My plan to play more games in 2014 has gone quiet well so far. In addition to the chess tournament in January, I’ve been able to play a lot of friendly games with folks around Tacoma. Ticket to Ride A few weeks ago I went to Tacoma Games, where I played Ticket To Ride with some local fans of the game, (game pictured above). Tacoma Games sells board games, and also has board game nights, where you can go in to try out new games. This is a really fun game. I have the “Europe” map, but have also now played Read more…

The best chess player in the world right now is a 23-year-old Norwegian guy named Magnus Carlsen. Actually, he’s the best chess player ever–he has a higher chess ranking than any chess player has ever earned. I am not Magnus Carlsen. The degrees of separation between me and him are extreme. This writer at last year’s World Chess Championships puts it well: The skill gap in chess is remarkable: these Grandmasters would demolish someone who would easily beat someone who would wipe me off the board. And I’m guessing that this writer would crush me. Chess is one of those things that Read more…