Becoming a Grandmaster

Some time ago, a friend from high school who blogs about various topics (as do I) pointed me to his entry on chess. In it, he mentioned me, and I was surprised to discover that I had...become a Grandmaster. Wow, that was easy, and here I spent all that time studying chess trying to get there the hard way.

I explained to my friend that I was rather far from being a master, much less a Grandmaster. No doubt "Grandmaster" makes better copy than "Class A player" (a level I have yet to regain after falling from grace again). My friend said he would edit his entry to correct the error, but I have never verified that. Maybe I still am a Grandmaster.


The above incident came to mind recently, after I met a fellow who is not part of the chess tournament world. He told me that he knew a pair of now-deceased brothers who became Grandmasters. I asked for their names, which turned out to be John and Bob Loyte. I once played John in a tournament game, but I didn't know he had a brother who also played chess. I explained to this fellow that John Loyte was not actually a Grandmaster, even if he was good enough to beat me.
:-)
Something tells me Bob may not have been a Grandmaster, either, but I suppose I could give him the benefit of the doubt....


So, dear reader, you, too, may already be a Grandmaster. Far and away better than (also now-deceased) funnyman Rodney Dangerfield's fate, as delivered to him in a form letter ("You may already be a loser.").