I thought I would do a survey to see who was the greatest influence on your chess playing? I have to say Josh Waitzkin, Bobby Fischer and Gary Kasparov were the primary influences in my playing. I had recieved some really nice emails from Josh last year when I was ill (he took the time from a busy schedule to write me which counts for much in my book). His teaching methods are great as well as his ability to use chess as a metaphore for life. Bobby Fischer, while I never liked him as a person, is the second greatest influence on my playing as far as agressive tactics go. Lastly Kasparov's games can teach you a lot about the middle game of chess. Who are your influences?

shirov's "Fire on Board" was a very influential book for me!

I think I would say my dad was the most influential.  Without his teaching me the moves on the board and watching him play frequently with a friend, I would never have gained an interest for the game.

I completely forgot about the influence our fathers had on us!