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.____________________________________.
| AI PERSONALITIES FAQ |
|Last Updated: 12.04.2005 |
|File Size: 162 KB |
|Platforms: PC, Xbox |
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/ /========( TABLE OF CONTENTS )========\ \
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I. LEGAL INFORMATION [A100]
II. CONTACT INFORMATION [B100]
III. VERSION HISTORY [C100]
IV. INTRODUCTION [D100]
V. GAME MODES [E100]
VI. AI PERSONALITIES [G100]
VII. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS [H100]
VIII. CREDITS [I100]
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/ /========( LEGAL INFORMATION )========\ A100 \
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This guide may be not be reproduced under any circumstances
except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site
or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission.
Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public
display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright.
Only GameFAQs (http://gamefaqs.com/) can host this guide legally.
All respective names are copyright of their owners.
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/ /========( CONTACT INFORMATION )========\ B100 \
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¯¯¯¯¯ \__/¯¯\__/¯¯\__/¯¯\__/¯¯\__/¯¯\__/¯¯\__/ ¯¯¯¯¯
NAME: Rahul Ahuja
E-MAIL ADDRESS: rhl.ahuja@gmail.com
Please feel free to contact me with any questions, comments, or concerns
regarding any part of this FAQ. Hopefully this FAQ contains very few
grammatical errors. Although if you do find one, do not hesitate to let me
know.
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/ /========( VERSION HISTORY )========\ C100 \
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|VERSION 1.0| The first draft of the FAQ is completed. The GAME MODES section
is yet to be completed, and minor content updates are still
needed, although the guide is nearing full completion.
|VERSION 1.1| The GAME MODES section has been completed. A few content
additions will complete the guide.
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/ /========( INTRODUCTION )========\ D100 \
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Chessmaster 10th Edition, another great upgrade to Ubisoft's classic
franchise, truly is the ultimate teacher, mentor, and opponent for beggining,
intermediate, and advanced players alike. At the Academy, International Master
Josh Waitzkin will personally walk players through the basics of chess, plus
introduce a variety of simple strategies for dominating your opponent. The
Academy also features the best attacking moves as taught by noted chess
champion Larry Christiansen. Seasoned chess players can test their skills
against ranked AI opponents, set up tournaments and simultaneous exhibitions,
and survey their performances using the new statistics system. Although
perhaps the largest improvement this game brings to the Chessmaster series is
the completely revised, full-featured chess module. More than just a place to
play chess live with other players, Chessmaster online allows players to
establish rankings, create tournaments, utilize teaching tools, and join a
thriving chess community.
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/ /========( GAME MODES )========\ E100 \
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Featuring 13 game modes, CM10 promises to improve every player's game,
regardless of their current skill level. Chessmaster has always been known for
its powerful mentor tools, and CM10 certainly keeps the tradition alive with a
large arsenal of coaching strategies, tutorials, tests, and puzzles. Below
you'll find a brief explanation of each game mode.
/===============\
( TRAINING MODE )
\===============/
Training mode allows you to pit up against the AI personality of your choosing
in a non-competitive environment. If this is the first time you've played,
Chessmaster will choose your opponent automatically, according to your rating.
From the second match onward, you will face the last opponent you played
against.
In this game mode, usage of the Chess Coach, Blunder Alert, and Take Back
Move features are permitted. Additionally, Quick Hints and Advice are
available via the Shortcuts Bar.
If you need to brush up on your game, or simply want a little more practice,
this is the place to be. CM10 also provides you with powerful game analysis
tools in this mode. Chessmaster can solve for mate (if there is one), analyze
a set of moves, and provide you with a detailed report of the current
situation. All these tools can be accessed via the Mentor menu.
/=============\
( RANKED PLAY )
\=============/
Ranked Play is the only game mode where you can improve your rating. Every
game here counts. When setting up a game, you can view how many rating points
you'll gain/lose if you win, lose, or draw against the currently selected
opponent. If playing against relatively low-ranked opponents, it is possible
to lose rating points even if the game results in a win. To some extent, this
makes sure you can't pull off any "cheap" wins for quick rating points.
During this game mode the Chess Coach, Blunder Alert, Take Back Move, Quick
Hint, and Advice features cannot be used during play.
/=================\
( SET UP POSITION )
\=================/
This game mode is where I always stop at first if I wish to play out both
sides of a particular game. If you've ever wanted to play as your opponent in
a few situations, you'll find yourself spending much time here. This game mode
allows you to set up any possible position on a chessboard and play through it
for both sides.
The Chess Coach and Mentor commands are available in this game mode.
With experience, I've found that extensive use of the Chess Coach in this game
mode allows for quick, powerful analyses of complicated games.
/=============\
( TOURNAMENTS )
\=============/
In my opinion, perhaps the most enjoyable of all game modes. As the name
suggests, this game mode allows participation in tournaments of varying
difficulty.
Tournaments already included with the game, or pre-defined
tournaments, are grouped into several difficulty categories: "Apprentices",
"Initiates", "Adepts", "Masters", and "Style". The "Apprentices" difficulty
category covers rating levels from 0 to 1200. The "Initiates" difficulty
category covers difficulty ratings ranging from 1000-1800. The "Adepts"
category covers ratings from 1600-2200, and the "Masters" category covers
ratings 2200 and above. The "Style" category features players of varying
playing styles. These include aggresive, defensive, fast, balanced, traders,
tacticians, and positional play.
As you already may know, this game mode also allows creation of new
tournaments, also known as user-defined tournaments. When creating a new
tournament, many options, such as the time controls and tournament type (Round
Robin or Swiss) can be modified.
/========\
( ONLINE )
\========/
Offering a quick way to get some human competition, online play allows for the
participation in and viewing of intense (often times) chess games. To get
going, you'll need an internet connection (obviously) and an Ubisoft account.
If you don't have an Ubisoft account at first, CM10 allows for the creation of
one without launching a web browser. Once all set up, you'll be taken to the
main lobby where you can view, host, or join a game. Unfortunately, games are
often buggy, and sometimes the servers completely fail (although this
occurrence is seldom). For the most part, the interface is pretty self-
explanatory.
/=====\
( LAN )
\=====/
Yes folks, CM10 can be enjoyed at LAN parties as well. Allowing for LAN play
via this game mode, this is Chessmaster's second means of catching some human
competition. The interface and commands are similar to those of the online
game mode. Once again, all actions and hotkeys are very much self-explanatory.
/=========\
( ACADEMY )
\=========/
The Academy allows you to learn from some of the game's greatest masters,
including Josh Waitzkin and Larry Christiansen. If you're just learning the
game, and have no prior knowledge of general chess strategy, I highly
recommend taking a look at Josh Waitzkin's Academy. The academy teaches proper
piece movement, basic algebraic notation, and more. Waitzkin's academy also
includes some useful quizzes (two of which are mate quizzes).
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/ /========( AI PERSONALITIES )========\ F100 \
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In almost every game mode, you're given the option to choose your opponent
(also known as a "personality") when starting a new game. Chessmaster provides
you with a wide array of people to choose from, ranging from world
grandmasters to 5-year-old children who have just learned the game. And the
selection doesn't stop there. Chessmaster has given each personality a unique
playing style, so you're bound to find some tough competition.
A common misunderstanding many players have regarding Chessmaster 10th
Edition's rating system is the consistency of personalities' ratings.
Personality ratings change each time the game loads up, based upon the
processor speed, current memory usage, and RAM available to the engine. Each
personality has a base rating, and extra points are added for excess of memory
and processor power, in relevance to the minimum system requirements.
All personality ratings in this guide reflect each opponent's "base rating".
Therefore, ratings will most likely differ based on your system's RAM,
available memory, and programs currently in cache. Although this difference is
usually 1-3 rating points.
.-------------.
( CHESSMASTER )
'-------------'
[RATING]
2724
[BIOGRAPHY]
The Chessmaster's exact origins are shrouded in mystery, but it is believed
that he was created in a top-secret chess laboratory from bits and silicon.
His wise and kindly presence has presided over the finest chess program in
the world since 1986.
[SYLE]
Chessmaster 10th Edition is powered by version 3.33 of The King chess engine.
On this system, Chessmaster is rated at 2724 U.S.
.----------.
( ALEKHINE )
'----------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Alexander Alexandrovich Alekhine was born to aristocracy in Moscow, Russia,
and was taught chess at age 11 by his mother. Alekhine's personality left a
lot to be desired; he was devious, nervous, restless, and a heavy smoker and
drinker. Though a chess genius in his own right, he held his contemporary and
rival, Capablanca, in very high regards. Surprisingly, in 1927, he toppled
Capablanca to gain the world championship and then studiously avoided any
subsequent rematch. Alekhine's penchant for drink caught up with him with his
loss to Euwe in 1935. He then gave up drinking and smoking to regain it in
1937. During World War II he played in many tournaments in Germany and
German-occupied countries. After the war he was criticized as an anti-Semite,
a charge he firmly denied. He spent the last years of his life in Spain as he
was endeavoring the British Chess Federation to organize a match between him
and Botvinnik.
[SYLE]
The Alekhine-style in Chessmaster 10th Edition has a razor-sharp tactical
sense, combining stormy attacks with superb endgame technique. This
personality's meticulous opening preparation allows it to experiment at will
with gambits galore.
.-------.
( ANAND )
'-------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Viswanathan Anand, born in Madras, is the best player India ever produced and
was ranked in the world's top ten since the early 1990s. He has unusually
quick sight of the board, is noted for playing fast, and is one of the best-
liked grandmasters on the circuit. In 1995 he dropped a PCA world
championship match to Kasparov despite taking an early lead by drawing the
first eight games and winning the ninth. In 1998 he dropped a short FIDE
title bout to Karpov in overtime after achieving a 3-3 tie. Later that year
Anand won Linares ahead of Kasparov and five other top rated stars, yet he
declined another shot at the PCA title because of contractual obligations to
FIDE.
[SYLE]
The Anand-style in Chessmaster 10th Edition is resourceful, often finding
ways to draw or even win in inferior positions. Noted for attacking skill,
deep calculation and tactical ability, this personality prefers 1. e4 as
White and likes solid, classical defenses with Black.
.-----------.
( ANDERSSEN )
'-----------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
It is noteworthy that Adolf Anderssen, a math professor who hailed from
Breslau, Germany, terms his own attacks as 'traps' and nothing more. His
combinations were an inspiration of the moment and didn't always flow out of
the position, organically. Morphy knew not only how to attack but also when
-- and that is why he won. Nonetheless, Anderssen's victory at the first
great modern tournament in London 1851 established him as the best player in
the world until he lost a close match to Steinitz in 1866.
[SYLE]
The Anand-style in Chessmaster 10th Edition is resourceful, often finding
ways to draw or even win in inferior positions. Noted for attacking skill,
deep calculation and tactical ability, this personality prefers 1. e4 as
White and likes solid, classical defenses with Black.
.------.
( BIRD )
'------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Born in Portsea, Hampshire, Henry Edward Bird was one of the leading British
amateurs of last century and is best known today by the opening named after
him (1. f4). He learned chess at age 10 by watching players at a coffee house
in London; by 16 he was a regular at the Divan in the Strand. He was strong
enough to be invited to the first great international tournament at London
1851. When he lost to Morphy in 1858 Bird was only 28 and remained active for
almost another 50 years. An outstanding accountant, he wrote a book entitled
'An Analysis of Railways in the United Kingdom' and also authored several
chess treatises.
[SYLE]
The Bird-style offers the qunitessential 19th century approach. This
personality cares little for chess theory, and will gleefully choose openings
generally regarded as bizarre, often ignoring positional considerations to
pursue the attack for all it is worth. Don't underestimate its playing
strength, however, as it has beaten several other Chessmaster personalities,
particularly in games with fast time controls.
.------------.
( BLACKBURNE )
'------------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Nicknamed 'the black death', Joseph Henry Blackburne was born in Manchester.
He learned chess at 18 and remained England's best player for over 50 years,
touring the country regularly and giving blindfold displays. He became a
professional after winning his national title in 1869. His greatest success
came at Berlin 1881 where he finished ahead of every leading master. But he
lost three matches to Steinitz and one to Lasker. His capacity for scotch was
enormous; legend has it he was so enraged at Steinitz during one of their
games that he picked him up and almost threw him out the window.
[SYLE]
The Blackburne-style in Chessmaster 10th Edition is what we might call a
coffee-house player, an unabashed tactician who disdains positional
considerations. Against top defensive players, this personality will often
come to grief, but is capable of uncorking a brilliant tactical stroke at any
time.
.------------.
( BOGOLJUBOW )
'------------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Efim Bogoljubow was born in the Ukraine and became a German citizen during
the 1920s. He twice challenged Alekhine for the title, in 1929 and 1934, but
was crushed on both occasions. His greatest victories came at Moscow 1925 and
Bad Kissingen 1928 where he finished well ahead of Capablanca. Alternating
between brilliant success and lamentable failure, Bogoljubow was a born
optimist who remained unperturbed by losses. 'The youngsters have read my
book,' he wailed in his jovial manner. 'Now I have no chance'. He won the
German championship for the fourth and last time in 1949.
[SYLE]
The Bogoljubow-style is mainly positional, with the ability to exploit
strategic weaknesses in an opponent. This personality has a good all-around
game, but may overrate its chances against the very best.
.-----------.
( BOTVINNIK )
'-----------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Mikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and became
the symbol of Soviet supremacy at chess. In 1948 he won a match- tournament
organized by FIDE to fill the crown left vacant by Alekhine's death. He
defended it twice with 12-12 ties in 1951 and 1954, then lost to Smyslov in
1957 but won a rematch in 1958. In 1960 he lost to Tal but regained it in
1961. Petrosian finally put him away for good in 1963. An electrical
engineer, Botvinnik devoted his final years to perfecting chess computers and
founding a chess school where his most famous student was Garry Kasparov.
[SYLE]
A profound technician and iron logician, the Botvinnik-style will always seek
the objectively best move. This personality has excellent endgame technique
and a varied, solid opening book, especially where the French Defense, Dutch
Defense, Semi- Slav and English Opening are concerned. Its only weakness is
that it sometimes gets into time control problems, especially in blitz games.
.------------.
( CAPABLANCA )
'------------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Jose Raul Capablanca, born in Havana, already won a match at age 12 from the
best player in Cuba. As a grown man, he was extremely charismatic, always
dressed immaculately and had strong sense of honor. His understanding of
chess was innate; the first major tournament he attempted was one of the
strongest in the world and he came in first place (a distinction shared only
with Pillsbury). After the first World War he was considered so invincible
that his nickname became 'the chess machine'. In 1921 he captured the world
championship from Lasker, but then surprisingly lost it to Alekhine in 1927.
His intuition was phenomenal, his speed incredible. 'What others could not
discover in a month, he saw at a glance,' noted Fine. He played prolifically
and in his time, no other master sustained as few losses as he.
[SYLE]
Among all the Chessmaster 10th Edition opponents, the Capablanca-style is the
most straightforward and classical. This personality shuns unclear
complications and generally tries to keep everything under control, steering
for simple positions that allow it to build on tiny advantages, often
converting seemingly drawn games into wins.
.---------.
( CHIGORN )
'---------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Mikhail Chigorin was the first of the great Russian Grandmasters, and one of
the four top players in the world -- along with Lasker, Steinitz, and
Tarrasch -- from the 1880s to the turn of the century. While he won some
brilliant games, he sometimes stumbled in the endgame. Chigorin contested for
the world championship against Steinitz in both 1886 and 1892. Though
Chigorin lost both times, the matches are notable for their incredible
competitiveness, with only six draws in 40 games!
[SYLE]
The Chigorin-style, unlike many modeled after those of the Romantic period,
can actually play defense, and also has an understanding of positional play.
Even so, this personality is a feared attacker, and has no problem uncorking
the Evans Gambit on an unsuspecting opponent.
.--------------.
( CHRISTIANSEN )
'--------------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Larry Christiansen is one of the most famous attacking players in the history
of American chess. He gained his GM norm at 23, before even winning his first
US Champion title - his three US champion titles date from 1980, 1983 and
2002. He was also a four-time runner-up for the title, as well as 11-time US
Olympiad team member, winning the gold Olympic medal as a team member in 1993
and winning the silver as a non-player team captain in 1998. He has won over
20 international tournaments, including Linares 1979 and 1981. He is the
chess coach of the MIT Chess Club, and also wrote a dozen chess books,
Storming the Barricades being the most widely known.
[SYLE]
An aggressive and tactical player, Christiansen's favorite opening is the
Saemisch King's Indian. As Black he likes Modern Benoni vs 1 d4 and Paulsen
Sicilian. He enjoys steamroller-type attacks with a gradual buildup ending in
a series of sacrifices. A sharp and practical technique.
.------.
( EUWE )
'------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Machgielis 'Max' Euwe was born in Amsterdam, Holland. A mathematics teacher,
he became the first real amateur to win the world championship in 1935. It
was considered a fluke and he sportingly agreed to a rematch in 1937, thus
enabling Alekhine to regain the crown. Euwe also found time for flying,
swimming and boxing in addition to writing numerous chess books. From 1970-78
he was president of FIDE and visited more than 100 countries at his own
expense to popularize the game in Africa and Asia.
[SYLE]
The Euwe-style is an openings expert, familiar with the entire range of
opening variations. Although hypermodern ideas are often seen in this
personality's games as White, it will stick with classical lines as Black,
and particularly enjoys the Slav Defense. A fun opponent, one that will give
you a lot of variety over a number of games.
.-------.
( EVANS )
'-------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
The five US chess championships of Larry Evans span four decades. Evans
earned his first US title at the age of 19, served as Bobby Fischer's second
for the world championship, won the US Open four times, and was a member or
captain of nine Olympic teams (capturing several gold and silver medals along
the way). He has drawn or beaten six world champions (Euwe, Fischer, Karpov,
Petrosian, Smyslov, Spassky) as well as dozens of the world's top players.
One of America's leading Chess authorities, Evans has written more than 20
books on chess, including a revision of the monumental 10th edition of Modern
Chess Openings, commonly known as the Chess Bible. He retired from play to
put more time into his syndicated newspaper column, and was named Chess
Journalist Of The Year in 2000. Grandmaster Evans is a frequent contributor
to Chessmaster.
[SYLE]
Basically a counter-puncher, the Evans-style is fond of the English as White
and the King's Indian and Sicilian as Black. A fierce defender and avid pawn
snatcher, this personality has been known to suffer for hours nursing a lowly
pawn all the way to victory. So, be careful with those gambits against this
opponent!
.------.
( FINE )
'------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Reuben Fine was born in New York City, USA. During the 1930s the rivalry
between him and Reshevsky was white hot as they led American teams to victory
in the chess Olympiads. Fine won the USA Open seven times but could never
wrest the national title from his nemesis. Fine's greatest feat was tying for
first with Keres at AVRO 1938, ahead of Reshevsky and four world champions,
past and present. After the war, unable to make a living from chess, Fine was
faced with a hard choice. He became a psychologist, declined to take part in
the 1948 world championship, and stopped competing altogether in 1951. Yet he
remained America's premier chess author; his classics include 'Basic Chess
Endings', 'The Ideas Behind the Chess Openings', 'Lessons From My Games', and
'The World's Great Chess Games'.
[SYLE]
A preference for the open game characterizes the Fine-style, which will seek
the initiative right from the first move. This personality is tough to beat
because of its encyclopedic grasp of the openings, where it is equally
comfortable with 1.d4 or 1. e4. And if you can survive the opening, the Fine-
style is also renowned for its craftiness in the endgame.
.---------.
( FISCHER )
'---------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Robert James 'Bobby' Fischer was born in Chicago, raised in Brooklyn, New
York. He won the USA Championship at the unheard-of age of 14 in 1958. He was
a dominant player throughout the 1960s but developed a reputation for being
difficult by insisting on very specific playing conditions. Fischer's
ambition was firmly set on the world championship and in 1972 he got his
chance. He was set to play Boris Spassky for the title. No match in the
history of the game received more publicity. Fischer soundly defeated Spassky
and became the first American to win the world championship. He then withdrew
from serious play and in 1975 forfeited his title to Karpov. He became a
recluse and did not compete again until 1992 when a Yugoslav entrepreneur
organized a rematch with Spassky for $5 million ($3.35 million to the winner
and $1.65 million to the loser). Once again Fischer defeated his old rival
and once again vanished from the public eye, probably forever.
[SYLE]
Grounded on extensive opening analysis and backed up by superb endgame
technique, the Fischer-style is direct, vigorous and relentlessly aggressive.
This personality disdains draws and has an intense will to win. This
personality will almost always open 1. e4 as White, and favors the Najdorf
Sicilian or King's Indian as Black.
.-------.
( FLOHR )
'-------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Salo Flohr was born in Poland and moved to Czechoslovakia after his parentS
were killed during a pogrom. From 1928 to 1937 he competed in 42 tournaments,
winning or sharing first in half of them. A hero in his adopted homeland, he
endorsed products such as cigars, collars and pastries. By 1937 he was
designated as Alekhine's official challenger but was unable to raise a purse
and his hopes were dashed after finishing last at AVRO a year later when a
younger generation emerged led by Keres and Fine. He lost his fighting spirit
and became increasingly cautious, adopting a policy of safety first, settling
for tame draws, content to demonstrate equality with his peers. After WWII
Flohr moved to the USSR where he served as a popular and witty chess
journalist.
[SYLE]
In the early days, the Flohr-style tended toward the attack, but now goes
more for positional play, relying on queen pawn openings. While efficient,
this personality will shun risks, and may offer a draw when other opponents
might struggle on.
.--------.
( GELLER )
'--------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Geller's chess strength was forged in the fire of the Soviet Championships,
where he competed 23 times. A long-time contender for the World Championship,
Geller won his last strong tournament in 1989, when he was past 60 years of
age.
[SYLE]
Renowned for opening expertise, the Geller-style can mix it up with the best
in Chessmaster 10th Edition and still come out on top. This personality
prefers to play open games, particularly the Ruy Lopez, with White, and the
Sicilian and King's Indian with Black.
.----------.
( IVANCHUK )
'----------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
A former junior champion who has proven he can play in the big leagues, with
wins over several strong Grandmasters. At Linares in 1991, Ivanchuk defeated
both Kasparov and Karpov on his way to winning one of the strongest events
ever held.
[SYLE]
While generally preferring to defend, the Ivanchuk-style in Chessmaster 10th
Edition can play nearly any kind of game, from tactical fireworks to
positional finesse. This personality often plays counter-attacking openings,
such as the Nimzo-Indian.
.--------.
( KAMSKY )
'--------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Gata Kamsky was born in Tatarstan, USSR. He was raised by his father who took
him out of school at an early age to study chess full time. He won the
championship of Leningrad at age 12 and defected with his father to the USA
during the New York Open in 1989. Kamsky swiftly established himself as top
dog by winning the USA championship in 1991. At 21 he defeated Anand, Salov,
Short and Kramnik in preliminary matches to earn a title shot against FIDE
champion Karpov in 1996. After taking home the loser's share of $562,500
Kamsky declared he was giving up chess to study medicine.
[SYLE]
A tenacious, not overly aggressive, defender, the Kamsky-style prefers to
wait until the endgame, where it is especially strong. This personality is
quite comfortable playing cramped openings that most would find
uncomfortable.
.--------.
( KARPOV )
'--------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Anatoly Karpov was born in Zlatoust in the former Soviet Union. He won the
FIDE title twice by default: in 1975 when Fischer refused to play and in 1993
when Kasparov formed the Professional Chess Association. Karpov was the
darling of the Kremlin and his two title defenses against Soviet defector
Korchnoi in 1978 and 1981 were marred by the fact that the challenger's
family was held hostage inside the USSR. A marathon match with Kasparov in
1984 was halted by FIDE after 48 games and almost six months when an
exhausted Karpov was leading by two points. He lost the title to Kasparov in
1985 and failed to get it back despite three more matches culminating in
1990. Karpov regained the FIDE crown against Timman in 1993, Kamsky in 1996
and Anand in 1998. He was the most active champion in history and won more
first prizes in major events (some 150) than any other great player.
[SYLE]
The accurate positional play of the Karpov-style hides the fact that this
opponent can be aggressive when called for. This personality likes to build
small yet persistent advantages without incurring unnecessary risks or making
mistakes, and is quite fond of 1. e4 as White and the Caro-Kann and Queen's
Indian Defense as Black.
.---------.
( KASHDAN )
'---------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Kashdan burst on the scene in 1928 by scoring the highest on first board of
the Hague Olympiad. A leading US player, he had several good results in the
1930s and 1940s, including two US Open Championship titles. Kashdan also
founded Chess Review magazine, and was chess editor of the LA Times.
[SYLE]
While known for having an attacking style, the Kashdan-style in Chessmaster
10th Edition prefers to gain an edge in material. This personality is
particularly fond of its bishops, and will go to great lengths to avoid
exchanging them.
.-------.
( KERES )
'-------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Paul Keres, born in Narva, Estonia, was among eight of the world's superstars
for a quarter of a century ever since his sensational debut at top board on
his country's Olympic team in 1935. At Bad Neuheim 1936 he tied for first
with Alekhine, then won Semmering 1937 ahead of Capablanca. A tie with Fine
at AVRO 1938 ahead of Alekhine, Botvinnik, Capablanca, Euwe, Flohr and
Reshevsky earned Keres a title shot against Alekhine -- except for the advent
of W.W.II. After the war evidence indicates Soviet officials prevented him
from interfering with Botvinnik's ascension to the crown. Keres was an
excellent openings analyst who originated several important lines and
strengthened many variations.
[SYLE]
Once a swashbuckler, the Keres-style in Chessmaster 10th Edition now prefers
classical positional play without undue risk. Still, this personality has a
solid opening repertoire, and is quite capable of attacking when the chances
are favorable.
.----------.
( KORCHNOI )
'----------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Viktor Korchnoi was born in Leningrad, USSR, and along with Keres is often
ranked as the strongest player who never became world champion. Korchnoi won
the powerful USSR Championship four times before defecting to the USA in
1976. In 1978 and 1981, while his family was held hostage inside the USSR, he
lost two title matches to Karpov, after which his wife and son were freed. In
1983 he dropped a semi-final match to Kasparov, ending his chance to
challenge Karpov again. Even in his late sixties, Korchnoi is still
dangerous, and in 2002, he became the oldest player to ever win a
professional tournament.
[SYLE]
A defensive player who revels in ferocious counter-attacks, the Korchnoi-
style in Chessmaster 10th Edition is tough and tenacious, fighting every game
to the bitter end with grim determination. As you might expect, this
personality is partial to the French Defense and the English Opening.
.---------.
( KRAMNIK )
'---------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Since bursting on the world chess scene in 1992, Kramnik displayed a maturity
of play far beyond his years. Over a period of 18 months, leading up to July
2000, Kramnik set a record by remaining undefeated in over 80 games played at
the highest level. He quickly gained the distinction as one of the few who
was able to give Kasparov a run for his money. Before their Braingames title
match at London in October 2000, where Kramnik astonished everyone by
winning, they had met 23 times at classical time limits, and the score was
three wins apiece with 17 draws. Since then, however, Kramnik has been
relatively inactive. Despite a triumph at Dortmund in 2001, his results have
fallen below expectation, and many fans do not consider him a worthy
successor to Kasparov. A unification match planned for October 2003 may
settle the issue of who is the best player on the planet.
[SYLE]
Quite well-rounded, the Kramnik-style in Chessmaster 10th Edition is equally
at home with 1.e4 or 1.d4 or 1.c4, all of which can cause problems for
opponents not as well-versed in the intricacies of those openings. As Black,
this personality is fond of the Queen's Gambit Accepted, is skilled at the
Berlin Defense, and is prepared to patiently defend long endgames in order to
blunt the opponent's opening initiative.
.--------.
( LARSEN )
'--------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Denmark's leading player for decades, Bent Larsen learned the moves of chess
at age 6 and was the first Westerner to pose the Soviet bloc a serious
challenge. In 1956 he won fame at the Moscow Olympiad as overall high scorer
on first board (+11 -1 = 6). His results continued to be spectacular, and
from 1967 to 1970 he failed to win first prize only once in nine consecutive
events. His play faltered after 1971 when Fischer trounced him 6-0 in a world
championship qualifying match; yet Larsen remained in demand from organizers
because he always plays to win and takes calculated risks that delight
spectators.
[SYLE]
The Larsen-style in Chessmaster 10th Edition is an unabashed original who
vacillates between strikeouts and home runs. This personality is fond of many
old and forgotten opening variations, but far from being reckless, is quite
capable of solid positional play.
.--------.
( LASKER )
'--------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Emanuel Lasker, born in Berlinchen, Germany, held the World Championship
longer than anyone in history, from 1894-1921. He was a well-rounded man who
also wrote about mathematics and philosophy. He did not wish to devote his
life to chess, but financial pressure always forced him back. His classic
book 'Lasker's Manual Of Chess' describes his approach to the game and pays
tribute to the revolutionary theories of Steinitz, the champion he deposed.
[SYLE]
Of all the Chessmaster 10th Edition opponents, the Lasker-style will more
often play the opponent as much or more than the board. This personality is a
fabulous defensive player and fine tactician, equally at home in open or
closed positions.
.------.
( LEKO )
'------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
At 14, Peter Leko became the youngest Grandmaster ever. His victory in the
Under-16 World Championship began a meteoric rise. In 1998, at Dortmund,
Madrid and Tilburg, he lost only once in 40 games against the world's elite.
By January 2001, he already was ranked number five in the world, and later in
2001, Leko won a rapid match against Kramnik, who had just conquered Kasparov
for the title. An idol in his own country, since 1999 Leko has been supported
by RWE Gas AG in Dortmund, Germany, an unusual arrangement for top players.
His greatest weakness is a lack of aggression and a tendency to agree to
peaceful draws. But he is extremely hard to beat and competitors often refer
to him as 'bulletproof'. To improve, he hired a professional coaching team
consisting of three Grandmasters, and on all his travels he is accompanied by
his Armenian wife, Sofie. All his hard work seems to be paying dividends. In
2002 he won the first FIDE Grand Prix rapid tournament in Dubai.
[SYLE]
A cautious, solid defensive player, the Leko-style seldom loses but draws
many games. This personality tends to shun sharp openings, and is partial to
the Sicilian and Gruenfeld Defenses.
.----------.
( MARSHALL )
'----------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Frank Marshall was born in New York, USA. Since age 10 not a day went by in
which he didn't play at least one game of chess. He made his international
debut at Paris 1900 where he finished fourth and became America's strongest
player for the next 30 years. His greatest success was first at Cambridge
Springs in 1904 ahead of Lasker and Pillsbury. His only interests were chess
and family life. His only weakness was a liking for drink, though he never
let it interfere with serious play. The Marshall Chess Club, which he
founded, is still located as 23 West 10 Street in Manhattan.
[SYLE]
A penchant for the attack makes the Marshall-style employ gambits and take
risks, even against the strongest of players. This personality has a keen eye
for the purely combinative side of chess, and can amaze the competition by
some incredible ingenuity in the most sterile positions.
.--------.
( MORPHY )
'--------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Born in New Orleans, USA, Paul Morphy was the first 'unofficial' World
Champion (1858-9) but then retired from chess to pursue an unsuccessful
career as a lawyer. He grasped the principles of chess before anyone else and
today his insights are accepted by all serious players. He abhorred being
considered a chess pro, believing it was not a fit profession for a grown
man. In an era when the dynamic young nation suffered from a cultural
inferiority complex, he was the toast of America after going to Europe and
defeating their best players, including Adolf Anderssen, who later lost a
match to Steinitz, the first official world champ.
[SYLE]
Of all the Chessmaster 10th Edition opponents, the Morphy-style is the most
concerned with mobility, determined to place pieces on open lines and boldly
sacrificing material to gain the initiative. This personality excels in open
games, using keen positional judgment to lay the groundwork for stunning
combinations.
.---------.
( NAJDORF )
'---------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Najdorf first made his mark as high-scorer for the Polish team at the 1935
chess Olympiad. At the outbreak of WWII, during the chess Olympiad of 1939,
he sought asylum in Argentina, along with a number of other European stars.
In 1947, he set a blindfold record by taking on 45 players simultaneously (+
39 -2 = 4). From 1950 to 1976, Najdorf fielded first board on the Argentine
team in 11 Chess Olympiads. In 1949, he drew a match with Fine (+2 -2 = 4)
and then lost two matches against Reshevsky in what became known as the
championship of the free world. In a long career he was champion of three
nations: Poland, Hungary and Argentina. He always played colorful chess and
conducted the middle game with virtuosity; but at the highest level his skill
in the opening and ending did not match his leading contemporaries. One of
the most popular lines in the Sicilian Defense, the indestructible Najdorf
Variation, (1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6) was named in
his honor.
[SYLE]
The Najdorf-style has a varied enough repertoire that you cannot expect a
particular move, but does have certain conspicuous preferences. As White,
this personality distinctly favors 1.d4 with a secondary interest in the
English/Reti systems, and as Black, leans toward more combative choices --
King's Indians and Sicilians, with an occasional Queen's Indian or Philidor
Defense.
.-------------.
( NIMZOWITSCH )
'-------------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Aaron Nimzowitsch, born in Riga, Latvia, was the greatest player of the
hypermodern school. In 1922 he emigrated to Denmark and from a small rented
room in Copenhagen penned 'My System' and other classics that deeply
influenced future generations. His finest result was winning Carlsbad 1929
ahead of Capablanca but a compulsion to prove his 'unorthodox' theories and
'mysterious' moves sometimes proved costly in tournaments. He made decisive
contributions to opening theory; he revived the Winawer Variation of the
French Defense, the Queen's Indian and Nimzo-Indian Defense. He also coined
many memorable phrases such as 'the pawn has a lust to expand',
'prophylaxis' and 'the bishop bites on granite'. Two of his most famous
disciples are Petrosian and Karpov.
[SYLE]
Spawned by the the hypermodern school, the Nimzowitsch-style believes that
control of the center does not necessarily imply occupation by pawns. This
personality likes maneuvering in closed and cramped positions, and loves
having an overextended enemy center to attack.
.---------.
( PAULSEN )
'---------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Often underrated, Paulsen's career was overshadowed by the brilliance of Paul
Morphy. After losing the final match in the great New York tournament of 1851
to Morphy, Paulsen continued to improve, and was one of the top players in
the world until 1889. He excelled at match play, and won tournaments that
featured such greats as Anderssen and Zukertort. Paulsen is notable as the
first great master to stress defense, and invented several openings,
including lines in the Sicilian and King Indian's Defense that are still
popular today.
[SYLE]
The Paulsen-style prefers to let opponents weaken their position. This
personality is notable in that it stresses defense, and employs several
openings that complement its counter-attacking style.
.-----------.
( PETROSIAN )
'-----------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Tigran Petrosian was born in Tbilisi, Georgia. Both his parents died when he
was 16 years old. He took work in an officer's club to maintain his family
and found chess to be his main consolation. The play and principles of
Capablanca and Nimzowitsch influenced his early development. In 1963, he
wrested the world title crown from Botvinnik, which took two months, and then
defended it against Spassky in 1966. He later lost his title to Spassky in
1969. Petrosian was content to draw with most of his rivals but he was almost
impossible to beat due to his extreme prophylactic play.
[SYLE]
The unique defensive bent makes the Petrosian-style not terribly popular for
many fans, though connoisseurs might find subtle features to savor. This
personality excels in closed, constricted positions, snuffing out attacks
even before foes begin to mobilize their forces, and shuns sharp lines in
favor the Caro-Kann and French Defense.
.-----------.
( PILLSBURY )
'-----------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Born in Summerville, South Carolina, Harry Nelson Pillsbury learned chess at
16 and was one of the few great masters content to make it his profession.
His blindfold powers and miraculous memory were a delight to behold. During
simultaneous exhibitions of chess and checkers he would ask someone to submit
a list of 30 words which he repeated backwards when he was all through. In
1895 he sailed to Europe and startled the world by winning Hastings ahead of
all the leading players of his day -- but his first success was to be his
greatest. Always a tough contender, only once again did he share first in an
international tournament at Munich 1900. Poor health plagued his play, and he
died prematurely at 34.
[SYLE]
Vigorous and combinative, the Pillsbury-style is particualrly adept at
Queen's Gambit and Ruy Lopez, two major weapons of the modern master. When
patient maneuvering is required, however, this personality is less
successful, and is sometimes ill-at-ease in the endgame.
.--------.
( POLGAR )
'--------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Judith Polgar, born in Budapest, Hungary, was the youngest of three sisters
who all became grandmasters after their father trained them almost from birth
to excel at chess. She achieved the title at 15 and became the highest rated
female in history before breaking into the top ten by winning a 10-game
training match against Spassky in 1992. In 1998 she also beat Karpov 5-3 at a
fast time limit of 25 minutes per side. She fought her way to the top by
competing only in mixed events despite dogged resistance from Communist chess
officials in her own country who tried to confine her and her two sisters to
women's tournaments.
[SYLE]
The Polgar-style is characterized by aggression, almost invariably opening
with 1. e4 and striving for the initiative right from the start. However,
this personality is far from reckless, and is a tough tournament competitor,
winning a lot of points from beautiful combinations.
.-----------.
( RESHEVSKY )
'-----------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Samuel Reshevsky, born in Ozorkow, Poland, was a famous child prodigy who
started touring the world at age 6 giving simultaneous displays. He quit
playing after his family settled in America to complete his education and
become an accountant. Upon returning to the international arena, he won
Margate in 1935 ahead of Capablanca and captured the USA Championship in 1936
and remained a contender for the title into the late 1970s.
[SYLE]
The Reshevsky-style is weaker in openings than many of the GM-style opponents
in Chessmaster 10th Edition, and is very much at home in cramped positions.
This personality is partial to 1. d4 and often defends with the Nimzo-Indian,
but is also strong in endgames and has superb tactical skill.
.------.
( RETI )
'------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Richard Reti was born in Pezinok (in Hungary at the time) and earned his
living writing chess columns and giving simultaneous displays. In 1925 he
played 29 blindfold games at once, then a record. His results were always
good -- he broke Capablanca's eight year winning streak by beating him at New
York 1924 -- but he was never a contender. Today he is best remembered for
writing two classics 'Masters of the Chessboard' and 'Modern Ideas in Chess'.
[SYLE]
Another Hypermodern school devotee, the Reti-style in Chessmaster 10th
Edition rarely occupies the center directly. Among this personality's
openings are, appropriately, Reti's Opening (1. Nf3), Alekhine's Defense (1.
e4 Nf6), and Fianchetto formations like 1. g3 and 2. Bg2.
.------------.
( RUBINSTEIN )
'------------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
The youngest of 12 children, Akiba Rubinstein was born in Stawiski, a Polish
border town then in Russia. He learned chess at 16 and devoted his life to
the game, remaining one of the top four until after WWI. He might have become
world champion, but being a poor Jewish person from the ghetto never got
backing for a shot at the title. His greatest victory came at Carlsbad 1907
with everyone there except Lasker, then by a tie for first with Lasker (whom
he beat) at St. Petersburg 1909. Rubinstein's last hurrah came at Vienna
1922. A lifelong shyness developed into a persecution complex. 'There is
scarcely another master who suffers so from nerves, which cause him moments
of complete exhaustion so that he commits crude blunders,' noted Reti.
[SYLE]
For accuracy in endgames, it is hard to do better than the Rubinstein-style.
Although strong in openings, this personality prefers simplifications and
quiet lines without complications.
.----------.
( SEIRAWAN )
'----------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Yasser Seirawan was born in Damascus, Syria, but lived in the USA since age
2. He became world junior champion in 1979, then won Wijk aan Zee in 1980. He
tied for first with Browne in the 1981 USA Championship, which he won by
himself in 1986. After defeating two reigning world champions (Karpov and
Kasparov) in individual games, a dispute with chess officials over the way
they picked Olympic teams soured him on playing. In 1988 Seirawan started a
new venture as editor and publisher of 'Inside Chess', gradually turning his
talents toward the business side of the game. Today he competes infrequently.
[SYLE]
The Seirawan-style is basically defensive, with a highly refined positional
style that shines in the endgame. This personality is fond of the Caro-Kann
Defense and is very tough with Black.
.--------.
( SHIROV )
'--------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Alexei Shirov was born in Riga, Latvia, and has remained in the world's top
ten ever since he was 20. Due to problems with his country's chess officials
and after losing his life savings when a bank failed, he emigrated to Spain
'because I already spoke some Spanish'. His presence on their Olympic team in
1996 helped Spain finish sixth in a field of over 100 nations, a sensational
result. Shirov got his big break at Linares in 1998 as runner-up to Anand,
whom he then replaced in a match with Kramnik where victory earned him a $2
million title shot against Kasparov.
[SYLE]
The Shirov-style is essentially exciting chess that doesn't shrink from risk
at any time in the game. This personality has an ability to find moves that
may not be best but which often unnerve the opponent.
.-------.
( SHORT )
'-------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Nigel Short was born in Leigh, England, and became the youngest player tO
achieve the International Master title by age 15, when he was runner-up to
Kasparov in the World Junior. In 1993, after winning preliminary matches
against the likes of Timman and Karpov, he became the first Western
challenger for the title since Bobby Fischer in 1972. Dissatisfied with FIDE,
however, he and Kasparov broke away to form the rival PCA. The Times of
London put up a purse of $2.5 million, and the fascinating story of their
historic confrontation is reported by Dominic Lawson in 'Endgame' (Harmony
Books 1994).
[SYLE]
True to its natural attacking roots, the Short-style usually opens with 1.
e4, playing for open positions and attacking lines. Though this personality
will achieve brilliant wins against some of the best, it is also prone to
horrible defeats to lesser players, because of an inability to compromise its
style.
.--------.
( SMYLOV )
'--------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Vassily Smyslov was born in Moscow, USSR. Chess nearly lost him when he
narrowly failed an audition as a singer with the Bolshoi Opera in 1950. He
then faced Botvinnik in three title matches with an overall score of 18 wins,
17 losses and 34 draws. Smyslov drew their first match in 1954, won the
second in 1957 and became world champion for a year before dropping a rematch
in 1958. In his heyday he was nearly invincible, and his amazing longevity
was demonstrated in 1984 when at age 63 he became the oldest player to reach
the finals where he was dispatched by Kasparov.
[SYLE]
The Smyslov-style combines the best of old and new ideas with a serene,
simple and powerful brand of chess. As White, this personality favors the
English and is equally at home in flank openings or classical defenses.
.---------.
( SPASSKY )
'---------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Boris Spassky was born in Leningrad, USSR. He became world junior champion in
1955 and went on to capture the crown from Petrosian. Spassky reigned as
world champion from 1969-72. His dramatic match with Fischer at Reykjavik in
1972 captured headlines all over the globe. Spassky disobeyed orders to
return home and sportingly continued playing after he amassed a two-point
lead when Fischer failed to show up for their second game. However, Spassky
could not withstand Fischer's fierce onslaught and although he fought
valiantly, lost his title. Soviet authorities punished him for losing to an
American. He eventually moved to France to play on their Olympic team. In
1992 he again faced Fischer for a record purse of $5 million and again he
lost.
[SYLE]
A universal talent comfortable in virtually any position, the Spassky-style
has a flair for lively tactics. As Black, this personality plays the Tarrasch
Defense and as White the Leningrad Variation of the Nimzo-Indian.
.----------.
( STEINITZ )
'----------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Wilhelm Steinitz was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia. He learned chess at the
age of 12; unable to afford a board and men, he made his own. He went to
Vienna as a young man and first attempted to earn a living as a journalist
before dedicating his vocation to chess. He held the first official world
championship from 1886-94, it was the 25 year old Lasker who eventually de-
throned him. He earned a living as a chess pro in London, then the Mecca of
the chess world, before emigrating to America where he died in poverty.
[SYLE]
The antithesis of the romantic era of chess, the Steinitz-style is the
forerunner of modern positional play. This personality is quite at home in
the closed game with barricaded pawn structures, and will even move its king
in the opening to gain material.
.-----.
( TAL )
'-----'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Mikhail Tal was born in Riga, Latvia, and swiftly received international
acclaim with his fearless and imaginative attacks. Full of nervous energy,
chain-smoking, pacing restlessly between moves, he was obsessed with chess
and played fast games against all comers into the wee hours. He was world
champion for only one year after beating Botvinnik in 1960 but lost the
rematch in 1961. Although plagued with ill-health, Tal always remained a
favorite with the fans. His witty book 'The Life And Games Of Mikhail Tal'
(1976) is a classic that will be enjoyed by future generations.
[SYLE]
While talented in all facets of the game, the Tal-style loves mayhem. All
this personality needs is a chance to attack and the position will explode in
fireworks.
.----------.
( TARRASCH )
'----------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Siegbert Tarrasch, born in Breslau, Germany, was a medical doctor and one of
the world's four best players (along with Steinitz, Lasker and Chigorin) for
about 20 years until he lost a title match to Lasker in 1908. He occupies a
unique position in chess literature and today is remembered chiefly as a
great chess teacher. His word was law. Uniting the theories of Morphy and
Steinitz, he preached the value of mobility and rapid development.
[SYLE]
An apostle of the attack, the Tarrasch-style will patiently accumulate small
advantages until they add up to a big bang. This personality champions the
Open Defense to the Ruy Lopez and the Tarrasch Defense, where the mobility of
Black's pieces balance the isolated queen pawn.
.------------.
( TARTAKOWER )
'------------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Saveilly Tartakower was a bit of an anomaly in the chess world of the early
20th century. While he could attack when needed, Tartakower could defend as
well, and was perfectly happy to embrace many of the new ideas of the
Hypermodern chess movement. Known as one of the leading exponents of openings
theory, Tartakower ironically lost one of the most famous chess miniatures
ever played against Richard Reti, in only 10 moves (see this Classic Game in
the Chessmaster Library).
[SYLE]
The Tartakower-style will usually try to use superior opening preparation to
build up an early advantage, that can later be exploited either positionally
or tactically. This personality plays a wide range of openings for both White
and Black.
.--------.
( TIMMAN )
'--------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Jan Timman won his national title on numerous occasions starting in 1974,
thus inheriting the mantle of Holland's best player from Euwe and then
Donner. He has beaten all reigning world champs in individual games and has
always had fine results, including Mar Del Plata 1982 -- first ahead of
Karpov by two full points. In 1993 he dropped a FIDE title match to Karpov
and turned his attention to chess journalism. Today Timman is best known as
the editor of New In Chess.
[SYLE]
The Timman-style is well versed in the openings and generally plays in a
flexible but muscular manner. Over the years, this personality has blended
deep theoretical knowledge, and a direct classical approach.
.----------.
( WAITZKIN )
'----------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
New York City native Josh Waitzkin discovered chess at the age of six.
Captivated by the local version of 'speed chess', Josh immediately began a
serious study of the game. As a scholastic competitor, Josh won 8 national
titles, and his youthful career was immortalized in the book and subsequent
film, 'Searching for Bobby Fischer'. Josh became a National Master at age 13,
an International Master at 16, and an acclaimed chess author at 18, with
'Attacking Chess'. One of the most popular and widely recognized chess
players in the world, Josh has gained a reputation for the humanistic grace
with which he speaks and writes about the art. In addition to his extensive
chess pursuits, Josh also studies Eastern Philosophy and Religion, and has
become deeply immersed in the study of Tai Chi Chuan with Grandmaster William
CC Chen. Josh has already added 4 Tai Chi Chuan Push Hands National
Championship titles to his 8 National Chess Championship titles.
[SYLE]
The Waitzkin-style is known for fearless attacks and deep understanding of
the endgame.
.-----------.
( ZUKERTORT )
'-----------'
[RATING]
2700
[BIOGRAPHY]
Zukertort began as a student of Anderssen, and by 1871, had become the
second-best player in the world. Zukertort lost two matches for the world
championship to Steinitz in 1872 (+1 -7 =4) and again in 1886 (+5 -10 =5).
His greatest success came at London 1883, three points ahead of Steinitz.
Blessed with a prodigious memory, Zukertort could recall countless games and
variations, a trait that served him well as co-editor of the Neue Berliner
Schachzeitung. In many ways, Zukertort was the Baron Munchausen of chess. In
a fanciful account of his early life, he claimed fluency in nine languages,
and boasted of being a crack pistol shot, an accomplished swordsman, and a
veteran of military campaigns he never fought in. One witness overheard him
holding a visitor from India spellbound with a convincing and detailed
description of a tiger hunt he never took part in. He was seized by a stroke
while playing at London's famous Simpson's Divan and died the next day.
[SYLE]
With the exception of occasional experiments with 1.Nf3, it is hard to find
any of games from the Zukertort-style that varied from the staunch 1. e4 e5
with either White or Black. This personality will generally plant firmly in
the center and slug it out in open games.
.----------.
( FREDERIC )
'----------'
[RATING]
2629
[BIOGRAPHY]
Frederic is a postal worker in his native Bavaria. Like most of the men in
his village, he began learning to play chess before he learned to ride a
bicycle. Most nights, he and his friends go to a pub where they drink and
talk over a chessboard. Frederic's skill as a chess player is somewhat
renowned and players travel from neighboring villages to challenge him. Most
often, he wins.
[SYLE]
Frederic is a very strong 2629-rated player who plays a balanced game. He
prefers to play openings that were popular in the early 20th century.
.---------.
( QUEENIE )
'---------'
[RATING]
2608
[BIOGRAPHY]
Raised in a culture where girls were not allowed to excel in a pursuit as
serious as chess, Queenie nonetheless became an excellent player through
matches with her older brother and friends. In recent years she has taken
great pleasure in providing chess tutelage to her granddaughter, who is now
recognized as an up-and-coming female player.
[SYLE]
Queenie is a very strong (2761) player whose only quirk is her penchant for
getting the queen out early.
.-------.
( LOGAN )
'-------'
[RATING]
2561
[BIOGRAPHY]
Logan is an English professor at a small, prestigious college in the
Northeast. As faculty advisor for the college chess team, he enjoys the
opportunity of playing against the bright young minds of his school and
helping shape the strengths and strategies of his protégés.
[SYLE]
Logan is called the 'drawmaster'. His openings tend to be drawish and he will
often play for a draw even when ahead. He is rated at 2561.
.-------------.
( SHAKESPEARE )
'-------------'
[RATING]
1507
[BIOGRAPHY]
Shakespeare (so nicknamed because of his frequent tendency to quote the Bard)
is a clerk at a trendy but mellow bookstore and coffee shop. The store has
chess tables set up for anyone wanting to play, and every chance he gets,
Shakespeare takes up the gauntlet of competition.
[SYLE]
Shakespeare's other nickname is the 'pawnmaster'. He will carefully guard his
pawns so that he can eventually overwhelm his opponent with a swarm of pawns.
His rating is 1507.
.------.
( SVEN )
'------'
[RATING]
2415
[BIOGRAPHY]
A lumberjack in the deep woods of Alaska, Sven is a champion log-roller and
tobacco spitter. During the long northern winters he keeps his wits sharp by
playing chess against himself. When the weather is good he and his big dog
Lucy like to go into town for some R&R. While Lucy plays with the other sled
dogs, Sven takes to the local tavern and wagers games of chess for tankards
of ale. By the end of the night he has usually clear-cut the competition and
is a bit tipsy. Emma, the friendly barmaid, lets him sleep it off before his
sled-trek back to his cabin.
[SYLE]
Sven likes to play as many games as possible in a night (more games = more
beer) so look for him to be pretty aggressive. He likes to chop down material
quickly and then whittle away at the endgame.
.-----.
( LOU )
'-----'
[RATING]
2367
[BIOGRAPHY]
A leading female chess player in the '60s, Lou stopped playing competitively
to raise her two sons and pursue her law degree. She rarely plays these days,
as neither her husband nor her sons provide much of a challenge to her
abilities. However, she recently discovered the joy of playing chess on-line
and from time to time logs on under the name 'Queen of Torts'.
[SYLE]
Lou is a natural player who has made it a point to ignore conventional
opening theory, believing that it keeps her game from becoming stagnant. She
attacks each opening position with an open mind. Her rating is 2367.
.------.
( JINX )
'------'
[RATING]
2337
[BIOGRAPHY]
Jinx is the youngest in her chess-playing family with five older brothers,
two of whom are chess champions. Jinx got her nickname by the fact that,
whenever she attends a tournament in which one of her brothers plays, he
always loses early in the competition. She has learned to play chess in much
the same manner as she plays other competitive sports like 'one of the guys'.
[SYLE]
Jinx is a strong 2337-rated player, but she tends to neglect the mobility of
her own pieces, controlling the center, and her own pawn structure.
.------.
( LILI )
'------'
[RATING]
2275
[BIOGRAPHY]
Lili works for an advertising agency. She started to play chess late in her
life - his husband taught her the basics. Even if they're both true
workaholics, they always have a chess game ongoing. They play most often in
the morning, after breakfast, before heading for work. They also play
sometimes early in the evening, before watching TV.
[SYLE]
Lili's opening book knowledge is extensive but she seems to prefer lines that
put her at a slight disadvantage. She places a high premium on controlling
the center. Her rating is 2275.
.------.
( BUCK )
'------'
[RATING]
2238
[BIOGRAPHY]
Buck is a long distance truck driver who occupies his time on long journeys
by carrying on chess games with other truckers over CB radios. Anyone
listening in to one of their transmissions is likely to be confused as they
use their own trucker lingo for pieces and square moves. ('Elvis spotted at
the second house, over,' translates to Kh2.) Playing this way has honed his
ability to think through long strategies and picture tactics in his mind.
[SYLE]
Buck prefers openings that involve a lot of captures. His key weakness is his
almost total disregard for controlling the center. In spite of this, his
rating is a strong 2238.
.------.
( J.T. )
'------'
[RATING]
2214
[BIOGRAPHY]
J.T. attended the finest prep schools as a teenager, where chess was offered
as part of the curriculum. Though naturally talented at the game, he never
developed the passion needed to propel him from 'very good' status to the
status of greatness. Though he hasn't played much in recent years, he can
usually sit down and pick up where he left off, instantly playing as well as
he did in his teen years.
[SYLE]
J.T. plays opening specifically designed to entice the opponent into falling
into one of a number of specific traps that he has prepared for. He is rated
2214.
.---------.
( MULDOON )
'---------'
[RATING]
2203
[BIOGRAPHY]
A computer programmer by profession, Muldoon wrote his first chess program
for his Apple II when he was 13 years old. He has continued to enjoy the
combination of chess and computers and buys the best and latest version of
Chessmaster as soon as it hits the stores. Because of his long hours working
on a computer screen, he often indulges in chess matches on-line.
[SYLE]
Muldoon's play is designed to get to the endgame with a superiority of pawns
and he is adept at exploiting passed pawns. His weakness is that he sometimes
trades away minor pieces for the pawn superiority. He is rated 2203.
.------.
( JADE )
'------'
[RATING]
2178
[BIOGRAPHY]
Jade was something of a child prodigy in chess, astounding her relatives by
her ability to beat them all by the age of 10. An avid chess hobbyist, she
occasionally played in tournaments throughout her teen years, and often
placed in the top ten finalists. Jade is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in
Eastern Philosophy at the University of California at Berkeley.
[SYLE]
Jade is a strong player with solid opening theory and a rating of 2178. The
one weakness in her game is her reluctance to trade down pieces. She will
often pass up attacking opportunities and retreat, waiting for her opponent
to initiate the attack.
.---------.
( NATALIE )
'---------'
[RATING]
2169
[BIOGRAPHY]
Natalie comes from a family of over-achievers, with a brother who's a
champion gymnast and a sister who's a violin prodigy. A talented pianist and
gymnast in her own right, Natalie's favorite pastime is chess, and her
parents have given her every opportunity to pursue this interest. Now working
on her B.A. at Yale, Natalie often goes to local coffeehouses to play chess.
[SYLE]
Natalie prefers openings that complicate the middle of the board with a lot
of pieces. In the midgame, she goes on the attack. She is rated 2169.
.---------.
( VANESSA )
'---------'
[RATING]
2111
[BIOGRAPHY]
Vanessa is a senior buyer for a major department store. Her self-confidence
and winning personality help her to get great deals on high-quality
merchandise for her stores. One of her favorite ways to unwind after a busy
week is to sit down to a long, peaceful chess game with her husband.
[SYLE]
Vanessa is a strong 2111-rated player with no obvious weaknesses. Her play is
balanced and her opening book knowledge is deep.
.------.
( LORI )
'------'
[RATING]
2051
[BIOGRAPHY]
Behind a pretty face, Lori hides a formidable opponent. She has played chess
since she was 5, and most of her family think she'll be the one to beat her
grandfather's record, who won five chess tournaments in a single year.
[SYLE]
Lori's rating says it all - at 2051, she's a strong player with no apparent
weak points. Her openings are somewhat limited, but her play is overall
balanced.
.-----.
( DOC )
'-----'
[RATING]
2050
[BIOGRAPHY]
A veterinarian in rural Arizona, Doc has maintained a correspondence chess
competition with an old college buddy currently living in Florida. Since both
players know the other's idiosyncrasies and playing styles so well, they are
constantly trying to out-maneuver each other with new techniques and ideas.
[SYLE]
Doc's opening theory is often unconventional but is always solid. His play is
balanced and he is rated a quite strong 2050.
.-------.
( WALLY )
'-------'
[RATING]
2003
[BIOGRAPHY]
Wally is a Midwestern farmer who meets with other farmers every Friday at the
local coffee shop where they engage in games of chess, bridge, or pinochle.
During the winter he and other chess lovers are likely to meet more
frequently, often spending long afternoons challenging each other to matches.
[SYLE]
Wally's opening moves lull the opponent into expecting a long game, but then
Wally shifts gears and starts trading pieces quickly. Wally's primary
weakness is the fact that he values queens and rooks the same. Given this
peculiarity, it is remarkable that he has been able to maintain a 2003
rating.
.---------------.
( JOSH - AGE 12 )
'---------------'
[RATING]
2100
[BIOGRAPHY]
By the time Josh Waitzkin was 12 he had already won many national titles and
was widely recognized as America's strongest young player. In a simultaneous
exhibition at age 11, Josh drew a game against World Champion Garry Kasparov,
an unprecedented feat for a boy so young. However, Josh encountered his first
plateau at age 12 as his rating hovered around 2170 for over a year. Finally,
a few days after turning 13 he broke through and his rating quickly shot up
to 2400. Josh learned that even the fiercest competitor must exhibit patience
while his game grows.
[SYLE]
Josh had become a more rounded player at age 12, with a rating of 2100. His
love for the endgame was complemented by a strong opening repertoire and his
desire to attack was grounded in objectivity. His personality was very
aggressive and it came across on the board. Closed maneuvering games and
positional nuance went against his grain.
.-------.
( DOBIE )
'-------'
[RATING]
1977
[BIOGRAPHY]
A product of the TV generation, Dobie and his brother Maynard were not
exposed to the finer things in life, including chess, by their parents. Now a
Porsche salesman, Dobie's wealthy girlfriend, Buffy, is teaching him the game
so he can compete with her Mummy and Daddy during weekend getaways at their
Long Island Estate.
[SYLE]
Dobie's 1977 rating puts him in the category of a strong intermediate / weak
advanced player. He slightly prefers playing for material in exchange for
positional strength.
.------.
( RAND )
'------'
[RATING]
1972
[BIOGRAPHY]
Rand is a Benedictine monk who spends part of each year participating in a
vow of silence. During those times, many of the brethren like to play chess
in the evenings when prayers and chores are done for the day. Though
aggressive play is officially frowned upon, matches often become quite
spirited, and Rand secretly takes great pride in the fact that he often wins.
[SYLE]
Rand is an all-around balanced player. His opportunities for long study have
resulted in a deep knowledge of opening moves. He is rated 1972.
.-------.
( LAURA )
'-------'
[RATING]
1926
[BIOGRAPHY]
Despite the fact that her exotic look has brought her meteoric appearances in
several TV shows during her teen years, Laura doesn't take her future as
actress seriously. She used the money to pay for her economic studies and
aims to become a real business woman in a few years. As part of her self-
education, Laura took to chess and discovered she is a natural talent.
[SYLE]
As her rating indicates, Laura is a strong intermediate player, which is the
more outstanding as she plays chess for less than a couple hours each week.
Her most obvious default is underestimating bishops.
.------.
( RICK )
'------'
[RATING]
1905
[BIOGRAPHY]
Rick is an up-and-coming model who likes to relax at photography shoots by
inviting models, set designers, hair stylists, etc., into chess competitions.
Because of his pretty-boy/party boy reputation, his new opponents don't tend
to take him very seriously. They soon find out that he's a very good player.
[SYLE]
Rick prefers gambit openings and has a slight preference of knights over
bishops. He is also adept at exploiting passed pawns. He is rated 1905.
.------.
( ROXY )
'------'
[RATING]
1847
[BIOGRAPHY]
Roxy is the lead singer in a rock band that tours the country 250 days each
year. During the band's long bus journeys, chess is one of the activities
used to occupy their time. As the only female on the bus, Roxy enjoys the
fact that she almost always beats everybody else at the game.
[SYLE]
On the whole, Roxy's play is balanced. She does have a liking for the more
unorthodox openings. She is a strong-intermediate 1847-rated player.
.------.
( VLAD )
'------'
[RATING]
1846
[BIOGRAPHY]
Vlad is a Russian-born physicist who emigrated from his native country to the
United States to be able to work on non-defense applications. Like many
Russians of his generation, he learned chess in school as a young boy. In the
United States, Vlad has used his expertise at chess to help him make friends
and overcome language barriers.
[SYLE]
Vlad's favorite tactic is to play so quickly that his opponents try to match
his speedy pace regardless of what's on their clocks. Vlad's rating of 1846
is quite respectable considering the fact that he never thinks about a move
more than a second. The key to defeating Vlad is patience, patience,
patience.
.---------.
( JESSICA )
'---------'
[RATING]
1845
[BIOGRAPHY]
Jessica is a very promising young chess player who is coached by her father
and feels a lot of pressure to succeed. Playing almost every day since the
age of five has taken a toll on Jessica's social life and she has recently
begun to rebel against her father's dreams. She sometimes plays erratically,
even losing on purpose so that the lesson can be over and she can go to the
mall.
[SYLE]
Jessica prefers openings involving a lot of pawn moves. Although her rating
is a strong 1845, she overvalues pawns to the degree that she will often
trade a pawn for a minor piece.
.------.
( LUKE )
'------'
[RATING]
1832
[BIOGRAPHY]
A preacher in the bible belt, Luke is known for his powerful fire and
brimstone sermons. Among the parishioners with whom he plays chess, he's also
known for his fire and brimstone style of playing chess. Don't even think of
messing with his bishops.
[SYLE]
Luke is an intermediate player with a respectable 1944 rating. The key to
defeating him is to exploit his love of bishops by enticing him to trade his
rooks for your bishops.
.-------.
( RUSTY )
'-------'
[RATING]
1831
[BIOGRAPHY]
A cowboy and rodeo clown, Rusty has managed to find steady employment in the
ranchlands of Wyoming. As a ten-year-old boy Rusty learned to play chess from
his father. Though he no longer plays chess, he has fond memories of the time
spent with his father.
[SYLE]
Even though he hasn't played in awhile, Rusty's 1831 rating is quite
respectable. He prefers bishops over knights and he almost completely ignores
positional play.
.------.
( TURK )
'------'
[RATING]
1815
[BIOGRAPHY]
A native New Yorker, Turk was raised on the mean streets and learned to play
chess at a local boy's club. Thus saved from a life of crime, Turk is
nonetheless a street hustler, occasionally selling discount wares, but mostly
eking out a living by challenging all comers to speed chess matches, $5.00 a
game, in Washington Square.
[SYLE]
Turk is an excellent 1815-rated player who likes to trip up his opponents by
playing unorthodox openings.
.--------------.
( JOSH - AGE 9 )
'--------------'
[RATING]
1800
[BIOGRAPHY]
Josh Waitzkin won his first National Championship at age nine, which became
the basis for the book and film 'Searching For Bobby Fischer'. He would later
say that this victory was the most important in his life because it taught
him that hard work pays off and that he should never give up. Since losing
the year before he had studied long hours and had developed a feel for the
end game unusual for a boy so young. He was already becoming a complete
player rated around 1800 and competing almost exclusively against adults, he
could slash through a tactical melee or eke out a win in an even end game.
[SYLE]
At age 9 Josh was very sharp tactically and got stronger as the game moved
along. His opening knowledge still lagged behind but he would later explain
that this was very good for his future growth as a player. Studying the
openings is just memorizing moves, hoping for traps, but studying the endgame
is learning about chess. His rating was 1800.
.------.
( TONI )
'------'
[RATING]
1787
[BIOGRAPHY]
A receptionist at a high-class law firm, Toni often finds herself to be bored
between the inevitable crises and pressures of her job. After exhausting
every game of solitaire and hangman she could find, she started playing chess
on her computer at work. Toni learned to play from her father, so her moments
with the game tend to bring back fond memories for her.
[SYLE]
Toni is affectionately referred to as the 'pawngrabber' because of her
penchant for trading her minor pieces for enemy pawns. Not all opponents can
exploit this weakness, as evidenced by her high 1787 rating.
.-------.
( KENJI )
'-------'
[RATING]
1757
[BIOGRAPHY]
The long lost son of an honored samurai, Kenji took up chess knowing that it
was a game his father enjoyed and that the game serves as a connection to his
deceased father. He works as a professor of mathematics and enjoys collecting
samurai swords.
[SYLE]
Each match is a battle to him and he takes pride in the decisive blows that
he deals to his opponents. He covets his knights because they symbolize
courage of samurais.
.------.
( LIAM )
'------'
[RATING]
1739
[BIOGRAPHY]
A former CIA operative, Liam learned chess as part of his cover in the Soviet
Union. He rose high in the ranks of the 'Secret Scythe' chess organization
that was the backbone of the Soviet Chess machine in the '80s. Liam began to
manifest 'identity problems' in the late '80s as the Soviet Union began to
collapse. After one devastating loss, Liam swore to 'destroy the chess
world', and defected to Cuba. New reports, however, claim that he is a
homeless outcast, playing for pesos on street corners and alleyways, and not
always winning.
[SYLE]
Liam always opens with 1. d4 as white, and will aim for the Queen's Gambit.
He defends with either the Caro-Kann or the Pirc against 1. e4, and will
reply Nf6 to 1. d4, aiming for the Grunfeld Defense as black. As white, Liam
is a relentless attacker, as black, a stubborn defender.
.------.
( TICK )
'------'
[RATING]
1722
[BIOGRAPHY]
Tick's got his nickname after his other favourite pasttime: fixing watches.
Or, as his lovely wife says, 'dismantling perfectly working items in order to
pretend repairing them'. His leading hobby is chess, though, and during every
lunch break he battles it out over the Internet, making friends with people
from exotic places - he pretends his last opponent was an Eskimo.
[SYLE]
Tick's games are anything but boring; he's very mobile and likes to control
the game.
.------.
( T.C. )
'------'
[RATING]
1701
[BIOGRAPHY]
T.C. was found as a baby on the shores of Pittsburg Landing, near the
battlefield museum commemorating the battle of Shiloh. While still a small
child, T.C. had the eerie ability to correctly recite the exploits of obscure
Civil War generals. As he grew older, T.C. turned his attention from 19th-
century military campaigns to the strategic possibilities offered by a 64-
square battlefield. Like his 19th-century chess idols, T.C.'s penchant for
wild and woolly play made for some strange results, as in one high school
tournament where he lost all of his games with White and won all his games
with Black. T.C. will likely never win an event at any level, but his play is
generally anything but boring.
[SYLE]
T.C. doesn't like playing against other players' prepared lines. So he
prefers unusual openings, often surprising opponents with Bird's Opening as
White or the Dutch against d4. T.C. will attack more often than defend,
especially if he can corner an enemy king or secure a passed pawn with a
well-timed sacrifice. However, T.C.'s endgame technique is suspect (probably
leading to his rating of 1701). T.C.'s games are marked by mobility -- hardly
a surprise, since his favorite player is Paul Morphy.
.------.
( DAVE )
'------'
[RATING]
1674
[BIOGRAPHY]
Dave has probably made you laugh more times than you'll ever know. As a
veteran comedy writer, Dave has contributed material to scores of well-known
comedians, politicians and talk shows. His credits also include a top-
grossing movie and years as head writer for a number-one television show.
Now living off of residuals, Dave spends his days gardening, playing chess,
and walking his dogs, Larry, Moe and Curly.
[SYLE]
Dave favors his knights. Watch out for his nasty knight forks (which seem to
come from out of nowhere). He is rated 1674.
.---------.
( NIKOLAI )
'---------'
[RATING]
1759
[BIOGRAPHY]
Nikolai is a physics professor at a prestigious European college. He is a
tough taskmaster, and students have to work hard to receive merely a passing
grade. Nonetheless, students flock to his classes, as everyone knows that,
once they've taken his class, their understanding of physics will be well-
grounded, and their academic background will be given prestige. During his
rare time off, Nikolai teaches chess, and is an equally demanding teacher on
the chessboard.
[SYLE]
Nikolai's weakness is his pawns. He gets so wrapped up in calculating
complicated combinations that he neglects the safety of his pawns. He is
rated 1759.
.-------.
( ODILE )
'-------'
[RATING]
1655
[BIOGRAPHY]
When her own room proved too small for the increasing collection of poetry
books, Odile decided to look for another way to pursue her hobby. After
working a couple years for a famous publishing house, she settled on working
as a librarian - now she's got all the poetry she can handle, and for free...
[SYLE]
Odile fell in love with the poetry of chess after reading an Omar Khayyam
book. As she likes the delicate look of the bishops in her porcelain chess
set, she learned how to use them efficiently. Watch out for her pins and
skewers!
.-------.
( SLICK )
'-------'
[RATING]
1625
[BIOGRAPHY]
A child prodigy in math, Slick took up chess when he concluded that it was a
strictly mathematical game. As in math, he developed his own shortcuts for
solving many chess problems. Slick will play anyone at any time, and plays
just for the fun of it. All games are challenging to him, as every game is
different. Slick was given his nickname because of his tendency to leave his
pieces as mobile as possible.
[SYLE]
Slick likes to get the Queens off the board because they greatly increase the
mathematical possibilities. He is generally reckless in situations with which
he isn't familiar, but keeps his pieces mobile. He's very knowledgeable on
the Sicilian defense. He will often take a draw, as tying is mathematically
better than losing.
.-------.
( WALDO )
'-------'
[RATING]
1618
[BIOGRAPHY]
A professional courier of sensitive documents for the Pentagon, Waldo spends
over 50% of every week on an airplane, travelling to some exotic locale. To
his sky-high seatmates, he often represents his job as being that of a secret
agent. Because he meets dozens of new people every week, he's seldom at a
loss for a new chess opponent to challenge on his magnetic travel set.
Waldo's story of being a secret agent backfired on him when he sat next to
Liam on a Moscow/New York flight.
[SYLE]
Waldo is a solid player (1717) who likes to offer material in the opening
game in exchange for development. He will typically trade his bishops away
for enemy knights.
.--------------.
( JOSH - AGE 8 )
'--------------'
[RATING]
1600
[BIOGRAPHY]
Josh Waitzkin started playing in adult tournaments when he was 8 years old.
Though this was frustrating in many ways, he found that his games against
adults gave him an edge when competing against kids. He played for the
national title for the first time at 8 and was sure he would win but fell
for an opening trap and lost in the last round. David Arnett, the kid that
beat him, would later become his best friend and a chess master. Josh would
later describe that loss as the most painful and greatest moment in his chess
life. 'Talent is cheap,' he would come to reflect, 'You have to put in the
work'.
[SYLE]
Openings were still the weakest part of Josh's game. Playing 6-hour
tournament games against adults, he learned that playing for traps usually
doesn't work against tough opponents. His Washington Square Park style was
evolving. Positional ideas were flowing into tactics and the endgame. His
rating was 1600.
.--------.
( GEORGE )
'--------'
[RATING]
1594
[BIOGRAPHY]
George is known as 'The Singing Dentist'. An operatic baritone, George likes
to sing while he works and (most of) his patients actually find it relaxing
when he sings. Usually, he sings opera or popular music (and occasionally
takes requests), but when he works on children, he sings songs he made up
about Mr. Tooth, Mr. Drill, and Madame Rinse and Spit. George really enjoys
chess and plays on-line whenever he gets the chance.
[SYLE]
George uses his knights with skilled precision. They are his favorite
weapons. Look out for his knight forks and traps. His rating is 1691.
.-----.
( JON )
'-----'
[RATING]
1593
[BIOGRAPHY]
If asked to name his favorite historical figure, Jon would probably say Pablo
Picasso or Leonardo DaVinci. Jon is quite a good artist in his own right,
and carries a sketchbook with him wherever he goes. This has occasionally
gotten him into trouble in school, where he is often reprimanded for
sketching the teacher's portrait rather than listening to the lesson. Jon's
best friend from childhood turned out to be a science nut and the thing the
two friends still have in common is their love of chess.
[SYLE]
George uses his knights with skilled precision. They are his favorite
weapons. Look out for his knight forks and traps. His rating is 1691.
.-----.
( MAX )
'-----'
[RATING]
1588
[BIOGRAPHY]
A gardener by trade, Max enjoys creating beauty and order out of chaos and
dirt. Though he doesn't play chess often, he always joins in at get-togethers
of his large extended family, where everybody, from the wisest elder to the
squirmiest child, plays chess and discusses moves and strategies.
[SYLE]
Max enjoys the drama of ultra-blitz chess even when the time controls don't
call for it. His speedy play can be intimidating to his opponents, and his
tactics are good. The key to defeating him is to look for holes in his
strategic play. He is rated 1588.
.------.
( HANS )
'------'
[RATING]
1584
[BIOGRAPHY]
Hans lives in the Swiss Alps and leads ski tours in the winter and hiking
tours in the summer. Part of the tourist appeal at the lodge where he works
is the opportunity to curl up in front of a warm fire every evening with a
hot buttered rum and a good book or a game of chess. With his charming
personality and handsome appeal, Hans is a favorite with the ladies.
[SYLE]
Hans plays a very solid and balanced game of chess and his knowledge of
opening theory is deep. He is rated 1584.
.-------.
( MATEO )
'-------'
[RATING]
1580
[BIOGRAPHY]
Mateo graduated from high school at the age of 15 and is already a student at
a prestigious university. He is studying to become a chemist or molecular
biologist. Mateo is the first in his family to attend college, and his
parents are very proud of him. Though his family is working class, they have
always placed a high value on intellectual pursuits, and taught all of their
children to play chess at an early age.
[SYLE]
Overall, Mateo plays chess really well (he is rated 1580) but he has a
tendency to neglect the center of the board.
.---------.
( MICHAEL )
'---------'
[RATING]
1580
[BIOGRAPHY]
A sensitive eye doubled by a pragmatic mind, Michael dropped school to launch
his own animation company. At first, things were bad - he practically
survived on black tea and peanut butter sandwiches. However, his first
computer animated video (a funny battle between some neglected chess pieces
in an attic) proved a winner. Since then, Michael decided chess means good
luck to him, and started wearing a knight suspended by a silver chain.
[SYLE]
Michael seems to be very good at chess, even if he doesn't spend too much
time playing. He likes to draw instead of fighting long boring endgames.
.------.
( COLE )
'------'
[RATING]
1554
[BIOGRAPHY]
Cole is a psychic healer. He first discovered his talent shortly after being
struck by lightning on his 21st birthday. His first patient was his Irish
Setter, Oasis, who was born with hip dysplasia. After being massaged by
Cole, Oasis started running around like a puppy - for the first time in his
life. It wasn't long before Cole began practicing his healing powers on
people as well. Cole finds his healing sessions to be very draining, and he
relaxes by playing chess.
[SYLE]
John studied openings extensively and built a inner understanding of their
principles. He's a good player and is very seldom caught off-guard. His
rating is 1554.
.-------.
( MARIE )
'-------'
[RATING]
1537
[BIOGRAPHY]
A child of the sand, Marie has followed her father during all of his
archaeological expeditions. She once rescued a camel during a sand storm, and
the owner offered her a handcrafted chess set as reward. Even if she's no
longer interested in uncovering the secrets of ancient North Africa, she
still plays chess against her friends now and then.
[SYLE]
Marie tries to eliminate her opponent's pawns and then use her long-range
pieces to clear up the board. This might have some unfortunate side effects,
though. Her rating is 1537.
.-----------.
( GUILLAUME )
'-----------'
[RATING]
1528
[BIOGRAPHY]
Guillaume is the leader of an outlaw chess club called 'The Bishops of Bad'.
He grew up on the harsh streets of the Princeton ghetto, playing high-stakes
speed chess for money. At the age of 18, he was thrown out of the Tristate
Chess tournament for insisting on having the first move while playing the
black side of the board. His dream is to get back into the Tournament and win
enough money to buy himself a motorcycle.
[SYLE]
Guillaume's background reflects on his playing style - he's an attacker who
seldom leaves his guard open. He tries to exploit any crack in his opponent's
pawn structure, and his rating is 1528.
.-------.
( DYLAN )
'-------'
[RATING]
1521
[BIOGRAPHY]
Though initially discouraged from playing chess by his father (who worried
about the solitary intensity the game requires), Dylan has developed an
amazingly healthy attitude toward the game. By balancing his study of chess
with his love for baseball and goofing off, Dylan has managed to improve his
skills while still maintaining a normal life. He and his father frequently
have long, heated matches, which Dylan has, from time to time, begun to win.
[SYLE]
Dylan is quite strong (1614) for a youngster. He sometimes neglects the
center, but he is adept at exploiting passed pawns.
.-------.
( TASHA )
'-------'
[RATING]
1513
[BIOGRAPHY]
Tasha is a very talented young writer. She writes poetry, children's books,
and has even written a short novel, but she especially loves to write short
stories. Three of her stories have been published in literary publications,
and she's won regional and national writing awards for her work. Her writing
ability has already garnered interest from an Ivy League school, and she
expects to be able to attend college on full scholarship. Tasha's entire
family plays chess, and she can't ever remember not knowing how to play the
game.
[SYLE]
Tasha has developed into a good chess player (rated 1513). She has no obvious
weakness and only occasionally will she make a big mistake.
.-------.
( WENDY )
'-------'
[RATING]
1475
[BIOGRAPHY]
A successful inventor, some of Wendy's more noted creations include the
doggie litter box, a doggie high chair, and a doggie stroller. The
inspirations for her inventions are her two toy poodles, Peter Pan and
Tinkerbell. Wendy insists that her two dogs be groomed every week, and
occupies her waiting time at the grooming shoppe by challenging the French
owner to games of chess.
[SYLE]
Wendy is a 1475-rated intermediate player with a shallow knowledge of opening
theory. She will often neglect positional considerations, especially passed
and weak pawns.
.------.
( JOHN )
'------'
[RATING]
1472
[BIOGRAPHY]
When he's not teaching or composing math problems, John likes to spend his
time outside, cutting the wild grass or loping the trees. His passion for
mathematics is reflected in the beautiful geometrical structure of his
garden, and in his other favourite pastime, logical games. He even has a
garden chess set, and during garden parties on sunny days he likes to
challenge his neighbors to a game.
[SYLE]
John studied openings extensively and built a inner understanding of their
principles. He's a good player and is very seldom caught off-guard. His
rating is 1472.
.-------.
( KANNA )
'-------'
[RATING]
1465
[BIOGRAPHY]
As usual for a kid raised in a village situated at more than 2000 feet above
sea level, Kanna is very good at almost every winter sport. Moreover, being
the single girl of her age in the village made her combative and independent,
to the point where the first guy daring to approach her for romantic purposes
was a town boy spending his summer vacation there.
[SYLE]
Kanna loves to control the center and keep her pieces as mobile as possible.
In the heat of combat, she forgets sometimes about her king's safety. Her
rating is 1465.
.--------.
( GINGER )
'--------'
[RATING]
1454
[BIOGRAPHY]
Ginger is currently one of Hollywood's hottest agents. When not schmoozing
the studios or babysitting her clients, Ginger is often participating in
Hollywood's latest craze: chess. A surprisingly talented player, Ginger will
lose when it's a wise business decision to do so. Ginger's new favorite
phrase is 'Let's do chess'.
[SYLE]
Ginger likes to test her adversaries by offering opportunities in the opening
game for clever traps. If the opponent spots and exploits the opportunity,
they should be able to defeat Ginger. Otherwise, Ginger plays ruthlessly and
will refuse to take a draw. She is rated 1454.
.---------.
( CHARLES )
'---------'
[RATING]
1421
[BIOGRAPHY]
Charles is a senior analyst with a large brokerage firm. He recently began
playing chess again, after years away from the game, as a way to find common
ground with his troubled teenage son.
[SYLE]
Charles is an intermediate player (1507) with a preference for gambit
openings. The key weakness in his play is his over-valuation of bishops. He
has been known to trade his rook or even two knights for an enemy bishop.
.-------.
( ANNIE )
'-------'
[RATING]
1414
[BIOGRAPHY]
Annie is a straight A student who really enjoys school. Her favorite subject
is math - any kind of math - algebra, geometry, even calculus. She became
attracted to chess when her math instructor used calculation of chess
movements as a problem for the class. She studies chess diligently and is
quite good at the game, though she tends to play fairly technically, ignoring
her intuition altogether.
[SYLE]
Annie's study of chess theory has made her a good player, the one thing she
needs to work on is making sure her pieces have plenty of room to move. She
is rated 1414.
.-------.
( TRENT )
'-------'
[RATING]
1412
[BIOGRAPHY]
Trent's mom loves to tell the story of the time three-year-old Trent wandered
away from their campsite and took up residence with two baby bear cubs in a
cave. Luckily, he was found before the mama bear returned. Trent has always
felt comfortable in the woods, and often rides his mountain bike through the
forest near his home. He's been an apprentice trail guide at a nearby
national park for three years and will probably be promoted to full guide
next year. He and his family camp together often, and always bring a
portable chess set with them so they can play chess around the campfire.
[SYLE]
Trent has played enough chess to realize that control of the center of the
board is a big advantage. He will try to place his pieces in the center and
divide his opponents forces. This strategy has earned him a 1412 rating.
.-----.
( CAL )
'-----'
[RATING]
1406
[BIOGRAPHY]
Cal learned chess at an early age and played extensively until his parents,
worried about his social development, tried to make him give up the game. In
college, his interest in chess and psychology culminated in a doctoral thesis
entitled 'Psychophysical analysis of the relationship between concentrated
multiple-ply searches and dissociative identity / obsessive-compulsive
disorders with related trichotillomania'. Cal now has a thriving
psychotherapy practice, but has ruined years of therapy by mercilessly
trouncing his patients.
[SYLE]
Cal plays King's pawn openings exclusively and prefers open games and
reducing material on the board. Watch out for sacrifices (sometimes ill-
advised) designed to put pressure on the enemy King. His favorite saying is
'The ability to play chess is the sign of a gentleman. The ability to play
chess well is the sign of a wasted life'.
.-----.
( SAM )
'-----'
[RATING]
1401
[BIOGRAPHY]
Sam is a martial arts expert who makes her living by doing kick-boxing
exhibitions and by teaching kick-boxing and karate. Sam also greatly enjoys a
good game of chess. Though trained extensively to use patience and self-
control, Sam now uses only plastic chess pieces and roll-up boards in her
games, as she often resorts to fits of karate when the chess game doesn't go
her way.
[SYLE]
Sam is a 1401-rated strong intermediate player who hates draws. Her patience
in martial arts is much better than her patience in chess, and her openings
are designed for quick games.
.-------.
( SUNNY )
'-------'
[RATING]
1394
[BIOGRAPHY]
Sunny is the stay-at-home mother of four children, ages 4-11. Her busy life
is added to by the fact that she and her husband have decided to home-school
their children. Believing chess to be an excellent lesson in logic,
probability and strategy, they have decided to include chess in their
children's weekly curriculum.
[SYLE]
Being non-competitive by nature, Sunny plays for a draw from the game's
beginning. She controls the center well, but will often neglect her pawn
structure. She is rated 1394.
.--------------.
( JOSH - AGE 7 )
'--------------'
[RATING]
1365
[BIOGRAPHY]
Josh Waitzkin started working with renowned chess coach Bruce Pandolfini when
he was 7 years old. Their early study focused on the end game and Josh soon
became very confident in this crucial part of the struggle. In his first
tournament games, Josh often found himself down a pawn or a piece but would
fight back and usually finesse a win in the end game. Bruce started calling
Josh 'Tiger' because of his attacking style and the name caught on at
Washington Square Park in New York City, where he often played. Josh was a
1400 player when he was 7, stronger than half the tournament players in the
country.
[SYLE]
At seven, Josh he was studying the endgame and middlegame. Openings were his
weakness. Rated at 1365, Josh was a tough fighter, clawed his way out of
trouble, and earned the nickname 'Tiger'. He would sometimes trade into worse
endgames and then try to win - a two-edged-sword.
.-----.
( LIZ )
'-----'
[RATING]
1372
[BIOGRAPHY]
A best-selling author of romance novels, Liz is independently wealthy and
spends several months of each year touring the world on luxury cruise ships.
She plays chess mostly to meet eligible bachelors while travelling and finds
it to be an excellent way to determine the intelligence and breeding of her
opponents.
[SYLE]
Liz has a good knowledge of opening theory but will often trade a minor piece
(bishop or knight) for two pawns in the middle game. She is quite willing to
accept a draw in most situations. Her rating is 1372.
.-----.
( AMO )
'-----'
[RATING]
1349
[BIOGRAPHY]
When he's not tackling on difficult computer algorithms, Amo likes to skate
leisurely in the central park, listening to his walkman. That's how he met
his girlfriend (actually, he bumped into her...), a quiet and shy beauty who
likes to play chess in the open. To talk to her and see her more often, Amo
traded his roller skates for a chess set. Since then, his playing strength
grew steadily.
[SYLE]
Amo plays rather defensively and likes to trade up pieces in order to clarify
the situation. His rating is 1349.
.-------.
( AARON )
'-------'
[RATING]
1338
[BIOGRAPHY]
Aaron likes to think of himself as a modern day explorer. In his job as a
geologist, he frequently travels to uninhabited places in search of oil,
precious metals, or interesting geological formations. Since he spends weeks
at a time living out of his backpack, entertainment is a precious commodity,
and he and his partners enjoy the luxury that their pocket chess set provides
them.
[SYLE]
Aaron is a very positional chess player. Sometimes he concentrates so much on
improving his position that he misses the obvious. His rating is 1338.
.-----.
( ASH )
'-----'
[RATING]
1327
[BIOGRAPHY]
If you've a bad day or just feeling moody, Ash is the kind of girl you want
to come across - she's always merry, she knows the latest jokes, and her
smile is contagious. As a kid, Ash (dressed as a rabbit) won a stand-up
comedy contest during a summer camp and received a funny chess set with
sheeps and wolves, which she still displays in her living room. Much to the
surprise of her guests, Ash is more of a wolf than a sheep on the
chessboard...
[SYLE]
Ash doesn't like to trade pieces. Apart this, her play is solid and she's
attained a rating of 1327.
.------.
( WILL )
'------'
[RATING]
1322
[BIOGRAPHY]
Will finally received his Doctor's degree in Philosophy from a large
university in Southern California. He frequently escaped from his doctoral
thesis by playing chess with fellow students at the campus pub, where he was
known as 'that guy who's always there in the corner'. To celebrate, he put
everything he owned into storage and moved to Australia, although it is
certain that he is still making friends and playing chess regularly.
Although, now he's called 'that guy who's behind the bar', as he has found
his true calling as a bartender. Never a serious student of chess, Will plays
logically, but often comes up short in the endgame.
[SYLE]
Will has studied Tal's games extensively and attempts to emulate his style of
play, especially in the openings. He plays slightly more materially than
positionally and is rated 1322.
.-------.
( LACEY )
'-------'
[RATING]
1308
[BIOGRAPHY]
Lacey is a Boston lawyer specializing in business law. She has a commuter
marriage with her husband, a city planner in New York City. Since she and her
husband have so little time together, they look for unique ways to share fun
times together. One of the activities they enjoy is carrying on chess matches
via e-mail.
[SYLE]
Lacey plays like lightning and her moves appear to be flawlessly executed.
However, she only looks a move or two ahead and weaknesses can be found in
her position when examined closely. The key to defeating her is to not get
drawn into her speedy play. She will never hang a piece, but longer
combinations will do her in. Her rating is 1308.
.--------.
( ALICIA )
'--------'
[RATING]
1306
[BIOGRAPHY]
Alicia has been interested in fashion ever since the first time her mom told
her not to wear plaid and polka dots together. She started making her own
clothes when she was 11 and recently designed her own prom dress. She works
after school in a boutique and is saving her money to attend a design school
in Paris. Some afternoons, when business in the boutique is very slow, Alicia
and another clerk pass the time by playing chess.
[SYLE]
Alicia's main concern is the safety of her king. She will trade off pieces so
her opponent doesn't have anything to threaten her king with. Her rating is
1306.
.--------.
( ELIJAH )
'--------'
[RATING]
1301
[BIOGRAPHY]
Elijah's favorite class is journalism, and his favorite part of the day is
the time he spends working on the school newspaper. Though he enjoys writing
news stories, his favorite articles are feature stories about interesting
people or events he hears about. Part of Elijah's 'beat' as a reporter is
his school's chess club, which is easy for him because he is already a
member.
[SYLE]
Elijah gets good tips by playing against other members of his chess club. One
of the things he is working on is using his bishops more effectively. He is
rated 1301 in his club.
.-------.
( DIANA )
'-------'
[RATING]
1282
[BIOGRAPHY]
As the head of the HR department of a large international company, Diana
likes to test every potential employee using a large array of games and
riddles; of course, there's always a chess set on her desk. She's currently
working on her doctoral thesis on 'Exploiting inner competitive tendencies to
maximize productivity', for which her day-to-day experiences prove to be
invaluable.
[SYLE]
Diana's style is defensive, to the point where she's always willing to trade
queens - just to rob her opponent of the most dangerous piece. Her rating is
1282.
.--------.
( MARIAH )
'--------'
[RATING]
1274
[BIOGRAPHY]
An eight-year old tomboy, Mariah divides her time between soccer,
rollerblading, and chess. She already shows a lot of talent in chess and is
very good at figuring out difficult moves and positions. Though her parents
can still beat her at chess, she spends a lot of time studying the game, and
is getting better every day.
[SYLE]
Mariah has memorized a few openings, but not very deeply. She tends to
protect her queen and is reluctant to trade it away for another queen or even
two rooks. Her rating is 1274.
.------.
( IOAN )
'------'
[RATING]
1255
[BIOGRAPHY]
A competitive nature, Ioan is quick to take a challenge and never misses the
opportunity to try new things. After dipping his toes into bridge, karting,
paintball and every multiplayer computer game ever made, Ioan found a chess
set and was eager to prove his mettle. He soon realized he needs too much
time to practice in order to become as good as he'd want to...
[SYLE]
Ioan likes to attack. Other that this, he has no obvious weak points. His
actual rating is 1255.
.------.
( ERIC )
'------'
[RATING]
1241
[BIOGRAPHY]
During college, Eric's favourite pasttime was 'training' by hacking into
corporate networks. Luckily, the ones who finally caught him red-handed hired
him on the spot - and since then, Eric's most daring Internet adventure was
winning an online chess tournament.
[SYLE]
Eric's rating is 1241 and he doesn't like complicated positions. He tries to
simplify the game as much as possible, trading when he has the opportunity.
.---------.
( GRIFFIN )
'---------'
[RATING]
1237
[BIOGRAPHY]
A computer graphics artist working in Silicon Valley, Griffin was given a box
of oil paints and a chess set by his parents on his twelfth birthday. It was
the chess set that initially captured Griffin's imagination. After becoming
the best chess player in his junior high school class, he rediscovered those
untouched oil paints and moved on to earn an MFA from a respected art school.
His love for chess and chess imagery resurfaced years later in his now well-
known 'Bishop Series' of offset lithographs.
[SYLE]
Griffin is a balanced player with no glaring weaknesses. He is rated 1237.
.-------.
( SHAUN )
'-------'
[RATING]
1223
[BIOGRAPHY]
An active teenager, Shaun plays football on his school team (which won their
division championship), goes dirt bike riding, and is learning to kickbox.
If there were more hours in the week, he'd also play rugby and hockey.About
the only time he sits still (except when he's doing his homework) is when
he's engaged in a chess match with one of his brothers. His competitive
spirit is just as evident on the chessboard as it is on the football field.
[SYLE]
Shaun is a ferocious attacker. He will charge at an opponent the same way he
charges down the football field. He has earned a rating of 1223.
.------.
( ANDY )
'------'
[RATING]
1217
[BIOGRAPHY]
Andy was an untypically quiet kid before turning out into an untypical noisy
teenager, quick to react and fight just for the fun of it. After being thrown
out of every club in the neighborhood, he was out of battlefields - and his
parents, awfully worried about his future, sent him for the summer in a
remote village in the heart of the mountains. Now, a good ten years later,
Andy still spends every summer here, hiking, freeclimbing and playing chess
in the evenings at the village pub.
[SYLE]
Being just a part-time chess player, Andy has a rating of 1217. He is a
balanced player with a soft spot for knights.
.--------.
( KRYCEK )
'--------'
[RATING]
1208
[BIOGRAPHY]
Krycek left home at the age of 15, earning his keep as a cyber-jockey for
hire. He stumbled on some old chess books in a used bookstore, and became an
immediate fan, committing entire classic chess games to memory.
[SYLE]
For Krycek, the way to get ahead in chess is to memorize everything. He
prefers older openings to newer, 'unproven' ones, and is solid in the
endgame. However, his tactics leave a bit to be desired, especially when he
must react spontaneously in the middlegame to his opponent's threat.
.--------------.
( JOSH - AGE 6 )
'--------------'
[RATING]
1200
[BIOGRAPHY]
Josh Waitzkin learned to play chess in Washington Square Park in New York
City when he was 6 years old. His early teachers were old retired men and
chess hustlers, tough players who moved the pieces trying to eke out a
living. Josh was a gifted tactician and a fierce competitor, perfect for the
park, and his games always attracted a crowd. In games against seasoned
players he would sometimes seem to fall into a zone. His mother would say
that when he sat down at the chess board the little boy went away and an old
man came to play.
[SYLE]
As a 6-year-old Josh was pure aggression. Rated at 1200, Josh didn't know
much about positional subtleties or opening theory, but when the game got
messy he was dangerous. Josh liked to bring his queen out early and to set
traps. In the heat of attack, Josh tended to overlook his own king safety.
.-----.
( SEB )
'-----'
[RATING]
1192
[BIOGRAPHY]
His brother maliciously pretends that Seb discovered his love for sport while
being chased by a dog during a countryside trip. Now, a good twenty years
later, Seb is a polyvalent athlete who likes to spend many hours jogging,
skating or longboarding in the parks. When he's tired of running, he likes to
relax by the chess corner and watch the games.
[SYLE]
Watching other people's games helped Seb gain an intuitive knowledge of the
game and an eye for openings. However, lack of actual chess practice means
his rating is only 1192.
.-------.
( TRUDY )
'-------'
[RATING]
1189
[BIOGRAPHY]
Trudy is a travel guide who takes American tourists on tours throughout
Europe and Scandinavia. After years of dealing with the 'Ugly American,'
Trudy has seen it all, from a rich oilman insisting on buying Trevi Fountain,
to a woman sending back Steak Tartare because it was undercooked. An avid
chess player, Trudy spotted an opportunity to expand her business and
organized a chess tour of Russia, where participants received instruction
from some of the finest chess minds in the Soviet Union.
[SYLE]
Trudy is a solid all-around string player (1189) with no specific weaknesses.
She does have a preference for knight openings.
.---------.
( THORIAN )
'---------'
[RATING]
1183
[BIOGRAPHY]
As a little boy, Thorian was bullied by the neighboring kids because of his
unusual name. That's why he started building muscle - to become worthy of
this extravagant, fantasy hero-like name. At eighteen, he won his first
bodybuilding contest, then enrolled in the army and became an expert in urban
operations. Trying to improve his military training, he started playing chess
- but his achievements on the chess board are still far from those on the
field.
[SYLE]
Thorian never likes to lose, that's why he is overly concerned with his
king's safety and sometimes wastes good attacking opportunities. His current
rating is 1183.
.--------.
( HAYDEN )
'--------'
[RATING]
1171
[BIOGRAPHY]
Hayden's parents are both college professors and really want their son to
follow their academic path. Unfortunately, Hayden is more interested in
sports, especially tennis. While his parents pressure him to bring his
grades up so he can attend an Ivy League college, Hayden's plan is to win a
tennis scholarship at a California University, and eventually become a tennis
pro or tennis coach. As part of his parents' academic regimen, Hayden is
required to play chess several afternoons per week. In truth, he kind of
likes the game, but hates that his parents make him play it.
[SYLE]
When Hayden feels like playing well he will come out attacking but if his
parents are watching he will make random moves just to annoy them. His rating
is 1171.
.-----.
( GIL )
'-----'
[RATING]
1166
[BIOGRAPHY]
Gil is the talent booker for a small music club. Renowned for his knowledge
of folk and blues artists, Gil puts together popular shows with unexpected
combinations of artists. People travel from all over the country to see his
shows and the inevitable jam sessions that happen after. In the wee hours of
the morning, when most club patrons have long since gone home, Gil often
engages in chess games with various musicians, waiters, and flunkies.
[SYLE]
Gil has a sound grasp of the game but sometimes he will make moves that look
almost random (which usually lead to him losing). He is rated 1166.
.------.
( RISA )
'------'
[RATING]
1153
[BIOGRAPHY]
Risa went to an American school in her native Japan and as a result, speaks
fluent English. After she graduated from college with a Masters in Business,
her professional path was set. She now free-lances to large corporations as
an interpreter, with special capability in the area of large-scale mergers.
She often gains respect from her clients by engaging them in chess matches.
She usually loses these matches which, it turns out, is a good business move.
[SYLE]
Risa pays little attention to her pawns (mostly she moves them just to
activate her other pieces). Look for her to hang a pawn or two. She is rated
1153.
.--------.
( MIGUEL )
'--------'
[RATING]
1148
[BIOGRAPHY]
Miguel started out as a teenager working at a burger joint. By working hard,
saving money, and developing contacts, he was eventually able to buy a fast
food franchise of his own. He now owns 12 fast food restaurants and plans to
retire within the next five years. When he does retire, he plans to travel
the world and dedicate himself to a deeper study of art, music, languages,
and chess.
[SYLE]
Miguel believes pawns to be the 'soul of chess' and values them highly. The
only drawback for Miguel is that he doesn't strive to promote them. His
rating is 1148.
.------.
( MARK )
'------'
[RATING]
1144
[BIOGRAPHY]
Mark created his first web site as a teenager. He's grown with the industry
and is now an in-demand Webmaster. Many of the companies Mark has worked for
have created instant millionaires among their employees. Unfortunately, Mark
has demonstrated a serious talent for bad timing, and has jumped ship just
before each big score. Co-workers have begun to consider it a good omen when
Mark leaves their company. One of the web sites Mark created is for an on-
line chess game.
[SYLE]
Mark is good at attacking with his bishops. He uses them as sharp, vicious
weapons. His weakness is that he inhibits their effectiveness by blocking
them with his own pawns. His rating is 1144.
.------.
( ORIN )
'------'
[RATING]
1136
[BIOGRAPHY]
Orin doesn't know what to do with his free time. He has so many hobbies he
can't decide between them, and usually drops a coin to see what to do next:
play soccer on his computer or watch movies. He likes trying new things, but
this usually means he will need to spend even more time dropping coins. After
watching a news report about the Fischer/Spassky rematch, he decided chess is
cool and added it to his hobby list.
[SYLE]
On the chess board, Orin is just as undecided as in real life. He's defensive
by nature, but likes to attack; he spends time analyzing, but makes random
moves; he likes his queen, but he fears the opponent's queen more... His
current rating is 1136.
.------.
( JEFF )
'------'
[RATING]
1133
[BIOGRAPHY]
Jeff is a college student who is looking forward to someday being a website
developer. He enjoys the speed required by the industry, where impossible
deadlines can appear out of nowhere. It is for the very same reasons that
Jeff occasionally enjoys a game of chess. And, having an efficient and quick
analytical mind, he is pretty good for a novice. He doesn't take the game
seriously enough to put in the same amount of study and research that he puts
into learning Java and other web languages, however.
[SYLE]
Jeff is a natural player (rated 1133), who has a reasonable understanding of
the basics of chess. However, he occasionally makes questionable sacrifices
due to his fondness for keeping his rooks until the endgame.
.-------.
( BUDDY )
'-------'
[RATING]
1128
[BIOGRAPHY]
Buddy is Jessica's younger brother. Having watched his older sister endure
the pressures of being a chess star, Buddy has made sure that the same fate
doesn't visit him. He often plays erratically and loses on purpose so his
father will lose patience and end the chess lessons. Then Buddy happily joins
his friends in his favorite pastime, skateboarding.
[SYLE]
Buddy plays quite quickly and wants to get the game over quickly. He'll trade
pieces at the drop of a hat and will take any opportunity for a draw.
Although his raw chess skill is sound, he plays at a rating of only 1128.
.------.
( ADAM )
'------'
[RATING]
1119
[BIOGRAPHY]
Adam is a computer game addict. His parents have instituted strict rules
about when he can and cannot play games on the computer, because otherwise
he'd never get his homework done, or spend any time with friends and family.
Adam has been designing his own computer game, and secretly spends part of
his homework time programming his new game. He frequently plays chess
online, because it's one of the few games his parents don't disapprove of.
[SYLE]
Compared to his opponents, Adam undervalues his pieces. He focuses on
promoting his pawns and finishing things up in the endgame. He has earned a
rating of 1119 online.
.---------.
( MIRANDA )
'---------'
[RATING]
1106
[BIOGRAPHY]
A recent college graduate from UC Santa Barbara, Miranda is currently working
as a hostess at a trendy Los Angeles eatery while looking for a PR job in the
movie industry. After discovering that chess is becoming one of the trendy
things to do in Hollywood, Miranda began sharpening up her game. It's been 8
years since she first learned to play chess.
[SYLE]
Miranda is a beginning to intermediate player with a rating of 1106. She is
not familiar with opening book theory and will tend to neglect the center of
the board.
.-----.
( KRIS )
'-----'
[RATING]
1105
[BIOGRAPHY]
Kris is an aspiring photographer currently working as an assistant for one of
the leading fashion photographers in the industry. An energetic worker, Kris
is thrilled when, from time to time, she's allowed to set up a shot. On the
set, she's often lured into chess matches by various craftspeople and models,
including Rick.
[SYLE]
Kris is a beginning player, rated 1105, who tends to overvalue queens. She
does have an opening repertoire, but her opening book play puts her at a
disadvantage more often than not.
.-------.
( BOGIE )
'-------'
[RATING]
1094
[BIOGRAPHY]
A professional hockey player by trade, Bogie has an extremely aggressive
style on the ice. In contrast, he's a surprisingly gentle chess player.
Perhaps that's because he mostly plays chess against his two daughters, aged
six and eight.
[SYLE]
Bogie's lack of experience and 1094 rating prevents him from putting together
complex strategy, but his hockey experience has taught him the importance of
controlling the center of the chessboard.
.------.
( JOEY )
'------'
[RATING]
1086
[BIOGRAPHY]
Joey is really into computers, but nobody would ever call him a nerd. He's
also the president of his class and one of the best gymnasts at his school.
His friends love to come to Joey's house to see all of the coolest computer
games and Internet web sites. After his friends leave, Joey often logs onto
an Internet chess site, and plays chess against players from all over the
world.
[SYLE]
Joey is an all around solid chess player and has learned to work at all areas
of his game. He's developed a rating of 1086.
.--------.
( WILLOW )
'--------'
[RATING]
1086
[BIOGRAPHY]
As her name would indicate, Willow is the daughter of hippies and a child of
the earth. She lives off the land with a group of kindred souls and
occasionally plays chess by firelight in the group's communal living room.
[SYLE]
Willow's playing style reflects her gentle nature. She is more than willing
to accept a draw and will let her opponent control the center. She has no use
for the war-like knights. Still, at a rating of 1086, she's no pushover for
beginning players.
.-----------.
( CHRISTIAN )
'-----------'
[RATING]
1077
[BIOGRAPHY]
Since as far as he can remember, Christian liked toys, be they rubber balls
or sophisticated Home Theatre systems. When he's not managing databases for a
living, he likes to tinker with his huge electronic toy collection. His last
achievement was to build two robot armies and make them play chess,
controlled by a handheld chess computer.
[SYLE]
Christian plays chess just for fun - he's not always playing to win. He's an
all-out attacker - defense is boring, he says. No wonder his rating is only
1077.
.------.
( BERRY )
'------'
[RATING]
1068
[BIOGRAPHY]
Berry has been around the world five times. As a flight attendant on
international flights, she flies back and forth from Washington, D.C. and New
York City to European capitols every day. On her days off, she makes liberal
use of the free airfare available to her and has visited almost every major
airport in the world. Some of the regulars on her overnight flights like to
play chess, and she plays whenever she gets the chance.
[SYLE]
Berry never likes to get behind in material. This causes her to lose sight of
possible positional advantages. Her rating is 1068.
.--------.
( MARIUS )
'--------'
[RATING]
1036
[BIOGRAPHY]
Traveller by nature, Marius earns his living by writing travel guides. He has
made a reputation as a hunter of beautiful unknown places, but many readers
complain that you can't even find the Eiffel tower using his Paris guide. He
collects boardgames from all over the world, and has more than 50 chess
variants which he plays ocassionally.
[SYLE]
Marius likes to attack but doesn't like to take unnecessary risks. He's a
solid player, but his tendency to capture pieces sometimes make him disregard
hidden threats. His rating is 1036.
.------.
( LUCY )
'------'
[RATING]
1006
[BIOGRAPHY]
If you talk to Lucy, be prepared for an argument. It's not that she's a
negative person, but she loves to engage people in debate, a trait that comes
in handy as captain of her school debating team. She's also a member of the
Young Democrats club, and hopes to have a career in politics. Lucy and her
twin sister, Lisa alternate between being best friends and friendly rivals.
One of the ways they work out their differences is over a good game of chess.
[SYLE]
Lucy has developed a simple strategy where she trades off pieces and then
tries to promote one of her pawns. It seems to work often enough, her rating
is 1006.
.-----.
( RAJ )
'-----'
[RATING]
967
[BIOGRAPHY]
Raj is determined to find a cure for cancer. As part of a team of genetic
engineers, Raj is working on ways in which DNA can be used to combat disease
and the destruction of cells. Raj and his co-workers are very dedicated to
their work, often toiling round the clock and on weekends. To encourage his
employees to take breaks, Raj's boss recently added a ping pong table,
dartboard, and chess table to the company break room.
[SYLE]
Raj trades away his pieces without a second thought (which is why he is rated
967). He can easily be rooked into giving away favorable exchanges.
.------.
( ELLA )
'------'
[RATING]
973
[BIOGRAPHY]
Long time a software engineer for a large multinational company, Ella
suddenly decided to move away from the crowded streets of New York to a small
town in Vermont. This decision proved invaluable - her health is better than
ever and she found new friends. Not to mention the enchanting scenery...
[SYLE]
One of the few old habits she's still allowing herself is playing chess
online (actually, she's more chatting than playing, but her playing strength
has improved lately). Ella has a very defensive attitude and plays very
carefully; however, she tends to neglect pawn development.
.-------.
( EDDIE )
'-------'
[RATING]
949
[BIOGRAPHY]
Eddie has written his first comic when he was six, but gave up the dream of
being an author in favor of collecting comic books and writing reviews for
his small web site. His hobby doesn't pay, so he teaches computer science at
the local college. His favourite comic writer is Scott McCloud, and after
reading about his obsession with chess, he learned the game and plays it now
and then.
[SYLE]
If there's a chess piece Eddie is uncomfortable with, that's the knight. He
tries to get rid of his opponent's knights as soon as possible, and holds his
rooks and queen in high esteem. That's why he's only rated 949.
.------.
( DUKE )
'------'
[RATING]
921
[BIOGRAPHY]
Duke lives on his family's ranch outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico. He and his
family work very hard, rising at 5:00 AM every day to care for their
livestock. Duke's main responsibility is caring for the family's horses,
with which he has a special rapport. When he gets the chance, Duke really
enjoys a good game of chess with one of his sisters. He has a horse that he
raised from birth and named Alekhine, after his favorite chess player.
[SYLE]
Duke has studied just about everything that has to do with his favorite
grandmaster Alekhine and tries to mimic him as much as possible (he even uses
the same openings). Duke has a rating of 921.
.---------.
( JONESIE )
'---------'
[RATING]
904
[BIOGRAPHY]
Jonesie is the guy who calls you during dinner to ask how you feel about the
latest budget initiative in your city. In between jobs doing telephone
polls, he also works as a telemarketer, usually for one of the many available
long-distance services. He's so accustomed to hearing the phone slammed down
in his ear that it no longer bothers him. While waiting for his automatic
dialer to locate a live human being, Jonesie and his fellow telemarketers
pass the time by playing tic-tac-toe and chess.
[SYLE]
Jonesie is wild and daring on the chess board. He likes to try a lot of queen
sacrifices and knight traps. Frequently he is victim of his own flamboyance.
His rating is 904.
.------.
( LUCA )
'------'
[RATING]
866
[BIOGRAPHY]
Few of Luca's friends know that the first circus show she went to was a
disaster. She was only 5, and a clown scared her so much that she had
nightmares for a month. Surprisingly, her father's idea of dressing her into
a clown worked - and now one of Luca's favourite activities is playing the
clown to cheer up hospitalized children. When one of the kids challenged her
to a chess game, she couldn't admit she didn't know the game, and lost. Since
then, she learned the rules and is ready to challenge any of the little
troublemakers.
[SYLE]
Luca likes to develop her pieces and usually plays open games. However, she
tends to disregard bishops and tries to trade them early.
.--------.
( ANDERS )
'--------'
[RATING]
859
[BIOGRAPHY]
When he was ten, Anders discovered a broken airplane toy in the park, fixed
it, and decided he'll fly one day. Twenty years later, he didn't become a
pilot, but a storage deposit manager for a commercial airline. In his spare
moments, he enjoy playing chess or cards with his work buddies.
[SYLE]
Anders is constantly divided between dreaming of wild conquests and caring
for his own pieces, and this indecision is sometimes his doom. His current
rating is 859.
.--------.
( ARGYLE )
'--------'
[RATING]
844
[BIOGRAPHY]
Argyle is the bass guitarist in a rock band that travels the country playing
over 250 performances each year. During their long bus trips, one of the
ways the band members keep themselves occupied is by challenging each other
to games of chess. Roxy, the lead singer in the band, wins most of her
games, so Argyle avoids playing her whenever he can.
[SYLE]
Argyle has a tendency to play cramped and very defensive games. He is rated
844.
.-------.
( SONJA )
'-------'
[RATING]
824
[BIOGRAPHY]
Sonja lives her life as a sort of professional 'wannabe.' A high school
science teacher, she has tried out for the space program three times and been
rejected three times. She has also been rejected as a contestant by the
television show 'Jeopardy' four times. Her one great thrill was a one-time
appearance on Wheel of Fortune, where she won $2,356. Also a chess
'wannabe', she has spent a great amount of time learning about chess strategy
and tactics.
[SYLE]
Sonja has great technical knowledge about chess, but lacks the ability to
string it together successfully in a game. She occasionally makes a brilliant
play, but her games are thwarted by erratic moves and an over-dependence on
the value of queens.
.------.
( MONA )
'------'
[RATING]
806
[BIOGRAPHY]
As a personnal assistant for a Jordanian oil sheik, Mona's duties are not as
exotic as one may believe. When she's not babysitting Texan oilmen or
translating dull papers, she likes to learn as much as possible about arabic
culture. She has found that playing chess is often a good way to untie
tongues...
[SYLE]
For a beginner player, Mona is a worthwhile opponent - she has no glaring
defaults and is able to keep her mind on the board during the whole game.
.--------.
( KENDRA )
'--------'
[RATING]
790
[BIOGRAPHY]
Kendra is a teenager who loves to cook, or to be more accurate, she loves to
bake. Whether it's lasagna, or cookies, or double chocolate hazelnut torte,
Kendra is an expert at making good things come from the oven. Perhaps this
is due to the fact that her mother is a terrible cook, even managing to ruin
macaroni and cheese. On the other hand, Kendra's mother is an excellent
chess player, and has slowly been teaching her daughter the finer points of
the game.
[SYLE]
Kendra gets really nervous about her opponent's queen and tries to do
everything she can to get rid of it. Sometimes she pays so much attention to
doing this that she gets herself in a bad position. She is rated 790.
.-----.
( KID )
'-----'
[RATING]
742
[BIOGRAPHY]
Kid is a junior art student nourishing the secret hope of becoming famous
enough to live from his drawings. In the meantime, he's doing small jobs in
advertising and interior decoration. While remodelling an old coffee shop, he
found an antique chess set and fell in love with it; before long, he started
designing new chess sets and eventually found the time to learn the game.
Much to his surprise, he won a few times...
[SYLE]
Kid underestimates knights - maybe because he doesn't like the way they move.
He still loses his concentration easily and makes weird moves now and then.
His rating is 742.
.------.
( TEEA )
'------'
[RATING]
723
[BIOGRAPHY]
A reluctant player, Teea only plays to please her grandfather in the few
occasions when the old man comes to visit. It's not that she doesn't like the
game at all, but she doesn't like to lose - and if you don't play, you can't
lose, right?
[SYLE]
Teea's rating is only 723, perhaps because she only plays chess once or twice
an year. To make things simpler, she always tries to clear the board of
pieces. Luring her into bad trades might be a good tactic.
.------.
( SETH )
'------'
[RATING]
707
[BIOGRAPHY]
A recent college graduate, Seth is currently 'finding himself' by travelling
across the country in an old VW van. Seth spends most evenings playing his
guitar and writing love songs. He recently learned to play chess at a hostel
near Boulder, Colorado and has since had a few more opportunities to play.
[SYLE]
Seth is a beginning player who will tend to go for a draw even if he is
slightly ahead. He likes to trade pieces when he can unless the queens are
involved. He is rated 707.
.-------.
( JENNA )
'-------'
[RATING]
673
[BIOGRAPHY]
A registered nurse, Jenna has been a member of the Peace Corps in Central
America for the last year and a half. She was quite surprised to discover
that the local citizens are avid chess players. So, on many evenings she
finds herself engaged in chess matches using beautiful, hand-carved chess
pieces of a Mayan design.
[SYLE]
Jenna has fairly good opening book knowledge for a beginning 673-rated
player. She tends to avoid draws and does not always sufficiently protect her
king.
.-------.
( SIMON )
'-------'
[RATING]
664
[BIOGRAPHY]
Simon's dad was a professional soccer player in England, which may be one of
the reasons Simon is such a great soccer goalie. When not playing soccer,
Simon also enjoys playing in a rollerblade hockey league and playing strategy
games with his friends. He and his friends have recently begun playing chess
as well, and Simon has discovered that he's quite good at the game. He's now
hoping to find more challenging opponents to practice his chess game on.
[SYLE]
Simon has learned the fundamentals of chess pretty well, with practice he
will become a tough opponent. His rating is 664.
.--------.
( CARRIE )
'--------'
[RATING]
651
[BIOGRAPHY]
Carrie is a senior at a high school for gifted students. An overachiever,
she's active in student government, theatre, the school newspaper, and
several local charities. Though she knows a little about chess, she hasn't
really had the opportunity to learn the game well enough to become a good
player.
[SYLE]
Carrie's lack of experience in the game is reflected in her 651 rating.
Although she is familiar with the relative values of the pieces, she is not
usually able to exploit her opponent's errors.
.--------.
( SKIPPY )
'--------'
[RATING]
643
[BIOGRAPHY]
The eternal party boy, Skippy has been in college for seven of the past eight
years (don't ask about the missing year) and is hoping to be a senior next
year. Voted by his fraternity as 'Most Likely to Drop Trou', Skippy has
actually played chess three times, even though he doesn't remember two of the
games.
[SYLE]
Skippy is a low-rated player (643) who plays quickly and gives little thought
to the game. He will often drop pieces and has no sense of positional play.
Wait for him to give the game away.
.------.
( TINA )
'------'
[RATING]
611
[BIOGRAPHY]
After secretly watching a James Bond movie, eight years old Tina decided to
become a stuntman. Her first stunt (riding down a hill on her pink bicycle)
sent her flying into the swimming pool. During the week when she was
grounded, her grandmother taught her chess. She hasn't had much opportunities
to play the game since then, but at least she reconsidered her career
options...
[SYLE]
Tina likes to capture pieces and can't understand why does the game end
before the king is actually captured. Tina is rated 611.
.-------.
( JESSE )
'-------'
[RATING]
589
[BIOGRAPHY]
Jesse enjoys skateboarding, playing basketball, and hanging out at the video
arcade. But he also feels a tremendous responsibility to help others. So,
he collects blankets for the homeless and volunteers every Sunday at a local
soup kitchen. Sometimes he organizes games for children at a local homeless
shelter. After somebody donated a chess set to the shelter, Jesse started
playing the game and has taught a number of the children how to play as well.
[SYLE]
Jesse likes to surprise opponents with attacks that seem to come from out of
nowhere so he really values the pieces that can attack from long-range. His
rating is 589.
.------.
( LISA )
'------'
[RATING]
576
[BIOGRAPHY]
It took over a year of begging, but at the age of 12 Lisa finally convinced
her dad to help her build a greenhouse in their backyard. Since then she's
had the perfect place to grow orchids and conduct experiments on creating new
strains of exotic plants and flowers. When not working at her interest in
botany, Lisa sings in a band with four of her friends. Lisa is frustrated
when her twin sister, Lucy instigates arguments between the two of them, and
often directs their rivalry to games of chess.
[SYLE]
Lisa has developed a strategy to counter-act her sister Lucy. She will resist
trading pieces and gets very defensive. She will try to clear the board of
pawns and then go for the checkmate. Her rating is 576.
.------.
( ROSS )
'------'
[RATING]
553
[BIOGRAPHY]
Ross first looked at the moon through a telescope when he was five and
camping with his family. He immediately started begging for a telescope of
his own. He now owns three telescopes and spends almost every night scanning
the skies for new discoveries. His dream is to one day have a comet named
after him. In the evening, his mom often joins him on their back porch for a
chess game, and while she ponders her chess moves, he gazes at the stars.
[SYLE]
Ross likes to play an open game where his pieces can rocket around the board.
This has a tendency to leave his king vulnerable to attack. Ross is rated
553.
.-------.
( LYDIA )
'-------'
[RATING]
532
[BIOGRAPHY]
Lydia is a construction foreman who just began playing chess recently when
progress on the building she was working on was delayed by torrential rains.
Though she's only just begun playing, she thinks she's going to like the
game.
[SYLE]
Lydia approached learning chess by committing several opening lines to
memory, which has greatly strengthened her opening play. However, since she
doesn't understand the theory behind the openings, her play falls apart once
the game leaves book. She is rated 532.
.-------.
( MANNY )
'-------'
[RATING]
500
[BIOGRAPHY]
Manny is a state congressman representing a small town in New Jersey. During
long congressional sessions he likes to play electronic games to stave off
boredom. One of the games he owns is a pocket chess game, but he's not as
good at it as he is at playing some of the sports and war-type games he owns.
[SYLE]
Manny is a 500-rated beginning player who makes typical beginner mistakes:
hanging pieces and not seeing combinations.
.--------.
( AUDREY )
'--------'
[RATING]
463
[BIOGRAPHY]
Audrey was a serious case of internet addiction - she spent hours after hours
happily surfing the net and chatting to total strangers. After trying a dozen
different hobbies at her doctor's recommendation, she finally settled onto
chess. She never misses a sunny day to go out in the park with the chess set,
and likes to meet new opponents. As she likes to talk a lot during the
games, she tends to lose a lot of matches on time.
[SYLE]
Audrey's defensive tactics usually lead to cluttered games. She is mostly
concerned in blocking enemy attacks, which usually makes her miss
counterattacking opportunities.
.-----.
( TEX )
'-----'
[RATING]
427
[BIOGRAPHY]
Tex is from a long line of Texas oilmen and often brags that he, too, is an
oilman. Unfortunately, the reality is that Tex changes oil for a living.
Tex's grandfather left Tex's daddy, Slim, his wealth in oil wells, but by the
time Tex was born, Slim had squandered the family fortune away. Once Tex
grew up, he decided to pursue his interest in cars, and became a decent
mechanic. Tex and one of his mechanic co-workers keep a running chess game
going in the garage where they work. Since their hands are always greasy,
they created a chess set out of used oilcans.
[SYLE]
Tex is a defensive player (rated 427). He tries to frustrate his opponent
into making a mistake and then exploit it for the victory.
.-------.
( DARCY )
'-------'
[RATING]
410
[BIOGRAPHY]
As an only child, Darcy hasn't had much exposure to other kids at home.
Perhaps that's why she spends so much time with kids when she's away from
home. A favorite babysitter for neighborhood families, Darcy also works
afternoons at a daycare center. Darcy knows how to play chess because she
often baby-sits for Mariah, and Mariah taught her how to play.
[SYLE]
Darcy has just begun to play chess and she gets really nervous about her
opponent's queen. Sometimes she gets so worried that she overlooks other
things on the chess board. Her rating is 410.
.--------.
( KAMIKA )
'--------'
[RATING]
347
[BIOGRAPHY]
Kamika likes games and is very good at jumping rope. She knows how to count
backward from 1000 (which drives her big brother crazy). Kamika loves to
make up stories and taught herself to play chess by making up stories about
the chess pieces. Her second favorite chess piece is the Knight, and her
most favorite is the Queen. Sometimes she leaves the chess pieces in her
dollhouse (which also drives her big brother crazy).
[SYLE]
Kamika is a beginning player with a rating of 347. She knows how all the
pieces move but doesn't organize them very well. She values her queen and
knights dearly and will only trade them if her opponent is willing to do the
same.
.-------.
( ANDRE )
'-------'
[RATING]
317
[BIOGRAPHY]
Andre realized he had a special talent for drawing at the age of four when
all of his friends kept asking him to draw monsters and dragons for them.
Andre and his older brother, Brett, are very close, and when Brett helps
Andre with his math homework, Andre draws illustrations for Brett's science
homework. Andre and Brett learned how to play chess from their dad, and they
often play chess matches after school.
[SYLE]
Andre likes to try to surround his opponent and squeeze them into the middle
of the board. Sometimes this works but often he gets checkmated before he can
finish completing his plan. His rating is 317.
.--------.
( PARKER )
'--------'
[RATING]
313
[BIOGRAPHY]
By the age of three, Parker could identify most makes of cars. If he saw a
Jaguar (his favorite car), he could even tell you what year it was made. His
love of cars continues, and he hopes that one day he can be a car designer,
preferably in Europe. After seeing a chess table in the back seat of a Rolls
Royce at a car show he decided it would be cool to learn how to play chess.
[SYLE]
Parker has learned the basics of chess pretty well except that he forgets
about his pawns. When he loses, it is usually because his opponent has
captured all his pawns. He is rated 313.
.-------.
( PETRA )
'-------'
[RATING]
311
[BIOGRAPHY]
Petra is an artist on a very small scale: she paints elaborate designs on
fingernails. Having taken a job as a manicurist to work her way through art
school, Petra ended up combining both areas of her life, and is now in high
demand as a specialty fingernail painter. One of her most interesting
creations was a chess set painted on the nails of a grandmaster, who was
using her fingernails as a ploy to distract her opponent in a championship
match. Petra watched the match (which her client won) and learned a bit
about chess in the process.
[SYLE]
Petra understands the rules of chess but doesn't understand any of the
strategy. She moves quickly with little thought to the consequences. Her
rating is 311.
.---------.
( MONIQUE )
'---------'
[RATING]
230
[BIOGRAPHY]
As a budding fashion reporter, Monique has to keep an eye over all the latest
trends. When a chess craze started after an acclaimed and daring black and
white fashion exhibition, Monique bought a chess book and tried to learn the
rules and the usual terms. To be sure she uses chess vocabulary in a proper
manner, she even played a few games.
[SYLE]
Monique seems to understand the need for mobility and tries to make space for
her long-range pieces. However, she has yet a lot more to learn about chess.
.---------.
( SABRINA )
'---------'
[RATING]
140
[BIOGRAPHY]
An outspoken and joyful girl, Sabrina likes to party and make friends. Her
latest boyfriend is a fan of boardgames and tried to teach her all matter of
games, including chess. She lost at chess, but took her revenge at Scrabble.
[SYLE]
Sabrina has played only two games so far - she understands how the pieces
move but doesn't exactly care to develop strategies. Her rating is 140.
.-----.
( BEN )
'-----'
[RATING]
84
[BIOGRAPHY]
Ben is a quiet boy who spends hours at a time playing with his model
airplanes or looking at airplane books. He likes to draw pictures (mostly of
airplanes and helicopters) and can identify almost all of the airplanes that
fly over his house. He doesn't have any brothers or sisters, but does have
an iguana named Slippery Sam. Ben's dad just taught him how to play chess
and he looks forward to their nightly after-supper chess matches.
[SYLE]
Ben knows how all the pieces move but still isn't quite sure what to do with
his pawns so he usually trades them off or ignores them all together. His
rating is 84.
.------.
( NIKO )
'------'
[RATING]
57
[BIOGRAPHY]
Niko's sister, Kia, absolutely hates creepy-crawly things like bugs and
snakes, which is one of the reasons Niko really likes them. He has a
collection of 26 different bugs he's found at the park and in his family's
back yard. His mom won't let him actually keep any snakes, but he still
brings one home every now and then anyway. He likes to play chess with Kia
because he beats her sometimes.
[SYLE]
Niko likes to go on the attack. He will charge at his opponent which tends to
make him reckless with his queen and forget about the safety of his king. He
is rated 57.
.------.
( PETE )
'------'
[RATING]
37
[BIOGRAPHY]
Pete would like to be a veterinarian when he grows up. So far, his parents
have gotten him a Golden Retriever, two cats (one white and one calico), a
parakeet, a turtle, five goldfish, and one sea snail. Pete takes very good
care of his pets and hardly ever has to be reminded to feed them. One time a
baby sparrow fell out of its nest in his backyard and Pete helped nurse it
back to health. He started playing chess when his uncle gave him a chess set
where the pieces all looked like animals.
[SYLE]
Pete's favorite chess piece is the knight (because it looks like a horse) and
he will try to hold onto his knights for as long as possible. Sometimes this
causes him to lose games. He is rated 37.
.--------.
( CASSIE )
'--------'
[RATING]
23
[BIOGRAPHY]
Cassie likes to make things. Though she and her friends own a lot of dolls,
Cassie rarely plays with hers. She just makes things for them, like clothes,
houses, and furniture. She really likes the chess pieces in her parents'
chess set and decided to make a big chess set of her own out of papier maché.
Her mom is teaching her how to play chess so when her new pieces are
finished, she can play chess with them.
[SYLE]
Cassie likes to hold onto her pieces for as long as possible which clutters
up her side of the board and makes it hard for her pieces to move. She is
rated 23.
_____ /¯¯\__/¯¯\__/¯¯\__/¯¯\__/¯¯\__/¯¯\__/¯¯\ _____
/ \--------( )--------/ \
/ /========( FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS )========\ G100 \
\ /---------( )---------\ /
¯¯¯¯¯ \__/¯¯\__/¯¯\__/¯¯\__/¯¯\__/¯¯\__/¯¯\__/ ¯¯¯¯¯
Q: WHY AM I ASKED SEVERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT MY AGE AND PLAYING ABILITY WHEN I
START UP THE GAME FOR THE FIRST TIME?
A: CM10 asks you a few questions the first time you boot up the game in order
to assign you an initial rating. This rating obviously means nothing until
you start playing some games and prove yourself. For this reason, for the
first 20 rated games, your rating will be provisional.
Q: WHY IS MY RATING "PROVISIONAL"? WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
A: During your first 20 rated games, your chess rating is still provisional.
During these games, your rating will evolve very quickly toward a more
accurate representation of your playing strength. Afterwards, your rating
will evolve much more slowly.
Q: WHY CAN'T I PLAY GRANDMASTERS AND OTHER HIGHER-RANKED PLAYERS IN A RANKED
GAME?
A: When your rating is provisional, you can only play opponents 400 or less
points above your rating in ranked play. Although after the provisional
period has ended, there are no restrictions.
Q: WHICH TIME CONTROLS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE GAME? HOW DO THEY WORK?
A: To set up the time controls for the game, select the Time Controls tab when
creating a game. There are six time controls available.
- Moves/Minute: Specify the number of moves each player needs to make in a
certin number of minutes. Most chess tournaments are played
at this rate.
- Seconds per Move: Specify the number of seconds each player has to make a
move. This time control is useful for setting the
amount of time it takes for the computer to move. Keep
in mind that this is the average time it will take for
the computer to move, and it may move more slowly or
quickly on an individual move.
- Minutes per Game: Specify the number of minutes each player has to
complete the entire game.
- Fischer Style: Assign each player a specified number of minutes to
complete the game, with a certain number of bonus seconds
added to the game each time a player makes a move.
- Infinite Time: No time limitations for your game. Using this time control
will make your AI opponent wait a lot before moving, so
make sure to use the Force Move command extensively. To
force your opponent to move, use the Actions/Force Move
menu from either the right-click or drop-down menu. This
option is available only in the Training and Set Up
Position game modes.
- Hourglass: Each player gets a specified number of seconds per move at the
start of the game. As one player uses time, the other player
gains the same amount of time (like an hourglass). So, if you
move rapidly, you can force your opponent to do the same.
Q: ARE ANY OF THE PREDEFINED TOURNAMENTS RATED?
A: Unfortuneatly, no.
Q: HOW DO I DISPLAY/CLOSE WINDOWS?
A: Most of the windows in the game can be closed by pressing the 'X' icon in
the upper right corner. To display the window again, use either the right-
click menu (look for the Windows section; visible windows are checked) or
the drop-down menu. If a window lack the 'X' icon, it means it can't be
closed and must remain on screen.
Q: CAN I CHANGE THE DISPLAY OF THE CAPTURED PIECES WINDOW?
A: Yes you can. There are three possible displays of the Captured Pieces
window. Fixed Position, displaying symbols for every piece type and the
number of captured pieces of that type; Order of Capture, displaying all
the captured pieces in the order in which they were captured; and finally
Piece Value, displaying all the captured pieces in order of piece value
(queens first, rooks second, etc). To change the display format, click on
the small icon next to the Minimize icon, or use the Preferencs/Captured
Pieces window.
Q: ARE THERE ANY HOTKEYS FOR THIS GAME?
A: There sure are.
______________
|Common Actions|
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Pause: [CTRL+P]
Help: [F1]
Quit: [ALT+F4]
_______
|Windows|
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Shortcuts Bar: [CTRL+1]
Game Status: [CTRL+2]
Annotation: [CTRL+3]
Captured Pieces: [CTRL+4]
Navigation Bar: [CTRL+7]
Hide/Display
Windows: [CTRL+TAB]
_______________________
|Training Mode - Actions|
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Quickstart
Game: [CTRL+Q]
New Game: [CTRL+N]
Save Game: [CTRL+S]
Take Back
Move: [CTRL+T]
Replay Move: [CTRL+R]
Force Move: [CTRL+F]
Wake Up: [CTRL+W]
______________________
|Training Mode - Mentor|
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Quick Hint: [CTRL+H]
Advice: [CTRL+A]
Chess Coach: [CTRL+C]
Hide/Display
Chess Coach
Hints: [SPACE]
Display Chess
Coach Hints for
the Opposing Side: [TAB]
______
|Online|
¯¯¯¯¯¯
Get Game: [CTRL+G]
Lobby Chat: [CTRL+L]
In-Game Chat: [CTRL+H]
Competition
List: [CTRL+M]
Player List: [CTRL+Y]
Web Site: [CTRL+W]
Offline Messages: [CTRL+O]
Q: CAN I CHANGE/ASSIGN HOTKEYS?
A: No.
_____ /¯¯\__/¯¯\__/¯¯\__/¯¯\__/¯¯\__/¯¯\__/¯¯\ _____
/ \--------( )--------/ \
/ /========( CREDITS )========\ H100 \
\ /---------( )---------\ /
¯¯¯¯¯ \__/¯¯\__/¯¯\__/¯¯\__/¯¯\__/¯¯\__/¯¯\__/ ¯¯¯¯¯
I'd like to thank Ubisoft for making another great addition to the already
impressive series. I'd also like to thank my family (particularly my father)
for introducing me to the world of chess. But most of all, I'd like to thank
the people at GameFAQs for guiding me through my first FAQ. I couldn't have
completed this project without their support.
Copyright 2005 Rahul Ahuja