I learned to make the moves when I was about 8 but didn't really start serious play until the Fischer graze of 1972 when I was 24. A chess playing friend at work goated me into playing him chess. I shocked him by winning 2 out 3, so with more effort on his part I failed to win a single game during a two week period. This caused me to study and within a year I was winning most of our games and after two years he couldn't beat me. He also got me into correspondence and over-the-board tournament play. Over-the-board: I placed 3rd in the 1973 Seattle Seafair Open tournament with a low 1400 rating, winning my first games against a 1700, 1800 and 1900 player! In 1980 I took 1st place (shared with two others) in the NW Under 1800 tournament with a perfect 5-0 score and finshed 1st in my class in the 1980 Paul Keres Memorial in Vancouver BC with a 6-1 score.
Correspondence: My best efforts were winning the 1979 Northwest Correspondence Chess Championship and finishing 4th in the 4th United States Correspondence Chess Championship.
I've played chess off and on for many years now, and should know more than I do, I suppose, but I enjoy the game and still study as well as play.
Kibitzing
