Turkey Open 2016 - Round 1

Part of me was reluctant to plunge back into a serious tournament so soon after clinching the state championship. Why not relax and coast on a high note for a while? But I reminded myself that I play this game because I love it, and there's always room to improve anyway. That lesson got driven home in Round 4, where I had victory in my grasp but walked into defeat with a boneheaded blunder or two. So much the better, though, as I had fun and learned another valuable lesson. 

In Round 1 I had my first chance to play Gary Solomon, who has slain a few giants and cannot be taken lightly. But my time to topple hadn't arrived yet.