By Douglas Holtz-Eakin
The young drop coverage to avoid higher premiums
'Tis the season to roll up the board, pack up the pieces and put some fresh batteries in the old chess clock: The 39th annual Eastern Open, a four-day extravaganza, kicks off Dec. 27 at its longtime home at the Westin Washington D.C. City Center hotel at 1400 M St. NW.
Next time you're dining in Gibraltar, think twice before ordering the pawns. Two sharp games showcasing the notorious Sicilian Poisoned Pawn Variation top the menu today, served up at the just-concluded Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival, held on the British island at the entrance to the Mediterranean.
Some of the top stars of the game are in action in events around the globe this week, but the best performance could be that turned in by a player who hasn't been a factor on the world stage for more than a decade.
The University of Maryland at Baltimore County chess powerhouse has another strong recruit in the pipeline. New Jersey junior master Arthur Shen is the new U.S. cadet champion, edging New York master Michael Bodek on tiebreaks last week at the invitational tournament in Crossville, Tenn., for the top American players younger than 16 last week. Shen, whose elder brother Victor participated in the event two years ago, wins a full ride to UMBC for his victory.
There weren't really any Cinderellas at this Final Four, but an unexpected invitee did walk away with the glass slipper.
