Hello From Reno!

I arrived in Reno a day early this year, giving me a chance to relax on Thursday and watch the first round of March Madness. Maybe I will study a few chess openings as well. Most of my students arrive tomorrow late afternoon or evening and I'll be busy from that point on.

Check this blog over the weekend for updates from the Far West Open. Round 1 is on Friday at noon PDT (sorry, no live games on the internet). I expect around 200 players to show up. Also make sure to visit the USCF homepage because I have been bribed by the webmaster to write "exclusive" reports and a summary at the end of the tournament. Unfortunately, IM Josh Friedel set the bar pretty high with his descriptive and humorous articles (here's a sample from last year).

For those of you driving up tomorrow or Friday, here is a preview. Have a safe trip!