Learnt chess when I was a kid, played with my Dad quite a lot. Spent a few months in a chess club at the same time, but never really carried on once adolescence kicked in, apart from occasional games with my Dad.

Dont know anything about openings...but picked up some general 'thematic' knowledge/principles. 40 years later, I find this site (its great) and am trying to get back into it, but realise how little I know compared to many other site members: I'm going through an extended learning period!

What does it mean for you? It means that I normally get trounced in the opening game (whatever your level) and then I spend the rest of the game trying to 'houdini' my way out of it...with varying degrees of success!

Apart from that, I fiddle away at Vivaldi and Paganini when I can....but work (IT) keeps me pretty overstretched, as do my 3 kids.

Stratajee