Dear Readers,

I didn’t think I would have this issue for you. I didn’t think I could fulfill my promise of four issues’ worth of content in the year 2016. Life was busy, and contributions were slow.

And then, a Christmas Miracle happened. The contributions started piling in. Writers – good writers, the best chess minds in the state – started sending great articles. And boy, was there a lot to write about – from Ryan and Tianna Wang representing the U.S. at the World Cadets’, to Carissa Yip continuing to tear up the record books, to Mika Brattain winning the Denker, to Alexander Ivanov running roughshod in Reno, it is an exciting time to be a chess fan in Massachusetts.

So Happy Holidays, everyone. Enjoy!

- Nathan Smolensky, Editor