• Member Since: May 20, 2011
• Last Login: May 28, 2012
• Profile Views: 755
• Points: 12
• Homepage: chess
• Birthday: Apr 11, 1968
• Occupation: Teacher of US History, Psychology

My real name is Joe Garcia. I live in Worcester, Massachusetts (USA). I'm a teacher of American history and psychology. Besides chess, I also play Scrabble, Monopoly, Risk and Chinese Chess. I'm also interested in classical music, art museums, plastic model airplanes and the Three Stooges. I have a wife named Marina, five children (ages 26, 24, 22, 19 and 7) and three grandchildren (age 5, 4, and 1).

I like to study the old chess masters such as Jose Capabalanca, Carlos Torre, Emanuel Lasker and Aron Nimzovich. I also like the old classic chess books by people such as Fred Reinfeld, I.A. Horowitz and Irving Chernov.

My favorite openings are the French Defense, Caro-Kann Defense, Slav Defense, Dutch Defense, Spanish Game, King's Gambit, Vienna Gambit, Torre Attack and Polish Opening.

I learned how to play chess when I was about nine years old. I've played in clubs and in tournaments all over Massachusetts and I have also been an organizer of high school chess clubs and chess events for many years. My strength as a player is not outstanding, but I enjoy playing with friends and teaching the game to young people. I also play a lot of chess with my seven year old son.

I feel as though my greatest victory as a chess enthusiast was when I led the Worcester Community South High School Chess Club to undefeated status during the 2010-2011 school year in a series of unofficial team tournaments involving three other local high school chess clubs.