i took part in the 22nd york chess congress over the weekend, just for fun. the playing venue was just a 30-minute bus ride away from my place so i didn't have to travel very far.
it was interesting to meet other members of the chessplaying community in york and do battle with them over the board. i even got to play against international master and published chess author richard palliser in the last round (and escaped with a draw)!
i also found out a bit more about the chess scene in york and the uk in general. there is a whole british grand prix circuit, which means that it is literally possible to play in a different city every weekend. but it would just be too draining to balance semi-professional chess, studies and other commitments. over the weekend alone, i sat at the board for close to 20 hours (5 4-hour games which went the distance).
as it is, i'll probably play for york university a few times a term and maybe play for york city/yorkshire county once or twice a year, as the opportunities arise. any more than that would be permissible, but not very beneficial.
""Everything is permissible" - but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible" - but not everything is constructive." - 1 Corinthians 10:23 (NIV)
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