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The Chicago chapter of the BFOC is alive and well. I met with several brothers while in Chicago this trip. It was good to see some of the old faces that started me on my way in chess.

I have an interview with BFOC founder John T. Porter that will be posted later. But for now here are a couple photos.

Copyright Daaim Shabazz/TheChessDrum.net

This is an older photo of myself (Frank Johnson/left) playing Kent Williams while BFOC founder John T. Porter is speaking Tyrone Lee.

This photo has several different lines of the BFOC shown. This reunion was sponsored by Kent Williams, I believe. I didn’t make the event.

I will be posting additional BFOC photos and history in the upcoming weeks. Please stay tuned.

The Chicago Open has come and gone. This year the chess tournament was held in Wheeling Illinois, approximately an hour outside of Chicago. The facility was nice and well lit. There was a modest amount of participation.

Copyright Frank Johnson/Shootfilm.net

Copyright Frank Johnson/Shootfilm.net

Copyright Frank Johnson/Shootfilm.net

This week I spent a little time with some 8th graders at Alfred Kohn. This group has only recently been exposed to chess. They were anxious to show what they had learned to someone from out of state. Below are just a sampling of photos of this group of ambitious youngsters.

Copyright Frank Johnson/Shootfilm.net

Copyright Frank Johnson/Shootfilm.net

Copyright Frank Johnson/Shootfilm.net

Copyright Frank Johnson/Shootfilm.net

Copyright Frank Johnson/Shootfilm.net

I have been in Chicago for the last several weeks. My dad has been in the hospital. During my downtime I have been exploring various Chess spots around the city. One spot that has been particularly busy is the Borders in Hyde Park. I have seen as many as 25 chess players at this location at one time!

Chess players of all ages and both male and female participate in the chess activities here. Players play both speed chess and slow games. All you have to do to play is knock on the board of interest. The playing strength varies from 1400 to over master.

Copyright Frank Johnson/Shootfilm.net

Copyright Frank Johnson/Shootfilm.net

There hasn’t been enough said about this event or any of the series. This tournament is held in Chicago, Illinois and is an invitational tournament for those seeking FIDE ratings and IM norms.
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