Saturday, May 19, 2007

2007 US Chess Championship Update

I didn't post yesterday because after a court appearance I went to pick up a spectator at the Oklahoma City airport and took them up to the US Championship in Stillwater. The tournament will continue through Wednesday. Here is a group of photos of the players and organizers of the event.

After the first round, I took some of the players out to dinner at Stillwater's famous restaurant Eskimo Joe's. Billed as "Stillwater's Jumpin' Little Juke Joint," Eskimo Joe's is one of Stillwater's famous eating attractions. The players that accompanied me that night were IM Irina Krush (who "Krushed" me in table tennis last night 21-18), IM Joshua Friedel, FM Robert Hess, Irina Zenyuk and IM Alan Stein who is acting as second to Friedel and IM David Pruess.

Last night the players wanted to go back to Eskimo Joe's (again?!). Tagging along were Krush, Zenyuk, Stein, Hess, Friedel, Pruess and Pruess' high-school teammate -- who is a professional poker player in Las Vegas -- although I can't remember his name (but he lost a lot of money playing poker in Tulsa, as we say in Oklahoma "That'll learn ya, darn ya."*), GM Eugene Perelshteyn and IM Bryan Smith. I think I am missing someone, but I can't remember who it is. I will have to ask the players and update it later.

*In Oklahoma, when saying this phrase, you say "darn" to rhyme with "learn."

***Update*** That semi-famous poker pro was Richard Grijalva.

No comments: