Hello,
Yes! Jim Thoune is our champion for the third time in four years. Jessica
Lauser and Alex Barrasso gave him some great competition, and I finished far
behind the leaders.
Friday night, we had a chess lesson from Grandmaster, Timur Gariev. Then Mr.
Gariev put on his blind fold and played seven opponents. He stayed around for
the first two rounds before returning to Moscow. This was part of the
uniqueness of this event as we had an international chess player with a rating
of 2615 watching us play and offering his feedback.
Unfortunately, only four of us were able to participate. The games were hotly
contested, and I will ask others to comment on our experience in Kansas.
As I write this message, I believe Jim Thoune is still getting home. Please
join me in congratulating Jim for winning this title as national champion.
Take care.
Al Pietrolungo