Last weekend, I spent some time scouting in Cedar Rapids to assess the local chess talent. My main motivation for this trip was to observe the five to ten Iowa City chess players who were participating in the event. Among them were some familiar faces, as well as students from schools where I previously coached. During the event, I played a game against the tournament winner, who is currently rated around 1550. He relocated from India around eight months ago and, based on his

Nearly won a big tournament in Middleton Wisconsin but spoiled my chances in the final round due to volatility in my repertoire.

I played in Middleton, Wisconsin this weekend and performed poorly for my rating (4/5) I took a 7 point hit [2230 -> 2223].