Sporadic practitioner of chess. Weak in all areas of the game except enthusiasm. . . . I was raised in a family of Flemish carpenters and introduced to chess when I was 9. . . . . . 'Anacapa' is the name of one of my favorite islands in Channel Islands National Park, and it is the name of my first sailboat, which I sailed for years in and around that area of the Pacific. . . . . . My current vessel is a 27ft fractional rig sloop named 'Ex Nihilo'. Best finish in an ocean race: Newport to Ensenada, Mexico, 3rd in class. . . . . As Lao Tzu (ca. 600 BC) said, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step." . . . . . Having traveled through several careers and numerous maritime adventures. I recently qualified for my USCG captain's certificate and act as a captain/chaplain with Blue Peace. I am a former professor of philosophy and religious studies who does some public speaking on a wide range of topics. . . . . . When playing chess, apply the advice of Linus Pauling, "The best way to hit upon a good idea is to have lots of ideas." . . . . . . . . . . My thoughts on chess: Although I do not have as much time to play as I would like, I like chess because it promotes a certain kind of mindfulness and teaches us the constant possibility of surprise and failure. It teaches us the legitimacy of risk taking in order to overcome obstacles and achieve success. . . . . . Yet, chess tends to punish our impulsiveness and reward careful reasoning. . . . . . Chess can also test our civility, since for some, it can become a serious mental game of warfare where winning and losing become the absolute measure of insecurity . . . . . Ultimately, of course, qualities like patience, vigilance, persistence, and logical reasoning, gained from playing chess, can be transferred to our life in general. . . . . . Chess is also a recreational therapy and provides some social contact with like minded people. And, it's great to take a break from modern life's craziness on the chess board. . . . . . Having emigrated to the USA as a child, I joined the Netherlands chess group to preserve a connection with the language and culture . . . . . I introduced each of my children to chess, and I argue that chess should be taught to all children to stimulate and advance their organic intelligence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Photo: Apache Territory / Arizona