i recently joined the site because i wanted somewhere to play chess in my free time and hopefully get a little better at it.  i was playing at yahoo games, but the fools on there either never start the game or quit immediately (although yahoo is good if you want to feel good about yourself and completely destroy someone).

anyway, after i joined and played a few games, i realized that the site has a lot more to offer than just good people to play with. i just want to thank whoever runs this site for making a really really good site.

http://www.chess.com/members/view/erik

Well said! I am also in the Charlotte area and it's nice to see an expression of the hospitality this region is known for.

Welcome, and enjoy playing games!