Regrettably I am under orders to make this painless.
To those who played well and beat me I give my thanks for the lessons , for there is always something to learn.
To those who are my peers I thank for the many hard fought games and hours of pleasure.
To those who played well and lost, take heart for there were few easy games.
To those who debated well irrespective of their views held, I give my respect. I have always been able to separate animus from argument.
To the detritus I leave this thought, had it not been for you I would have stayed even though I had no time to play. Simple arithmetic says that you have lost a paying member, more I had already persuaded several pawns to promote and got promises from more. You may (and have) said “good riddance” but who really loses?
Lastly this is not done in a fit of pique, it is the measured response to a set of circumstances with which I am not happy.
Goodbye.