I am fascinated by all aspects of life. From cosmology, how chemicals combine to make life, how we interact with one another, these are all puzzles I like to study and understand.

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Chess is another puzzle worthy of study. The deeper one looks, the more one can find.

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My big brother, aka Wobblydog, taught me how to play chess at the age of seven. I remember thinking that there were one heck of a lot of rules. Then when he played en passant, I flipped my lid saying, 'You are making rules up so that you can win!'. So many growing pains. Anyway we played a lot of games on the old pocket chess set on the back seat of our Ford Anglia, the car with the cool back window. From there I then played chess for my school and at 19 I joined my brother's chess club at Swinton Labour club. We played many chess congresses in North West England during the early eighties. I then went to Huddersfield University studying Electrical and Electronic Engineering but continued to play for the University team. I left chess after graduating to focus on squash.

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In 2008 I developed Motor Neurone Disease. This is a devastating condition that is typically terminal. I have been fortunate enough to survive seven years and look forward to surviving many more. However the disease has taken its toll and I have been rendered unable to talk or walk with other unfortunate deficits.

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Every cloud has a silver lining and in this case I can play chess till I drop. Chess.com has been superb and lets me fulfil my true potential. I enjoy teaching, so that is where I am now at.

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