I was born in Saigon, adopted at age three months old by Mai Thế Thiên, and came to the USA before the war ended through Operation Frequent Wind. and was adopted the second time at an old age of fifteen years old. Mai Thế Thiên was forced to give me up after we moved to Brooklyn, New York. I am looking for my birthmother.

My adoptive mother taught me how to play chess when I was eleven years old in March 1982. I wanted to play very seriously, but my parents never allowed me to play seriously. I had joined a local chess club during high school and joined USCF (United States Chess Federation) when I was in my twenties. In one USCF tournament, I was undefeated, a feat I never was able to repeat since. In one of my three victories, I played a fellow chess club member who was rated 1700s, the highest rating I had ever beaten!! I was shocked and happy. The ending was that I had four pawns to his lone knight. I think it was the first and last time I ever sacrificed two pieces to get four pawns. I had wished that I kept the game. I remembered the opening was the French Defense and I was playing black. After my last tournament, my rating dropped to 1485. After losing my first seven games at my chess club, I had quit playing chess and told the president of the club that I was quitting chess. He just laughed at me!! He thought I was joking, but I never came back to the chess club after that. I had never ever lost seven games in a row to start my chess season!! Plus, my parents never supported my wanting to play chess seriously after destroying my dream of wanting to be an Astronomer.

I had stopped playing chess for a very long time and started playing in 2000 when my fellow Asian adoptee (whom I had a huge crush on) said that she played chess. I played against her and beat her in our only game.

In 2015, I learned that my future wife played chess. I played against her twice on here and beat her once and drew her once. The draw was due to my not trying at all. I recorded my first game against BlackBuzzard on YouTube. It was my very first time I ever uploaded a YouTube video. Here is my video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TQUjgreLTc. I had decided to change my flag from USA to Vietnam because I now am living in my motherland once again. I love and miss my motherland so very much!!

My favorite opening to play as white is the Ruy Lopez. 1. e4 e5, 2. Nf3 Nc6, 3. Bb5. I love playing against Caro-Kann Defense-Advanced Variation. I have a new name for it, the Mitchell Attack: 1. e4 c6, 2. d4 d5, 3. e5 Bf4, 4. f4 e6, 5. Nf3 Bb4+, 6. c3 Ba5, 7. b4 Bb6, 8 a4 a6. My favorite opening to play with Black is the King's Indian Defense-Sämisch Variation. That was Bobby Fischer's favorite opening as black. 1. d4 Nf6, 2. c4 g6, 3. Nc3 Bg7, 4. e4 d6, 5. f3 O-O, 6. Be3.

My Chess Bests
Highest Rating: 1694 (September 21, 2015)
Biggest Upset: flabbi-1932 (October 22, 2018)
Second Biggest Upset: dennism1025-1714 (August 22, 2016)

I now am very proud to have some Iranian friends on here!! I sympathize with them against the Dotard that wants war against their country. Their president is a moderate who wants peace with the West.

viettrekkie20