That hand is mine. Arnold Denker, the Dean of American Chess, is the one shaking it.

What followed was far less ceremonial. Shortly after this encounter, I was tossed around by the other state champions. I was bruised, beaten, and thoroughly outplayed. Game after game, I was clearly behind, tactically, psychologically, and in preparation. It was a sobering experience and a turning point in my chess life.

For a long time afterward, it marked the beginning of something close to resentment, not toward the players, but toward the game itself. I was weaker, or simply far less prepared, than those around me, and the board made no allowances for that. If memory serves, William Aramil of Chicago won that year, and again the year after, a remarkably strong player.

Looking back now, the lesson is clear. Chess is unforgiving, but it is honest. It shows you exactly where you stand, and whether you are ready for the work required to move forward.