During my second year at the city college, I was told that the education department was offering a “free” course, called Thinking Chess, for three credits. I 【A1】_____the idea of taking the class because, after all, who doesn't want to 【A2】_____a few dollars? More than that, I'd always wanted to learn chess. And, even if I weren't 【A3】_____enough about free credits, news about our 【A4】_____was appealing enough to me. He was an international grand master, which 【A5】_____I would be learning from one of the game's 【A6】_____. I could hardly wait to【A7】_____him. Maurice Ashley was kind and smart, a former graduate returning to teach, and this【A8】_____was no game for him; he meant business. In his introduction, he made it 【A9】_____that our credits would be hard-earned. In order to【A10】_____the class among other criteria, we had to write a paper on how we plan to【A11】_____what we would learn in class to our future professions and【A1】_____to our lives. I managed to get an A in that【A13】_____and learned life lessons that have served me well beyond the【A14】_____. Ten years after my chess class with Ashley, I'm still putting to use what he【A15】_____me: “the absolute most important 【A16】_____that you learn when you play chess is how to make good【A17】_____. On every single move you have to【A18】_____a situation, process what your opponent is doing and【A19】_____the best move from among all your options.” These words still ring true today in my【A20】_____as a journalist.