Greetings NC Chess Fans! Chicago Champion Craig "The Conqueror" Jones (USCF 2297) has committed to play this Saturday, June 9th at The Asheboro Open XXV. Do you have a chess death wish, or do you feel lucky?  Perhaps you just want your own chance to make "Craig's List."  I made that list of victims once myself.  I still have flashbacks :-).  Seriously, though, North Carolina's National Master Craig Jones is certainly one of the strongest players in the state.  Come see him in action this weekend!  Who knows?  Even Fischer lost occasionally.  You may just be in for the upset of your chess career!  We are anticipating quite a strong turnout this weekend based upon pre-entries. Sincerely, Tom Hales, LTD ************************************************ The Asheboro Open   F AN T AS T I C NEWS FLASH!!    FANTASTIC N EW S FLASH!!    FANTASTIC NEWS F LA S H!! I have some FANTASTIC NEWS!  One of the things beyond our control has been some problems with our venue at Days Inn.  There has been a change in ownership, and we are expecting dramatic changes.  Some of these changes were already in place at the previous Asheboro Open.  The NEW OWNERS have a different attitude:  that our players deserve peace & quiet.  There were no significant noise problems at The Asheboro Open last month.  The new owners are also zealous about cleaning and maintenance.  So I believe we can look forward to continuing improvement over the next few months.   The Asheboro Open XXV is this Saturday, June 9, 2007.  Last month, twenty one of North Carolina's Chess Vanguard gathered in Asheboro.  When the pawns settled, it was one for the record books!  Three players in their 1700s clawed their way past three former TAO Champions to tie for 1st place in a three way split.  Congratulations to Ken Ivens, Jonathan Hudson, and Larry Williams:  Our May 2007 TAO Champions!  The Asheboro Open draws folks from all parts of North Carolina.  We have even had players from Virginia, West Virginia, and Tennessee!  Variety is part of the BIG TOURNAMENT experience we work to bring you each month at The Asheboro Open.  If you haven't been to The Asheboro Open lately, come see what all the excitement is about!