For a change of pace on Labor Day, I forsook my usual tournament, The New England Open, and traveled to Portland, Ore., to play in the 66th Oregon Open. With a guaranteed prize fund of $10,000 and a $2,000 first-place prize, it seemed like a good business decision, and I could pay a visit to Mercer Island, my childhood home. So, the plan was to play in Portland and then fly up the coast to see what was left from my childhood (The answer is: Nothing!).

I had expected to be the second-highest ranked player at the tournament, behind Grandmaster James Tarjan now living in Portland. As it turned out, I was fourth, behind Tarjan, International Master Justin Sakar of New York, and Washington state’s Nick Raptis. Tarjan seemed more interested in playing than winning, as he took two byes. He was held to a draw by 13-year-old Canadian expert Joshua Doknjas in the second round. He finished with 4.5 points and tied for third. Sakar didn’t fare well early on, drawing and losing in the second and third rounds. He also finished with 4.5 points. My tournament started with two good wins. The third round was a not-so-easy win, but in the fourth I got very lucky and drew a game that was lost for many moves. In the fifth, my opponent failed to show up and I got a forfeit point. And in the final round, needing to win as black against a master from Las Vegas, I played a good game and won the event with a 5.5-.5 score.

This year, the sponsoring Portland Chess Club (www.pdxchess.org) nearly tripled the prize fund, added a U1600 section, and made it a two-day event, which helped push attendance to 179 from last year’s 103.

Coming events: 7th Annual Hartford Open, Sept. 23-25, Sheraton Bradley Airport Hotel, Windsor Locks, Conn., www.ChessTour.com

Recent results: Dondis Memorial Wachusett’s CC, 1st: Brett Kildahl, 4.5-.5; Dondis Memorial, Boylston CC, Open: 1st-3rd: Eugene Perelshteyn, Alexander Katz, Jacob Chudnovsky, 3.5-.5; U1800: 1st: Jonathan Hus, 3.5-.5

Answer to today’s problem: 1…Rxd6! 2.Qxd6 (2.exd6 Qe1+ leads to mate) 2…Rd8! wins as 3.Qxe7 Rd1 is mate

Chris Chase can be reached at BostonGlobeChessNotes@gmail.com.