FM theMagicRat - Player Profile
Name: The Magic Rat
Title: FM
Age you started chess: 16
Fide rating: about 2300
Country: Germany
1) How are you? Is chess keeping you busy?
I would be quite busy even without chess.
2) How long have you been playing Chess?
Close to 20 years.
3) Highlight of your career?
Advancing to the first Bundesliga with my team.
4) push comes to shove, favoraite movie of all time?
Oh brother where art thou
5)And favouraite tv-series?
Switch (German parody of other programs)
6) Foob and bevrages?
Italian food and German beer
7)What is your favouraite book?
Benkö, My life, games and compositions
8)What type of music do you enjoy?
rock, folk, independent
9) I presume you play guitar, are you a good guitar player?
Sadly no, the avatar picture is a reference to my user name, from the cover of one of the greatest albums of all time, Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run.
10)What could be done to make Chess more widespread in Germany?
Abolish TV.
11)A chess secret?
There are no bad bishops in the middle game, only active or passive ones (Suba).
12) Are you inspirired by any chess players of the past?
Yes, many, the most influential ones probably being Botvinnik, Fischer and Kasparov.
13) Are you self-taught or are you taught from a master?
Self-taught.
14)Is chess your full time occupateion?
No.
15) What is the future of chess?
Cheating will be a big problem, but I think it can be controlled.
16) What's your training regime like?
I don't train very much these days, but if I do, it's mostly analysis of my own games and opening preparation.
17) who has had the biggest infulence in your chess career?
Impossible to say, but a few local players had a big influence.
18)do you have any practical advice for budding chessplayers?
Play as many slow games as possible, and use your time.
19) best tournement experiance?
Beating a grandmaster.
20) are you suscribed to any chess related youtube channels, if so,which one(s)?
Not subscribed, but I enjoy Daniel King's videos.
21) Do you have a family?
Yes, wife and daughter.
2)Do you play any other games than chess?
No.
23)favouraite chess game of all time?
Geller - Velimirovic, Havana 1971.
24)What's the best advice your parents gave you?
You must know what you want.
25) looking back to your teenage life, would you have done anything differently?
Starting chess earlier.
26)if you didn't get into chess, what would you have pursued?
Science.
27)Do you think a genuis is made or born?
Both, but with a strong emphasis on made.
28) any near-death experiances?
Fortunately none so far.
29) worst blunder you've ever made?
Too embarassing to write down.
30)Who is life's most difficult opponent?
Yourself.
31) Do you have any thoughts on how chess.com can get even better?
More coverage (articles and game commentary, like those for major international tournaments) of chess.com's own tournaments.
