Welcome to all members of Chess.com. I taught myself to play chess from an encyclopedia and later became the chess champion of my 6th grade class. I even beat my teacher. I thought I was the next Bobby Fischer, so I started playing in real tournaments.

I got my chess clock cleaned. The only thing I excelled at was losing. Still, I really enjoyed the game. I taught my sons to play. And every now and again I would play in a tournament for fun.

After our children ventured out on their own, I started playing more. I have this far-fetched idea of somehow becoming an Expert. It's crazy I know, but it's fun to think about. I also volunteer at a private school, teaching youngsters how to play. I'm not much of a coach, but I can teach them the basics and share my love of the game.

OldChessDog