I played in this, my first rated tournament. In Round One, I played Black against a player whose rating was roughly 1390; result: 1-0. In Round Two, I played White against a player whose rating was roughly 1130; result: 1/2 -1/2. In Round Three, I played Black against a player whose rating was 120 (yes, 120); result: 0-1.

Driving to the event was uneventful until I exited I-69 going East at the Center Road exit. The exit ramp was full of cars, so I and the driver behind me both had a very short distance to slow to a stop after going 70 mph. Fortunately, each of us stopped without hitting the car in front of us.

Once I got on to Center I drove for a mile or so before realizing I was going South when I needed to go North. I didn't make it to the tournament until a few minutes after the 6:25 registration deadline. But, in the afternoon, I had spoken over the phone with the tournament director, and he knew to expect me. So when I got there I was able to write a check to join the Michigan Chess Association ($20 annual dues) and join the 11 other players in the tournament.

There was more than enough equipment, and the TD supplied score sheets. I was glad to use my new set and clock (DGT Easy Plus). I had the clock set for 25 min, and my first opponent kindly set the clock to include a five-second delay.

Round One

Round Two

Round Three

Of these three games, I enjoyed the second one the most and the third one the least. The second one was the most exciting, and I felt like my attack was controlling the direction of the game. The third one was no challenge, and my opponent wasn't even 10 years old.