After 15 years in the US, France and Taiwan I am back in Germany. I play in Essen Katernberg, a strong club with a Bundesliga team. Usually I play on the 2nd team provided the job allows for it. If not, I play on the third as replacement player. In the future I hope to have more time for chess which explains my registration here. I think my chess preference is best described as a preference for dynamic positions. Kortchnoi I admire for his willpower, his drive to fight on regardless of age.
Capablance I cherish for the clearity of his game,
Tal I love for his intuition
Botwinnik I adore for his methodological approach.
Kasparov, Kramnik, Topalov... I cannot categorize because what they play is simply beyond me.
These days I enjoy going through old master games, annotating them myself with database and computer support. Hopefully that will help me understand the development of chess better. For me it is a must if I want to have any chance understanding todays game.
My greatest fear: I will never catch up with the present.
Kibitzing
