<p>Of course I will continue to play recreationally, but the access to tournaments is so different at UTD. I’m a really serious chess player…I have competed internationally and won national events. My friend who goes to UTD was able to play in two major summer tournaments, the US Open and the World Open, for free because UTD paid for them. Additionally, they send teams out to every major tournament in Texas. There is also a thriving chess club in Dallas that is renowned around the US. IU doesn’t have the same access to tournaments, though Pittsburgh is a little better. However, Dallas is a chess capital, while Pittsburgh is not. IU is located at least 4 hours from any tournament venue except for Indianapolis. I would have to stop playing competitively except over breaks and the summer. Since UTD is so cheap, I would be able to hire one of the expensive grandmaster coaches in the Dallas area to train me. In general, my chess would thrive. </p>
<p>So, with all this said, IU and Pitt are definitely better at the sorts of things I would be interested in. But is the discrepancy enough to make me choose either one of them over the chess scene at UTD?</p>