okcachuela
O K Cachuela
Logan Twp, New Jersey, United States 
Member Since:
May 9, 2008
Last Login:
Feb 10, 2012
Profile Views:
1426
Points:
21
Status:
Back to normal days... (19 months ago)
Birthday: Feb 15, 1957
Occupation: Graphics Artist
USCF Rating: 1823
About Me:
I like playing fast games online, but over-the-board, I like long time controls.
I am a retired software engineer; now I use my computer skills to run my own business as a graphics artist working on personalized photo products like coffee mugs and mouse pads...yep, I'll put your pictures on these products. You may check out my personalized photo gift shop at www.obiegraphics.com and of course, I can print chess or chess-related images on them!!! I sell my products only in the US and Canada.
As a chess player, I learned how to play it when I was about 10 years old. But, I never got serious with it until the Fischer-Spassky world championships in the early 70's. Then I had to push it aside due to heavy schoolwork schedules, then making a living with my career as software engineer, until the mid 80's when I returned to playing the game as a member of the US Chess Federation.
I am not sure if I call myself competitive in chess because I seldom play in tournaments; but I love helping kids improve their game. I am the moderator of the Gloucester County Library Chess Club (Logan Twp, NJ)...I work there as a volunteer; the chess club meets every Wednesday from 6pm to 9pm. I have donated chess mouse pads and other products with chess images on them that were given out as prizes and gifts to participants of our unrated tournaments. The Gloucester County Library Chess Club is affiliated with the US Chess Federation so we host rated chess tournaments...here is where I am getting my tournament director experience.
I also started a chess club in the Mullica Hill branch of the Gloucester County Library System. That club will meet weekly every Thursday for 6-8:45pm. The goal is the same...to provide a chance for chess players to practice their game and to teach chess to anybody interested in learning the game.
My biggest disappointment is that when I was a teen, I spent money playing against good players (some at the master level) but all they wanted was to beat you and don't teach you anything. The purpose of my chess clubs is to provide FREE access to chess learning at the libraries...books alone are sometimes not enough.
To date, I am a class A under the USCF rating system.
