I am passing on what I have been told by other players who are FM's. The US is a bit on he low end of the totempole when it comes to deep field of strong players. 

OK the player who I mentioned was also from Germany and his definition of clubs are base on Bundesliga which is a whole different concept of club than our idea of club in the US. 

My point was to keep in mind that a local definition of skill mastery is very different than a defintion of mastery skills internationally. 

GM does not mean they mastered the game

I guess my best analogy is from martial arts.

Blackbelt does not mean you master anything it just means you learned enough to start your journey. Its a starting point not an ending point.

You made that up, didn't you? You just made that up.

Ask him what he eats for breakfast. I favour crumpets with Marmite but I'm not a FIDE GM so maybe GM breakfast is different to the breakfast of normal mortals.

GM's eat chess pieces for breakfast.  They're often times with milk like cereal or fried like breakfast sausages and served along eggs and toast.

That explains how they win. They cheat by eating the opponent's king. That's why I like correspondence chess, they can't snaffle my king for a snack.

I was pretty sure they subsisted on the crushed plans and hopes of their opponents.

So no Marmite for GMs? That would explain why they always look so miserable.

GM's eat lightening and expel thunder!

That's for dessert.

At what age did he strat playing chess?

Back on martial arts, the knight best represents the Drunken Master style.  Something I am sure most GMs are familiar with.

Alekhine certainly was familiar with that style.

GM? Not according to his page on (rhymes with messgames.com) nor his data on 365(rhymes with mess).com

Is there any room for us on the bus?

I'm not sure what I'd ask. I feel that most GMs wouldn't understand my plight; they were at least already at the master level if not the IM or GM level at my age (21).

I'd rather talk to a master / expert that started late but "made it" anyway (late 20's early 30's ish)