I am a retired anesthesiologist. In retirement I am returning to some of the passions of my youth. Chess is one of those passions that I couldn't enjoy while raising a family and maintaining a career as a clinical scientist. Now, with a nest that is empty 7 months of the year and a part-time clinical practice, I am back in the game!

The first ambition that I can recall is to become a chess Grandmaster. As an adolescent, I used to walk a few miles in the dead of winter to play at the Winnipeg Jewish Chess Club located in the basement of the Hebrew Sick Benefit building on Selkirk Avenue in Winnipeg. There I met some incredible players and can even remember Abe Yanofsky dropping by one evening. There I saw games played with a running commentary from true "kibitzers". "So, he moves the knight!" They treated this goyish kid with respect and taught him he would never become a chess master. However, I still want to be the best chess player I can. So, here I am at Chess.com.

Oh, by the way, I can still remember the taste of and smell of Kelekis chips (french fries to my American friends) laden with salt and vinegar, eaten while crossing the Redwood bridge on a dark, minus 30 F night on my way home from an evening of chess!

ithomson