Hmm, I guess the party has started and as usual I'm the only one sitting down here in a room full of computers. Wait, the tech guys setting up the live game broadcasts are still working too. That makes me feel better.
The ChampBlog is now up at the official site. I grabbed Chief Arbiter Carol Jarecki for the first guest entry. I'm hoping for a cool, unfiltered experience by getting the players to blog. But I think Carol has dreams of being a novelist instead of an arbiter. I bet the players will be looser after the cocktail party, so stay tuned.
Mig...if you have a chance, get out into the desert with someone knowledgable. The plant and animal adaptations to their environment are fascinating. I know, it has nothing to with chess (although a grandmaster can at times be as prickly as a cactus :-), but it would be a shame if you were stuck in a room full of computers the whole time. Regardless of what you do though, hope you enjoy yourself. I'm looking forward to the blogs.
What, no ability for us in the peanut gallery to leave comments?
Have a great time, that's a beautiful part of the country.
I believe that weblogs may well become a major form of tournament reporting in the future, especially for smaller events which can't afford the time and expense of creating a full-fledged website.
I set-up a blog in August to cover our local club championship -- reporting on results, standings, games, background and color, etc. over the several months of the tournament. If you are interested, check it out at http://2004-bcc-championship.blogspot.com/
It's not always the technology...Carol did a wonderful job of sending us "on the scene" reports for the 1997 US Championship in Phoenix. Considering all the other things she had to do, it was a real kindness to the fans (and to me, as then webmaster for the official site).
http://www.uschess.org/news/uschamp97/uschamp97_jarecki1.html
The one thing we couldn't get easily then was pictures!
Have fun--
Duif
The ChampBlog is fantastic! Really great idea. Perhaps if you do end up putting up bios you could include a few of the ChampBlog quotes, too.
I know it's all a great deal of work, but be assured it is MUCH appreciated. :)
(And at least you know when you'll get to your time off. Can you imagine what it would have ben like to be s webmaster for the unlimited games championship format?)
--duif
Mig,
I'd love to see a 2nd round blog by both Anna Levina and Matthew Hoekstra. Especially as they both attend Duke University.
Sara
I'm sorry to see Jarecki getting positive press. In my experience, she is NOT a good arbiter. I played in a tournament where she denied me my priviledges under the rules (which she claimed she wrote). I demanded to see the rulebook, which she refused to produce and walked away. She seems to have contempt for the average player.
more casella blogs please