• Member Since: Jul 30, 2008
• Last Login: May 25, 2012
• Profile Views: 1186
• Points: 239
• Birthday: Jan 1, 1951
• Occupation: guide
• USCF Rating: 1800

I am fluent in Spanish by virtue of living in Spain, Mexico, and South America as a government contractor.  This is convenient for me since California is a bi-lingual State, as is most of the Southwest. 

“Hay un dicho en Espanol:  Una persona con dos idiomas tiene dos vidas” (a person with two languages has two lives).  Tengo quatro.  My latest interest is learning Mandarin. 

I spent a while in a Zen monestary in Kanazawa, Japan, learning archery and enjoyed many afternoons on the Norita Penninsila. Like Carmel, California, it has Torrey Pines and some of the most remarkable people on the planet.  Enlightenment is a feeling; a feeling that comes from awareness of the present.  Life is such an incredible phenomen...every person we meet is a teacher and every event is a gift.  Certainly chess is one of the many keys to brain health and understanding.

I started playing chess in my twenties in the 1970's at university.  I think it was chess that caused my four year degree to take six, although a change of major from psychology to philosophy and ultimately business was another delay.  Eventually, my quest for understanding produced a doctorate but that was a minor step in my childhood search for meaning. 

I have had many careers, beginning with Army Special Forces (ABN) in Viet Nam and with Army Security Agency later. 

Trained as a psychologist, I retired as an actuary.  I am a "has been" as an administrator, business owner, risk manager, broker, bibliophile, antiquarian, and sometimes a little south of the law. 

Shoulders of giants I have stood upon are Fritz Perls and Alan Watts.  I enjoyed the space of Esalen in Big Sur during the 1970's and benefited from economy of the Reagan years in the 1980's. 

What a pleasure it was to meet Ronald Reagan at the Biltmore Hotel at a Benefit for the American Cancer Association.  What an honor it was to meet Richard Nixon at Fort Benning, Georgia, in the summer of 1970 when he was there with a deligation of Chinese military officials.  Both presidents were outstanding individuals who gave their lives for the betterment of this country and a genuine care for all of its citizens. 

Along the way, I started a chess store with a friend in 1986 called Chess Palace.  I left, but my pal, Charles R., continued until sale of the store in 2003.  You can find me on Chess.com as player ChazR in memorial to my long time friend and professor, Charles R.  The business continues in Garden Grove, California under the name Chess Palace (.com).  We ran the 25th Memorial Day Classic in Long Beach and had more fun playing chess than you can imagine.  Jack Peters of the Los Angeles Times was a strong supporter and great friend to chess. 

Of many wonderful people in the chess community, I am lucky to have met legends Tal, and Sharizi.  Especially nice was Spassky who was kind and gracious in every way.  Boris Spassky is such a diplomat, such a mench.  

Other encounters included Yasser Seriwan, who is also another brilliant, polite, gentleman who is among the top players in history.  Larry Remlinger, winner of the American Open, was never appreciated or given the credit he deserved as a brilliant progeny.  He was very generous in his gifts of books and advice and encouragement in every aspect of the game and a really nice person.  He was the most generous and wisest of players. 

Walter Browne was perhaps the most flamboyant, yet his brilliance over the board is beyond question.  What a character!  Some of the lesser masters, like Darren Schuster, were the most fun, inventive, and imaginative minds I have had the pleasure to have known.  Viktor Korchnoi especially deserves recogniton for his character and perserverance.  I have several signed  momentos of match with Karpov. 

Now, I play Texas Hold'em.  Dan Harrington (Master) used to come into Chess Palace and won $1 million in 1995 in the WSOP.  If you want to become a Poker Master, read his books.  If you want to contribute to my net worth, stop by the casino in Hawaiian Gardens sometime and play.

I began coaching an Olympic Boxer and Golden Gloves champion (Dorian Anthony) and I teach chess to “at risk” teenagers with a local public service agency.  I teach chess to my son and his friends.  Chess has been very, very good to me and I hope you find the same rewards.  I continue to play for fun and usually lose on time while looking for that beautiful combination. 

It is not about ratings, it is about exercising the mind, having fun, and appreciating this beautiful, logical, artistic, and sometimes frustrating novelty. 

I love to talk to people who are curious about chess and life, and theories, and why we are here.  If you do not believe in God, you cannot see God.  If you believe in God, you will find God.  Believing is seeing, not the other way around.  Let that be my message to humanity.  Do good things.  Be a good sport. 

My goal for the remainder of my life is the endeavor to bring kindness and joy into the world to redress the sins and selfisness which troubled my early years.  My recent project is opening a website for people called "The Comfort Zone."  Look for it online this summer.

Best regards, 

Dennis Coulter