Metacheck

I've been playing since I was a little bitty kid, since some bald, short, troll taught me. Didn't play much but I learned that knights were pretty tricky around pawns, and impressions like that make a difference later in life (like being burned with a cigarette might leave an impression). In any event, I inevitably got better as my brain got bigger and more complex, and I began to defeat the troll 80% of the time, and that's when it crawled under it's bridge and wouldn't play anymore (trolls are cowardly creatures, only sporting if they have weaker foes in the offing, and not much for self-improvement in any event). Therefore I began to play against human opponents, finding them located in little enclaves here and there in my home town. Some enclaves were tougher than others, and inspired me to read Fred Reinfeld's "The Complete Chessplayer" and from then on to read a good chess book every now and then to get stronger and stronger. I had my own cafe I liked where I also happened to be king of the chess hill, but the real reason I liked the place was the cheap coffee and damn good fettuchini Alfredo. Plus it was a neat place where lot's of modern Renaissance people would frequent, including artists, philosophers, musicians, weirdos, playwrights, etc. Hell, even normal people would sometimes show up to drink a cup of joe and enjoy a plate of fettuchini Alfredo. Well, my chessic oddysee (...yep, and I don't care to look it up, neither...) led me down many a path of adventure, as my skills grew, so did the power of my opponents. I exceed my FIDE by a few score points I'm sure, but I haven't been in a rated OTB tourney in a long time. I play the game for the love of the game. I play to learn the nuances of the game, and perhaps to even master them. I find that now some things which before were mysterious are now clear, but other mysteries have yet to be clarified, and I enjoy continuing to explore and learn. I'm always eager to win, but not afraid to lose. I only hate it when I don't play my best. Chess is like life in that respect: True victory goes not to the better, but to the one who gives his best.