[Sleeping in EQ]

I haven't played in one in a few years, but now that an active chess club is practically in my backyard....

Does anyone else play chess?

A tournament at the end of August will be a swiss pairings game-in-60, so there's time to play closed openings.

As white, I like the lines in the Ruy Lopez. I'll play a King's Gambit if the mood strikes me. As black, I like to play the French against king pawn and the Benoni against queen pawn. I steer English and offbeat openings into either the French or QGD. I'll also sometimes play the Petroff, the Sicilian, and the Queen's Gambit Declined.

My taste probably frustrates some opponents. Tournament players who play king pawn often like aggressive, tactical play. The French is a cramped, but rock-solid defense that punishes aggressive play. Those who like careful, positional play often go queen pawn. The Benoni is a swindling, swashbuckling opening that few are prepared for.