I don't remember the exact moment I learned to play chess, but I must have been about 8-9 years old. My mother taught me. She had this old wooden fold-out board, the kind that held the pieces captive inside when not in use. I keep it because I am a nostalgic person at heart.

My mother learned from her father and Uncle Jack. My grandfather, a second generation Irishman who served in WWII, grew up playing chess with his brothers. My mom says she has memories of him sitting at the table studying chess manuals.

When I was first taught the game, my mother used to punish me with Scholar's Mate. I began surviving longer, and at some point I began reading some books and became a little better. I don't remember when I first beat my her, but it wasn't long before she refused to play me any more. I continued playing at a low amateur level for years, with only an occasional game against friends, or at the local coffee house. I was probably playing between 1000-1200 at that time.

Then I met Ed.

Ed was the kind of guy who taught himself computer programming when he was nine and created his own video game, yet dropped out of college and worked at Burger King. Well, my dear friend Ed had no determination to get a higher education, but he sure was determined to get better at chess. Ed hated to lose. Like myself, Ed started late, but when he began playing at the coffee house and lost games to his peers, he decided to do something about it. He began buying and studying books by the dozen. It wasn't long until he was the top player there. I had become good friends with him at this point, and began studying with him. I would say that over the couple of years I played with Ed, and reading a couple of his books, my rating went up about 200 points, to around the 1200-1400 level, where it stayed for nearly ten years.

Ed and I played for a small while with the Bakersfield Chess Club during the late nineties. Ed was improving faster than I was, but I was determined to catch up with him, and we probably played a hundred games against each other, with about a split result. To us, it was like Kasparos vs. Karpov!

Alas, things changed. Ed passed away unexpectedly in early of January 2000. Moment's like that change a man forever. I became very inactive after that. Every time I go to a tournament, I think about how much Ed would have loved playing in such a huge event as the National Open. I think how we would have driven there together, shared a room, and stayed up until 2am studying the Yugoslav Attack of the Sicilian Dragon.

Life goes on...

Beginning in 2007, I started returning to the world of chess with more seriousness, and with renewed vigor. By 2008, I had finally gotten out of my Provisional Rating. It only took ten years! I have since gained 200+ rating points in one year, and I expect even more growth soon! My greatest accomplishment to date: tying for 3rd place in the U1400 section of the 2008 National Open in Las Vegas, NV.. In December of this year, I will be playing in the U1700 section of the 2008 North American Open (also in Las Vegas!). I continue to study and improve my game everyday.

My goals: