A LIFE IN CHESS

When I was ten years old I found a plastic pocket chess set on the Christmas Tree. Soon afterwards my father taught me the moves. When I went to my new school the following September I started playing against the other boys. I still remember the thrill when, towards the end of my first year there I beat a boy the year above me on the train to school.

From then on I was hooked. In my teens I read every chess book in every local library, and, when I was 14 I received an annual subscription to the British Chess Magazine as a Christmas present. The following year I joined Richmond & Twickenham Chess Club and played in my first tournament, the London Junior Championships.

For a quiet boy with few friends chess was a lifeline for me. For the first time in my life I was selected to play in teams, taking part in league matches against other clubs. Some of the friends I made then are still friends 40 years on.

I'm still passionate about chess today, although for many years I have only been playing occasional competitive chess. Most of my chess is now played on the Internet - you can often find me online at the Internet Chess Club.

Chess has beauty, violence and excitement way beyond any other game. A game can last two minutes or five years. It knows no boundaries of age, colour or creed. It can be played by men, women and children, by the blind, the deaf and the physically handicapped. But, more than that, what makes chess special for me is the game's extensive literature and colourful history.

For most of my life chess has provided me with intellectual stimulation, a sense of belonging, friendship, and, recently, the chance to earn a living doing something I enjoy.

I still hope to be able to pass some of my passion for chess onto the children I teach.