Garry Kasparov's coming out of retirement is an inspiration to me. I had more or less entered the retiree world, after having been a U.S.C.F. member who had the audacity to fly from Phoenix back in the '80's to play in the World Open Chess Championships which were at that time held at the Adam's Mark Hotel in Philadelphia during the 4th of July weekend. My first go at a major event like that went well, and I got enough prize money to pay for my trip.

Before that, shortly after learning chess from books such as "Chess Made Simple" and the ones in the Fred Reinfeld series, back in the '60's, I played on the Washington High School Chess Team, which had been dormant until friends like Steve Konves, Edwin Zorn, Bill Rumpl, and Herbie Davisson decided it was time to reinstate the H.S. chess club and participate in interscholastic chess when we got the chance. The honor of playing #1 board was mine for a couple of years, until we got a freshman in the club who the U.S.C.F. ranked as one of the top chess players in the under-18 category. I believe his name was Franklyn Yao. He and I only played one game, which I lost, and it's too bad we never got a rematch. But I digress.

At Northern Arizona University, more interscholastic chess followed, and I played #2 board, even though the fellow playing #1 board, Steve Lane, always lost to me in our casual games.

During my brief stay in the U.S. Navy at the end of the Vietnam War, I had the opportunity to play in the 1973 Great Lakes Open, where I won the Class B prize.

On the web, one of my creations was Alekhine Memorial Online Chess, hosted, if I'm not mistaken, by MSN's free forums. When those forums were ended, and soon after Kasparov officially retired, I did too.

But now I'm back!!!

Morphried