The Open File - One More Story

Submitted by NM Zug on Mon, 11/17/2008 at 3:02pm.

The Open File

by Life Master Mike Petersen (Zug)

One More Story

The first thing I want to tell you about this chess story is that it actually happened. The second thing I want to tell you is that it happened to me. The third thing I want to tell you is what happened.

It was a common sort of local weekend tournament. Unfortunately, I had forgotten to bring my check book to pay the entry fee. Well, wait, that isn't quite correct. I didn't actually forget to bring my check book; I brought my savings book instead. You might think this would be an easy mistake to make. You know, the books look alike and all that. But that's not the case with me. My savings book is an entirely different color. So, the first boo-boo goes to me. Fortunately, the tournament director said it was not a problem. He knew me, so just told me to bring the thing tomorrow. So I did.

Unfortunately, I was a tad late for the first round of the day on Sunday, so I didn't really have the chance to write out the check and give it to the tournament director. Well, one thing leads to another and it gets to be the last round. I eventually draw the game to guarantee myself at least a tie for second. Now the TD comes up to me and says he needs my check. Oops. Yeah, that's right ... I did forget to write my check. But wait. They will owe me much more than my entry fee, so I suggest they just take it out of my winnings. This would save their having to deposit the check and my having to write out another check. Well, the tournament director would have none of this idea. He insisted I write the check. So I did.

Not five minutes later, the tournament ends and they are ready to write out the winners' checks. Oops. Just when it comes my turn to be paid my winnings, they run out of checks when they get to me. That’s right; I am not making this up. Seems they were a tad forgetful and failed to bring another batch of checks with them. No sweat, they say they will give me cash instead. Oops. They don't have enough cash. So they give me what they can, THEN GIVE ME MY CHECK BACK, and STILL owe me $22.00! The ink isn't even dry on the check I wrote, and they give it back.

And they say chess players are smart. Oops.

==========================

Click here for links to Mike's other work on Chess.com

» posted in Other