last week the Irish radio station, RTÉ Lyric FM, broadcast a three-part interview with me on a program called The Culture File, hosted by Luke Clancy. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to record this...

Seeking Clarity

“I woke up with a headache like my head against a board/ Twice as cloudy as I’d been the night before/ And I went in seeking clarity.” — Indigo Girls, “Closer to Fine” Besides being a line from one of my two favorite songs in the...

Knights are Tricky

The U.S. Chess League started its eighth season this week, and for the first time I watched online at chess.com. (Thanks to Gjon Feinstein for tipping me off to the fact that the games were being streamed there.) I mostly followed the San Francisco – Carolina...

State Championships

In my last post I did not have any information on who won the Northern California state championship. I will now make up for my shortcomings as a reporter by telling you who won all the state championships this weekend. (Labor Day weekend is the traditional time for...

The Agony and the Ecstasy

I just got home from the CalChess Labor Day Championship, a tournament that for me had plenty of both agony and ecstasy. The short summary is that I went 3½-2½ in the Expert section, a result that for me is not very good. I almost certainly lost a few rating points....