I don't mind if you keep the pictures as teaching aids. I have a chain tool to remove links. I'm just a little hesitant to do so because I don't have any extra links at the moment, and if I remove a link, I can't put it back on. I haven't had any problems with it in the past, even when I had it tuned up for the first time about a year ago. I measured the links, and there are exactly 12 links per 1 foot from pin center to pin center, so it doesn't seem like my chain is wearing.

I just had a thought -- would my rear dropout adjusting screws be the culprit here? I was looking at it, and they are screwed in completely, thereby pushing my wheel forward. If I use a Philips head and push my wheels back, would that pull my chain taut so that it doesn't rub?