• Member Since: May 25, 2008
• Last Login: May 22, 2013
• Profile Views: 1040
• Points: 25
• Birthday: Feb 9, 1986
• USCF Rating 1569

I've been playing here on chess.com almost every day since I first created my account. I'm sure that this website will help me prepare for my OTB tournament games. Regardless of how often I study chess (especially by reading chess books), that might not be enough to improve my game and there are some lessons that can only be learned by playing not to mention that it's the best way to learn from mistakes. I heard from time to time that when I do tactics puzzles, I shouldn't move the pieces but now that I get to do that using the Tactics Trainer feature, I don't just see myself doing them in my head, but I'm also feeling such experience as well. The same goes with the interactive chess mentor lessons. Basically, I just know that in the end, I'm going to continue to learn a lot more about the game of chess by playing against other players online. This is because I know that there is always going to be more to learn about chess than what I already know. By the way, there is no limit to who can issue me challenges. I want to try to play everyone that I possibly can on this website. Besides, I don't ever get tired of playing chess. No offense but what I DO get tired of is hearing comments like "this position is lost" or "you had a won game" during my over the board post-mortem sessions when analyzing my tournament games as they just try to shove result-oriented thoughts in my head. I'm already getting an idea that some players (including myself) get annoyed by such comments above in quotes. I'm the type of player who really wants to trust his own instincts, and either try to win or at least maintain a good balance between winning and losing (I already understand that I don't win all the time just like everybody else, but I'm competitive by nature but at least I never allow it to get to the point where I'm overbearing so even in competitive environments I've been prefering to be more mastery-oriented.), rather than believe in chess theory, especially opening theory. I believe much more in the fact that competitive chess is a tremendously complicated, profound mental prizefight, which is the heart of the game. My competitive nature is not going to stop me from wanting to continue to learn more about this game. No matter how hard my tough losses are to swallow, especially during my OTB tournament games, it's not going to make me quit this game. Why? It's because I'm not a quitter (that shows that I'm mentally tough as a chess player) and, most importantly, I realize that it's the lessons learned that mean a lot more than any form of glory as long as the lessons do NOT involve being humiliated or put down. I'm really in a position where if there is anything that I want more than to win, it's to see more women play the game both online and over the board. This is because when I'm playing chess games against female opponents, I see it as much more of a way of interacting with the opposite gender than anyting else aside from it being a game. What really makes me upset is a least a few other guys trying to put down and/or intimidate female players both online and over the board. I'm also sick and tired of other guys criticizing me negatively when I lose to a woman in chess. (This has happened to me before, especially over the board.) For those girls who are playing chess, I just want them to love the game and continue to be a part of the chess world for a long time. They should not have to put up with bullies who are doing much worse than showing poor sportsmanship. I heard that a fish by definition is a poor chess player. Here's my opinion: The only players I believe to be fish are those who are showing poor sportsmanship. As far as why I play chess in the first place is concerned, it's to solve the infinitely challenging puzzles that lie before me. Some players only play for glory and think about crushing their opponent's ego. This tells me that there are experts and super grandmasters who have a habit of being bad winners and sore losers in the chess world. What does this all sum up to? I love the game of chess and I always want to explore the art of it more deeply as well as the many life lessons that chess can teach me. In life and in chess, the major problem with having our ego attached to ourselves and thinking that we have some answers is that it leads to dangerous situations.