085 - Leland: I took to heart your question about when a good time frame would be for your proposed NC vs. SC Closed. So, I looked at the calendar.   1) LOTS has a lock on the Jan./early Feb. spot 2) The LPO basically the same for late July/early Aug. 3) State Championship pretty much in Sept. 4) It would be good if the NC Class could continue in the May timeframe 5) Don't forget the main scholastic events -- the States in early March; the Southern Scholastic in early Dec. (a mere 300 showed up for the Southern Scholastic last year) 6) A few Wild Cards: Cajun Chess has no track record in NC but they have a tourney slated for late Aug. We'll see what happens. The S.C. Championships has been rather steady in Oct. in Columbia. Let's face it, North Carolina players are supporting that, too. Also, CMSCA's Fake Copper Blankets, which have no timetable but draw 60-70 players at a time. Let's not forget Kevin Hyde, who already has some big stuff on the 2006 slate.   Throw that all in a pot and a few things pop out. The November timeframe looks promising. Kids are back playing and there is nothing on the adult outlook. Tony Hicks had the same idea last year -- just other things didn't work out. Also, the April timeframe is a possibility. Somewhere between the State Scholastic and the Class Championships. How about this weekend! (ha ha, just kidding) That's my two cents. One thing to remember, the chess calendar has been pretty active this year. Hopefully, it's not a one-year phenom. I remember a few years ago when the Smokehouse would be the only tournament for an entire month in the state. Not anymore. Check out the tournament calendar at NC Chess. There are 12 entries for the rest of April alone!! We may be pushing the envelope on what the market can bear. Many thanks for your advice to Tom Hales in Asheboro. I should have known he was getting sage counsel somewhere. Randy Wheeless, VP NCCA