Staff Profiles: Matt Lodge
This is the fifth in a series of posts to help people get to know the Chess.com team better. Today, we catch up with Matt Lodge, aka... Kirkwood!
Where do you live?
I currently reside in Brooklyn, New York though my home will always be in St. Louis, Missouri. I wear my STL pride as a badge of honor, and am happy to debate anyone who suggests there's a finer city in the world.
How long have you worked for Chess.com?
I'm rapidly approaching my one-year anniversary as a staff member! I've been a member of the site since 2009.
What do you do at Chess.com?
A little bit of a lot? Essentially my function is to make sure that you guys are heard and supported. I read just about every forum thread, tweet, message to make sure that any bugs/feedback/complaints/suggestions are noted!
What do you like about working at Chess.com?
The biggest thing is "seeing behind the curtain." Having been a happy member of the site for so long, it's amazing to see how passionate the people behind the scenes are. A lot of little things are being done all the time by so many people to make sure this is the best chess site in the world! The dedication is phenomenal, and it gives me a lot of pride to be a small part of that.
What is your biggest achievement in chess?
I tied for first at the 2010 US Open Bughouse Event. It helped that my partner was Hikaru Nakamura and there were only 3 other teams, but I'd like to think that I was the driving force behind that win.
What do you like to do outside of Chess?
I run a small pub trivia company in New York that has weekly trivia nights. I'm a big trivia junkie! I'd probably be a little better at chess if I had spent less time playing Trivial Pursuit as a child.
I also am a big fan of eSports like Dota 2 and Starcraft, though I'm probably even worse at those games than I am at chess! I like any competition that allows me to see distinct plans and strategies play out, which is a lot of what drew me to chess in the first place.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
Any superpower that would allow me to travel the world as quickly as possible. Flying? Teleportation? Unlimited Frequent Flyer Miles? Any of those would do.
What's your favorite opening?
The Scotch. Give me that center!
Thanks! Check back next week for another staff profile.
