nbrasington

I don’t like to brag,
But we’re kinda proud of that Ragged Old Flag.
You see, we got a little hole in that flag there
                        When Washington took it across the Delaware.                         
And it got powder-burned the night Francis Scott Key
Sat watching it writing "Oh, Say Can You See".
And it got a bad rip in New Orleans
With Packingham and Jackson tuggin’ at its seams.
And it almost fell at the Alamo
Beside the Texas flag, but she waved on through.
She got cut with a sword at Chancellorsville
And she got cut again at Shiloh Hill.
There was Robert E. Lee, Beauregard and Bragg,
And the south wind blew hard on that Ragged Old Flag.
On Flanders Field in World War I
She got a big hole from a Bertha gun.
She turned blood red in World War II.
She hung limp and low by the time it was through.
She was in Korea and Vietnam.
She went where she was sent by her Uncle Sam.
She waved from our ships upon the briny foam,
And now they’ve about quit waving her back here at home.
In her own good land she’s been abused --
She’s been burned, dishonored, denied and refused.
And the government for which she stands
Is scandalized throughout the land.
And she’s getting threadbare and wearing thin,
But she’s in good shape for the shape she’s in.
‘Cause she’s been through the fire before
And I believe she can take a whole lot more.
So we raise her up every morning,
Take her down every night.
We don’t let her touch the ground
And we fold her up right.
On second thought, I DO like to brag,
‘Cause I’m mighty proud of that Ragged Old Flag.

-- Johnny Cash

INTRODUCTION

Hey there, my name is Noah B! I am a 15-year-old Christian who loves everything chess.

MY CHESS JOURNEY

Almost 3 years ago now, I discovered the game of chess when one of my best friends started really getting into it. He taught me how the pieces move and all of that, and I was fascinated. I decided that I wanted to get much better. I created a Chess.com account, started watching a lot of chess on YouTube and Twitch, and the rest is history.

After about a year of playing chess, I started participating in my first chess tournaments. I was terrified, but I knew it was good for me if I wanted to get better. I faced my fears and kept participating in more and more chess events. Eventually, I started winning trophies and even finished first in a couple of tournaments!

My current USCF regular rating is 1305 and my peak rating is 1338. I look to keep improving and continue to be addicted to the wonderful game of chess, playing around the clock both online and over the board.

SOCIALS

In recent years, I started getting very involved in the social side of Chess.com. I began writing a blog on here and since then have been writing about chess just as often as I have been playing it! I participated in two seasons of an online chess blogging competition called BlogChamps, which gave me an opportunity to get noticed as a writer. After a while, I was even gifted the prestigious role of Chess.com Top Blogger (a big thank-you to Chess.com for that!). 

⬆ Click the image to view my most recent blog post ⬆

In addition to blogging, I started running a growing club here on Chess.com where we discuss everything related to the NBA and the great sport of basketball. Join if you're a basketball (or just sports in general) fanatic like me!

I also began posting chess-related videos on my YouTube channel. They're pretty goofy, but that's still worth a look, in my opinion. I created a Twitch channel as well, but to be honest I don't think I'm ever going to get around to streaming 😅. If you want, you can check that out too, but there isn't much to see over there at the moment.

Through these socials, I have come to know many people in the chess community. I am truly grateful for the experience. It has been so cool.

OTHER RANDOM TIDBITS ABOUT ME

Aside from chess, I enjoy playing sports in general, but mostly basketball. I also really enjoy playing video games, riding my bike, and playing both piano and drums.

I love to watch all sports, both college and professional, and I like to memorize all the players, scores, and stats. My dream job is to be a TV sports commentator/analyst. I will gladly talk sports with anyone who wants to.

If you want to know anything else about me or have questions for me, feel free to ask in my AMA forum. All questions are welcome.

And that's pretty much it. Thanks for reading about me. Cya!