I did NOT learn to play until I was a young adult. I would describe myself as a social player rather than a strong player! I like taking risks rather than 'following the book'! I very much prefer to play against persons who have supplied a discreet, honest image of themselves, who are courteous and considerate when making use of the 'chat' facility and who possess a sense of humour! :-) It seems to be the custom to supply a brief quote. I shall simply settle for: "Make haste slowly"! My hobbies include travel, reading widely, writing short stories, astronomy and collecting crystal glass. My favourite piece of music is Bruch's First Violin Concerto. I have joined 'Chess.com' solely in order to improve my chess and indirectly that of my opponent as enjoyably as possible!