madvilledoc

As a boy growing up in the 70s and 80s, I used to watch my grandfather play just about every evening after getting home from working in the coal mines. It is he who I learnt to play chess from. But as I got into my adult life and also following the death of said grandfather in the early 90's (who was my only playing partner at the time), I got away from the game. In fact my last game of chess was just a few weeks before his death in 93. Little did I know I would not play another game for the next 17 years.

Fast forward to April 2010. A friend and I was on a turkey hunting trip to Ohio. To pass the time, he offered to play a game of chess. Even after one game, I was hooked. The game brought back fond memories of my childhood and especially of my grandfather. I knew I had to have more, which is how I made my way to this site (you can thank google!). In some respects, playing keeps the memory of my grandfather alive.