1

.-------------. ( CHESSMASTER ) '-------------' [RATING] 2724 [BIOGRAPHY] The Chessmaster's exact origins are shrouded in mystery, but it is beli

eved that he was created in a top-secret chess laboratory from bits and sili con. 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 e ngine. On this system, Chessmaster is rated at 2724 U.S. .----------. ( ALEKHINE ) '----------' [RATING] 2700 [BIOGRAPHY] Alexander Alexandrovich Alekhine was born to aristocracy in Moscow, Rus sia, and was taught chess at age 11 by his mother. Alekhine's personality le ft a " lot to be desired; he was devious, nervous, restless, and a heavy smok er and " drinker. Though a chess genius in his own right, he held his contempora ry and rival, Capablanca, in very high regards. Surprisingly, in 1927, he topp led Capablanca to gain the world championship and then studiously avoided a ny subsequent rematch. Alekhine's penchant for drink caught up with him wi th 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-S emite, 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 betwee n him and Botvinnik. [SYLE] The Alekhine-style in Chessmaster 10th Edition has a razor-sharp tactic al 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 produc

ed and was ranked in the world's top ten since the early 1990s. He has unusual ly quick sight of the board, is noted for playing fast, and is one of the bestliked 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 FID E 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 obligatio ns to FIDE. [SYLE] The Anand-style in Chessmaster 10th Edition is resourceful, often findi ng ways to draw or even win in inferior positions. Noted for attacking ski ll, deep calculation and tactical ability, this personality prefers 1. e4 a s 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. Hi s combinations were an inspiration of the moment and didn't always flow o ut 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 firs t great modern tournament in London 1851 established him as the best play er in the world until he lost a close match to Steinitz in 1866. [SYLE]

The Anand-style in Chessmaster 10th Edition is resourceful, often findi ng ways to draw or even win in inferior positions. Noted for attacking ski ll, deep calculation and tactical ability, this personality prefers 1. e4 a s White and likes solid, classical defenses with Black. .------. ( BIRD ) '------' [RATING] 2700 [BIOGRAPHY] Born in Portsea, Hampshire, Henry Edward Bird was one of the leading Br itish amateurs of last century and is best known today by the opening named a fter 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 s trong " enough to be invited to the first great international tournament at Lon don 1851. When he lost to Morphy in 1858 Bird was only 28 and remained acti ve for almost another 50 years. An outstanding accountant, he wrote a book ent itled 'An Analysis of Railways in the United Kingdom' and also authored sever al chess treatises. [SYLE] The Bird-style offers the qunitessential 19th century approach. This personality cares little for chess theory, and will gleefully choose op enings 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 personali ties, particularly in games with fast time controls. .------------. ( BLACKBURNE ) '------------' [RATING] 2700 [BIOGRAPHY] Nicknamed 'the black death', Joseph Henry Blackburne was born in Manche ster. He learned chess at 18 and remained England's best player for over 50 y ears, touring the country regularly and giving blindfold displays. He became a professional after winning his national title in 1869. His greatest suc

cess came at Berlin 1881 where he finished ahead of every leading master. Bu t he lost three matches to Steinitz and one to Lasker. His capacity for scot ch was " enormous; legend has it he was so enraged at Steinitz during one of th eir " 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 of ten 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 dur ing 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 19 25 and Bad Kissingen 1928 where he finished well ahead of Capablanca. Alternat ing 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 t he 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-ar ound game, but may overrate its chances against the very best. .-----------. ( BOTVINNIK ) '-----------' [RATING] 2700 [BIOGRAPHY] Mikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and b ecame the symbol of Soviet supremacy at chess. In 1948 he won a match- tourna

ment 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 Smyslo v 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 compute rs and founding a chess school where his most famous student was Garry Kasparo v. [SYLE] A profound technician and iron logician, the Botvinnik-style will alway s seek the objectively best move. This personality has excellent endgame techn ique and a varied, solid opening book, especially where the French Defense, Dutch Defense, Semi- Slav and English Opening are concerned. Its only weaknes s 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 fro m the best player in Cuba. As a grown man, he was extremely charismatic, alwa ys dressed immaculately and had strong sense of honor. His understanding o f " chess was innate; the first major tournament he attempted was one of t he " 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 invinci ble that his nickname became 'the chess machine'. In 1921 he captured the w orld 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 prolifi cally 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, ste

ering 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 o ne 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 som e brilliant games, he sometimes stumbled in the endgame. Chigorin contest ed 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 per iod, can actually play defense, and also has an understanding of positional play. Even so, this personality is a feared attacker, and has no problem unco rking the Evans Gambit on an unsuspecting opponent. .--------------. ( CHRISTIANSEN ) '--------------' [RATING] 2700 [BIOGRAPHY] Larry Christiansen is one of the most famous attacking players in the h istory 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 a nd 2002. He was also a four-time runner-up for the title, as well as 11-ti me US Olympiad team member, winning the gold Olympic medal as a team member i n 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 th e 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 t he

Saemisch King's Indian. As Black he likes Modern Benoni vs 1 d4 and Pau lsen Sicilian. He enjoys steamroller-type attacks with a gradual buildup end ing in a series of sacrifices. A sharp and practical technique. .------. ( EUWE ) '------' [RATING] 2700 [BIOGRAPHY] Machgielis 'Max' Euwe was born in Amsterdam, Holland. A mathematics tea cher, 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, t hus enabling Alekhine to regain the crown. Euwe also found time for flying, swimming and boxing in addition to writing numerous chess books. From 1 970-78 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 Bla ck, 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 s econd for the world championship, won the US Open four times, and was a membe r 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, Ka rpov, Petrosian, Smyslov, Spassky) as well as dozens of the world's top playe rs. 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 contrib utor 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 rivalr y between him and Reshevsky was white hot as they led American teams to v ictory in the chess Olympiads. Fine won the USA Open seven times but could nev er wrest the national title from his nemesis. Fine's greatest feat was tyi ng for first with Keres at AVRO 1938, ahead of Reshevsky and four world champi ons, past and present. After the war, unable to make a living from chess, Fi ne was faced with a hard choice. He became a psychologist, declined to take pa rt in the 1948 world championship, and stopped competing altogether in 1951. Yet he " remained America's premier chess author; his classics include 'Basic C hess " 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 Finestyle is also renowned for its craftiness in the endgame.

.---------. ( FISCHER ) '---------' [RATING] 2700 [BIOGRAPHY] Robert James 'Bobby' Fischer was born in Chicago, raised in Brooklyn, N ew 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 b eing difficult by insisting on very specific playing conditions. Fischer's ambition was firmly set on the world championship and in 1972 he got hi s 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 S passky and became the first American to win the world championship. He then wi thdrew 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 entreprene ur organized a rematch with Spassky for $5 million ($3.35 million to the w inner and $1.65 million to the loser). Once again Fischer defeated his old ri val 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 aggre ssive. This personality disdains draws and has an intense will to win. This personality will almost always open 1. e4 as White, and favors the Najd orf Sicilian or King's Indian as Black. .-------. ( FLOHR ) '-------' [RATING] 2700 [BIOGRAPHY] Salo Flohr was born in Poland and moved to Czechoslovakia after his par entS were killed during a pogrom. From 1928 to 1937 he competed in 42 tourna ments, winning or sharing first in half of them. A hero in his adopted homelan d, 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 whe n a younger generation emerged led by Keres and Fine. He lost his fighting spirit and became increasingly cautious, adopting a policy of safety first, se ttling for tame draws, content to demonstrate equality with his peers. After W WII 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 go es more for positional play, relying on queen pawn openings. While efficie nt, this personality will shun risks, and may offer a draw when other oppon ents might struggle on. .--------. ( GELLER ) '--------' [RATING] 2700 [BIOGRAPHY] Geller's chess strength was forged in the fire of the Soviet Championsh ips, where he competed 23 times. A long-time contender for the World Champio nship, Geller won his last strong tournament in 1989, when he was past 60 year s 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 def eated both Kasparov and Karpov on his way to winning one of the strongest eve nts 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 open ings, such as the Nimzo-Indian. .--------. ( KAMSKY ) '--------' [RATING] 2700 [BIOGRAPHY] Gata Kamsky was born in Tatarstan, USSR. He was raised by his father wh o 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, S alov, Short and Kramnik in preliminary matches to earn a title shot against F IDE champion Karpov in 1996. After taking home the loser's share of $562,50 0 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 i n 1993 when Kasparov formed the Professional Chess Association. Karpov was the darling of the Kremlin and his two title defenses against Soviet defect or 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 Kaspar ov in 1985 and failed to get it back despite three more matches culminating i n 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 m ore 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 th is opponent can be aggressive when called for. This personality likes to b uild 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 Que en's Indian Defense as Black. .---------. ( KASHDAN ) '---------' [RATING] 2700 [BIOGRAPHY] Kashdan burst on the scene in 1928 by scoring the highest on first boar d 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 als o founded Chess Review magazine, and was chess editor of the LA Times. [SYLE] While known for having an attacking style, the Kashdan-style in Chessma ster 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 supe rstars for a quarter of a century ever since his sensational debut at top boar d on his country's Olympic team in 1935. At Bad Neuheim 1936 he tied for fir st

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 pr efers classical positional play without undue risk. Still, this personality h as a solid opening repertoire, and is quite capable of attacking when the ch ances are favorable. .----------. ( KORCHNOI ) '----------' [RATING] 2700 [BIOGRAPHY] Viktor Korchnoi was born in Leningrad, USSR, and along with Keres is of ten ranked as the strongest player who never became world champion. Korchno i won the powerful USSR Championship four times before defecting to the USA i n 1976. In 1978 and 1981, while his family was held hostage inside the US SR, he lost two title matches to Karpov, after which his wife and son were fre ed. 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 Korchno istyle in Chessmaster 10th Edition is tough and tenacious, fighting ever y 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 ma

turity 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 pla yed 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 eq ually 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 B lack, 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 or der 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 s corer on first board (+11 -1 = 6). His results continued to be spectacular, a nd from 1967 to 1970 he failed to win first prize only once in nine consec utive events. His play faltered after 1971 when Fischer trounced him 6-0 in a world " championship qualifying match; yet Larsen remained in demand from orga nizers " 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 w ho vacillates between strikeouts and home runs. This personality is fond o

f many old and forgotten opening variations, but far from being reckless, is q uite capable of solid positional play. .--------. ( LASKER ) '--------' [RATING] 2700 [BIOGRAPHY] Emanuel Lasker, born in Berlinchen, Germany, held the World Championshi p longer than anyone in history, from 1894-1921. He was a well-rounded ma n 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 class ic book 'Lasker's Manual Of Chess' describes his approach to the game and pays tribute to the revolutionary theories of Steinitz, the champion he depo sed. [SYLE] Of all the Chessmaster 10th Edition opponents, the Lasker-style will mo re often play the opponent as much or more than the board. This personalit y is a fabulous defensive player and fine tactician, equally at home in open o r 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 e lite. By January 2001, he already was ranked number five in the world, and la ter in 2001, Leko won a rapid match against Kramnik, who had just conquered Ka sparov for the title. An idol in his own country, since 1999 Leko has been sup ported by RWE Gas AG in Dortmund, Germany, an unusual arrangement for top play ers. His greatest weakness is a lack of aggression and a tendency to agree t o peaceful draws. But he is extremely hard to beat and competitors often

refer to him as 'bulletproof'. To improve, he hired a professional coaching t eam consisting of three Grandmasters, and on all his travels he is accompan ied by his Armenian wife, Sofie. All his hard work seems to be paying dividend s. 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 dra ws many games. This personality tends to shun sharp openings, and is parti al 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 b y in which he didn't play at least one game of chess. He made his internatio nal debut at Paris 1900 where he finished fourth and became America's stron gest player for the next 30 years. His greatest success was first at Cambrid ge 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 ne ver 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 t ake risks, even against the strongest of players. This personality has a ke en 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 el

se and today his insights are accepted by all serious players. He abhorred bei ng considered a chess pro, believing it was not a fit profession for a gro wn 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 b oldly sacrificing material to gain the initiative. This personality excels in open games, using keen positional judgment to lay the groundwork for stunnin g combinations. .---------. ( NAJDORF ) '---------' [RATING] 2700 [BIOGRAPHY] Najdorf first made his mark as high-scorer for the Polish team at the 1 935 chess Olympiad. At the outbreak of WWII, during the chess Olympiad of 1 939, he sought asylum in Argentina, along with a number of other European st ars. In 1947, he set a blindfold record by taking on 45 players simultaneous ly (+ 39 -2 = 4). From 1950 to 1976, Najdorf fielded first board on the Argen tine 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 thr ee nations: Poland, Hungary and Argentina. He always played colorful chess and " conducted the middle game with virtuosity; but at the highest level hi s skill " in the opening and ending did not match his leading contemporaries. One of the most popular lines in the Sicilian Defense, the indestructible Najd orf Variation, (1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6) was na med 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 Whit e, this personality distinctly favors 1.d4 with a secondary interest in th e English/Reti systems, and as Black, leans toward more combative choices -King's Indians and Sicilians, with an occasional Queen's Indian or Phil idor 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 re nted room in Copenhagen penned 'My System' and other classics that deeply influenced future generations. His finest result was winning Carlsbad 1 929 ahead of Capablanca but a compulsion to prove his 'unorthodox' theories and 'mysterious' moves sometimes proved costly in tournaments. He made deci sive " contributions to opening theory; he revived the Winawer Variation of t he " French Defense, the Queen's Indian and Nimzo-Indian Defense. He also co ined 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 t hat control of the center does not necessarily imply occupation by pawns. T his personality likes maneuvering in closed and cramped positions, and love s having an overextended enemy center to attack. .---------. ( PAULSEN ) '---------' [RATING] 2700 [BIOGRAPHY] Often underrated, Paulsen's career was overshadowed by the brilliance o f Paul Morphy. After losing the final match in the great New York tournament o

f 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 th at 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 stil l 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 wh en he was 16 years old. He took work in an officer's club to maintain his fam ily and found chess to be his main consolation. The play and principles of Capablanca and Nimzowitsch influenced his early development. In 1963, h e wrested the world title crown from Botvinnik, which took two months, an d 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 popula r for many fans, though connoisseurs might find subtle features to savor. Thi s personality excels in closed, constricted positions, snuffing out attac ks 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 che ss at 16 and was one of the few great masters content to make it his professi on. His blindfold powers and miraculous memory were a delight to behold. Du ring 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 ahe ad of all the leading players of his day -- but his first success was to be h is 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. W hen 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 sis ters 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 53 at a fast time limit of 25 minutes per side. She fought her way to the top b y competing only in mixed events despite dogged resistance from Communist chess officials in her own country who tried to confine her and her two siste rs to women's tournaments. [SYLE] The Polgar-style is characterized by aggression, almost invariably open ing with 1. e4 and striving for the initiative right from the start. Howeve r, this personality is far from reckless, and is a tough tournament compet itor,

winning a lot of points from beautiful combinations. .-----------. ( RESHEVSKY ) '-----------' [RATING] 2700 [BIOGRAPHY] Samuel Reshevsky, born in Ozorkow, Poland, was a famous child prodigy w ho started touring the world at age 6 giving simultaneous displays. He qui t playing after his family settled in America to complete his education a nd become an accountant. Upon returning to the international arena, he won Margate in 1935 ahead of Capablanca and captured the USA Championship i n 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 opp onents in Chessmaster 10th Edition, and is very much at home in cramped positi ons. This personality is partial to 1. d4 and often defends with the Nimzo-I ndian, 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 hi s living writing chess columns and giving simultaneous displays. In 1925 he played 29 blindfold games at once, then a record. His results were alwa ys 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 C hess'. [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 Defens e (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 P olish 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 go t 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 Vienn a 1922. A lifelong shyness developed into a persecution complex. 'There i s scarcely another master who suffers so from nerves, which cause him mom ents 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-s tyle. Although strong in openings, this personality prefers simplifications a nd 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 19 80. He tied for first with Browne in the 1981 USA Championship, which he won b y himself in 1986. After defeating two reigning world champions (Karpov a nd Kasparov) in individual games, a dispute with chess officials over the way they picked Olympic teams soured him on playing. In 1988 Seirawan start ed a new venture as editor and publisher of 'Inside Chess', gradually turnin g his talents toward the business side of the game. Today he competes infrequ ently. [SYLE]

The Seirawan-style is basically defensive, with a highly refined positi onal style that shines in the endgame. This personality is fond of the CaroKann 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 offi cials and after losing his life savings when a bank failed, he emigrated to S pain 'because I already spoke some Spanish'. His presence on their Olympic t eam in 1996 helped Spain finish sixth in a field of over 100 nations, a sensat ional result. Shirov got his big break at Linares in 1998 as runner-up to Ana nd, 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 matche s 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 the ir historic confrontation is reported by Dominic Lawson in 'Endgame' (Harm ony

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 persona lity will achieve brilliant wins against some of the best, it is also prone to horrible defeats to lesser players, because of an inability to compromi se 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 r ematch in 1958. In his heyday he was nearly invincible, and his amazing longev ity 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 t he 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 champ ion in 1955 and went on to capture the crown from Petrosian. Spassky reigned a s world champion from 1969-72. His dramatic match with Fischer at Reykjav ik in 1972 captured headlines all over the globe. Spassky disobeyed orders to

return home and sportingly continued playing after he amassed a two-poi nt lead when Fischer failed to show up for their second game. However, Spa ssky could not withstand Fischer's fierce onslaught and although he fought valiantly, lost his title. Soviet authorities punished him for losing t o 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-s tyle has a flair for lively tactics. As Black, this personality plays the Ta rrasch 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 a t 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 journal ist before dedicating his vocation to chess. He held the first official wor ld championship from 1886-94, it was the 25 year old Lasker who eventually dethroned him. He earned a living as a chess pro in London, then the Mecc a 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 internationa l

acclaim with his fearless and imaginative attacks. Full of nervous ener gy, chain-smoking, pacing restlessly between moves, he was obsessed with ch ess and played fast games against all comers into the wee hours. He was wor ld 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 T al' (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. A ll this personality needs is a chance to attack and the position will expl ode in fireworks. .----------. ( TARRASCH ) '----------' [RATING] 2700 [BIOGRAPHY] Siegbert Tarrasch, born in Breslau, Germany, was a medical doctor and o ne 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 occupi es 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 a nd 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 mobil ity 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 e arly

20th century. While he could attack when needed, Tartakower could defen d 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 op enings theory, Tartakower ironically lost one of the most famous chess miniatu res ever played against Richard Reti, in only 10 moves (see this Classic Ga me in the Chessmaster Library). [SYLE] The Tartakower-style will usually try to use superior opening preparati on to build up an early advantage, that can later be exploited either positio nally 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 197 4, 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 Kar pov and turned his attention to chess journalism. Today Timman is best know n 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 blen ded 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 bega n a serious study of the game. As a scholastic competitor, Josh won 8 natio

nal titles, and his youthful career was immortalized in the book and subseq uent film, 'Searching for Bobby Fischer'. Josh became a National Master at a ge 13, an International Master at 16, and an acclaimed chess author at 18, wit h 'Attacking Chess'. One of the most popular and widely recognized chess players in the world, Josh has gained a reputation for the humanistic g race with which he speaks and writes about the art. In addition to his exten sive chess pursuits, Josh also studies Eastern Philosophy and Religion, and has become deeply immersed in the study of Tai Chi Chuan with Grandmaster W illiam 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 wor ld 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 Steinit z. Blessed with a prodigious memory, Zukertort could recall countless game s and variations, a trait that served him well as co-editor of the Neue Berli ner Schachzeitung. In many ways, Zukertort was the Baron Munchausen of ches s. In a fanciful account of his early life, he claimed fluency in nine langua ges, and boasted of being a crack pistol shot, an accomplished swordsman, an d 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 s troke 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. e

4 e5 with either White or Black. This personality will generally plant firml y 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 a nd 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 throug h matches with her older brother and friends. In recent years she has tak en 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 prot g s. [SYLE] Logan is called the 'drawmaster'. His openings tend to be drawish and h e 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 get s, Shakespeare takes up the gauntlet of competition. [SYLE] Shakespeare's other nickname is the 'pawnmaster'. He will carefully gua rd 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 sha rp 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 tank ards of ale. By the end of the night he has usually clear-cut the competitio n and is a bit tipsy. Emma, the friendly barmaid, lets him sleep it off befor e his sled-trek back to his cabin. [SYLE]

Sven likes to play as many games as possible in a night (more games = m ore beer) so look for him to be pretty aggressive. He likes to chop down ma terial quickly and then whittle away at the endgame. .-----. ( LOU ) '-----' [RATING] 2367 [BIOGRAPHY] A leading female chess player in the '60s, Lou stopped playing competit ively 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 brothe rs, 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, h e 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 mobili ty 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 ofte n 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 line s that put her at a slight disadvantage. She places a high premium on controll ing the center. Her rating is 2275. .------. ( BUCK ) '------' [RATING] 2238 [BIOGRAPHY] Buck is a long distance truck driver who occupies his time on long jour neys 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 spotte d 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 min d. [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, hi s rating is a strong 2238. .------. ( J.T. ) '------' [RATING] 2214 [BIOGRAPHY] J.T. attended the finest prep schools as a teenager, where chess was of fered as part of the curriculum. Though naturally talented at the game, he ne ver developed the passion needed to propel him from 'very good' status to t he status of greatness. Though he hasn't played much in recent years, he c an usually sit down and pick up where he left off, instantly playing as we

ll as he did in his teen years. [SYLE] J.T. plays opening specifically designed to entice the opponent into fa lling 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 prog ram for his Apple II when he was 13 years old. He has continued to enjoy th e 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 wo rking 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 som etimes 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 relative s 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. i n 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 wi ll often pass up attacking opportunities and retreat, waiting for her oppo nent

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 pianis t 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 w orking on her B.A. at Yale, Natalie often goes to local coffeehouses to play c hess. [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-confid ence 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 p lay 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 appa

rent 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 ch ess competition with an old college buddy currently living in Florida. Sinc e both players know the other's idiosyncrasies and playing styles so well, the y are constantly trying to out-maneuver each other with new techniques and id eas. [SYLE] Doc's opening theory is often unconventional but is always solid. His p lay 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 pinoc hle. During the winter he and other chess lovers are likely to meet more frequently, often spending long afternoons challenging each other to ma tches. [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 th is 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 title s and was widely recognized as America's strongest young player. In a simulta neous exhibition at age 11, Josh drew a game against World Champion Garry Kas parov, 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. Fi nally, a few days after turning 13 he broke through and his rating quickly sho t up to 2400. Josh learned that even the fiercest competitor must exhibit pa tience 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 an d his desire to attack was grounded in objectivity. His personality was very aggressive and it came across on the board. Closed maneuvering games an d 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 th e game so he can compete with her Mummy and Daddy during weekend getaways at t heir 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 f or positional strength. .------. ( RAND ) '------' [RATING] 1972 [BIOGRAPHY] Rand is a Benedictine monk who spends part of each year participating i n a

vow of silence. During those times, many of the brethren like to play c hess 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 appearan ces in several TV shows during her teen years, Laura doesn't take her future a s actress seriously. She used the money to pay for her economic studies a nd aims to become a real business woman in a few years. As part of her sel feducation, Laura took to chess and discovered she is a natural talent. [SYLE] As her rating indicates, Laura is a strong intermediate player, which i s the more outstanding as she plays chess for less than a couple hours each w eek. 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 competi tions. 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 pl ayer. [SYLE] Rick prefers gambit openings and has a slight preference of knights ove r 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 activiti es used to occupy their time. As the only female on the bus, Roxy enjoys t he 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 m ore 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 fr iends 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 fa ther 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 recen tly begun to rebel against her father's dreams. She sometimes plays erratic ally, 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 ra ting is a strong 1845, she overvalues pawns to the degree that she will ofte n 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 thi nk 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 trad e his rooks for your bishops. .-------. ( RUSTY ) '-------' [RATING] 1831 [BIOGRAPHY] A cowboy and rodeo clown, Rusty has managed to find steady employment i n the ranchlands of Wyoming. As a ten-year-old boy Rusty learned to play ches s from his father. Though he no longer plays chess, he has fond memories of th e 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 i gnores 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 opponen ts by playing unorthodox openings. .--------------. ( JOSH - AGE 9 ) '--------------' [RATING] 1800 [BIOGRAPHY] Josh Waitzkin won his first National Championship at age nine, which be came 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 tau ght him that hard work pays off and that he should never give up. Since los ing 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 adult s, he could slash through a tactical melee or eke out a win in an even end ga me. [SYLE] At age 9 Josh was very sharp tactically and got stronger as the game mo ved along. His opening knowledge still lagged behind but he would later exp lain 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 e ndgame 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 exhaustin g 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 m oments 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 opponent s 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 th at 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 coll ecting 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 organizat ion that was the backbone of the Soviet Chess machine in the '80s. Liam beg an 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, an d not always winning. [SYLE] Liam always opens with 1. d4 as white, and will aim for the Queen's Gam bit. He defends with either the Caro-Kann or the Pirc against 1. e4, and wil l 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 watc hes. Or, as his lovely wife says, 'dismantling perfectly working items in or der 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 pe ople 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 co ntrol " 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 sm all child, T.C. had the eerie ability to correctly recite the exploits of o bscure Civil War generals. As he grew older, T.C. turned his attention from 19 thcentury military campaigns to the strategic possibilities offered by a 64square 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 scho ol tournament where he lost all of his games with White and won all his ga

mes with Black. T.C. will likely never win an event at any level, but his p lay 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 Openin g 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 (pro bably 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 wellknown comedians, politicians and talk shows. His credits also include a topgrossing movie and years as head writer for a number-one television sho w. Now living off of residuals, Dave spends his days gardening, playing ch ess, and walking his dogs, Larry, Moe and Curly. [SYLE] Dave favors his knights. Watch out for his nasty knight forks (which se em 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 pa ssing grade. Nonetheless, students flock to his classes, as everyone knows th at, once they've taken his class, their understanding of physics will be we llgrounded, and their academic background will be given prestige. During

his rare time off, Nikolai teaches chess, and is an equally demanding teach er 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 i s rated 1759. .-------. ( ODILE ) '-------' [RATING] 1655 [BIOGRAPHY] When her own room proved too small for the increasing collection of poe try 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 wo rking as a librarian - now she's got all the poetry she can handle, and for f ree... [SYLE] Odile fell in love with the poetry of chess after reading an Omar Khayy am book. As she likes the delicate look of the bishops in her porcelain ch ess set, she learned how to use them efficiently. Watch out for her pins an d 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 pl ays 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 leav e his pieces as mobile as possible. [SYLE] Slick likes to get the Queens off the board because they greatly increa se 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 mathematic ally better than losing. .-------. ( WALDO ) '-------' [RATING] 1618 [BIOGRAPHY] A professional courier of sensitive documents for the Pentagon, Waldo s pends 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 openi ng game in exchange for development. He will typically trade his bishops a way 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 again st 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 fe ll for an opening trap and lost in the last round. David Arnett, the kid t hat beat him, would later become his best friend and a chess master. Josh w ould 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 usua lly doesn't work against tough opponents. His Washington Square Park style was evolving. Positional ideas were flowing into tactics and the endgame. H is 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 rela xing when he sings. Usually, he sings opera or popular music (and occasional ly 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 en joys 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 righ t, and carries a sketchbook with him wherever he goes. This has occasional ly gotten him into trouble in school, where he is often reprimanded for sketching the teacher's portrait rather than listening to the lesson. J on'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-tog ethers 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 d on'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 hiki ng tours in the summer. Part of the tourist appeal at the lodge where he w orks is the opportunity to curl up in front of a warm fire every evening wit h 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 stud ent at a prestigious university. He is studying to become a chemist or molecul ar 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 pi eces in an attic) proved a winner. Since then, Michael decided chess means g ood 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 mu ch 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 Iri sh 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, an d he relaxes by playing chess. [SYLE] John studied openings extensively and built a inner understanding of th eir 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 stor m, 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, sh e still plays chess against her friends now and then. [SYLE] Marie tries to eliminate her opponent's pawns and then use her long-ran ge pieces to clear up the board. This might have some unfortunate side eff ects, 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-s takes speed chess for money. At the age of 18, he was thrown out of the Trist ate Chess tournament for insisting on having the first move while playing t he black side of the board. His dream is to get back into the Tournament a nd 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 oppo nent's pawn structure, and his rating is 1528. .-------. ( DYLAN ) '-------' [RATING] 1521

[BIOGRAPHY] Though initially discouraged from playing chess by his father (who worr ied about the solitary intensity the game requires), Dylan has developed an amazingly healthy attitude toward the game. By balancing his study of c hess with his love for baseball and goofing off, Dylan has managed to improv e his skills while still maintaining a normal life. He and his father frequen tly 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 bo oks, and has even written a short novel, but she especially loves to write s hort stories. Three of her stories have been published in literary publicati ons, and she's won regional and national writing awards for her work. Her wr iting ability has already garnered interest from an Ivy League school, and sh e expects to be able to attend college on full scholarship. Tasha's entir e 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 o bvious 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 Fre nch owner to games of chess. [SYLE] Wendy is a 1475-rated intermediate player with a shallow knowledge of o pening theory. She will often neglect positional considerations, especially pa ssed 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 f or 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 th eir 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, b eing the single girl of her age in the village made her combative and indepe ndent, to the point where the first guy daring to approach her for romantic pu rposes was a town boy spending his summer vacation there. [SYLE] Kanna loves to control the center and keep her pieces as mobile as poss ible. In the heat of combat, she forgets sometimes about her king's safety. H er

rating is 1465. .--------. ( GINGER ) '--------' [RATING] 1454 [BIOGRAPHY] Ginger is currently one of Hollywood's hottest agents. When not schmooz ing the studios or babysitting her clients, Ginger is often participating i n 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 o pening game for clever traps. If the opponent spots and exploits the opportuni ty, they should be able to defeat Ginger. Otherwise, Ginger plays ruthlessl y 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 be gan playing chess again, after years away from the game, as a way to find c ommon 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 bisho p. .-------. ( ANNIE ) '-------' [RATING] 1414 [BIOGRAPHY] Annie is a straight A student who really enjoys school. Her favorite su bject

is math - any kind of math - algebra, geometry, even calculus. She beca me 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, ig noring 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 wa ndered 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 al ways felt comfortable in the woods, and often rides his mountain bike throug h 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 gui de 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 pare nts, worried about his social development, tried to make him give up the gam e. In college, his interest in chess and psychology culminated in a doctoral

thesis entitled 'Psychophysical analysis of the relationship between concentra ted 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 sayin g is 'The ability to play chess is the sign of a gentleman. The ability to p lay 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 en joys 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 h er 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 pat ience in martial arts is much better than her patience in chess, and her open ings 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-s chool 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 paw n structure. She is rated 1394. .--------------. ( JOSH - AGE 7 ) '--------------' [RATING] 1365 [BIOGRAPHY] Josh Waitzkin started working with renowned chess coach Bruce Pandolfin i 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 firs t tournament games, Josh often found himself down a pawn or a piece but w ould fight back and usually finesse a win in the end game. Bruce started cal ling 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 wa s 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 wer e his weakness. Rated at 1365, Josh was a tough fighter, clawed his way out o f 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 a nd spends several months of each year touring the world on luxury cruise s hips. 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 willi ng 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 s kate 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 beaut y 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 stren gth grew steadily. [SYLE] Amo plays rather defensively and likes to trade up pieces in order to c larify 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 commo dity, and he and his partners enjoy the luxury that their pocket chess set pr ovides them. [SYLE] Aaron is a very positional chess player. Sometimes he concentrates so m uch 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 he r 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 docto ral thesis by playing chess with fellow students at the campus pub, where h e 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 fo und 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 st yle of play, especially in the openings. He plays slightly more materially tha n positionally and is rated 1322. .-------. ( LACEY ) '-------' [RATING] 1308

[BIOGRAPHY] Lacey is a Boston lawyer specializing in business law. She has a commut er marriage with her husband, a city planner in New York City. Since she a nd her husband have so little time together, they look for unique ways to shar e fun times together. One of the activities they enjoy is carrying on chess m atches via e-mail. [SYLE] Lacey plays like lightning and her moves appear to be flawlessly execut ed. 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 o wn clothes when she was 11 and recently designed her own prom dress. She w orks after school in a boutique and is saving her money to attend a design s chool 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 pie ces so her opponent doesn't have anything to threaten her king with. Her ratin g 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 wr iting

news stories, his favorite articles are feature stories about interesti ng 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 clu b. One of the things he is working on is using his bishops more effectively. H e is rated 1301 in his club. .-------. ( DIANA ) '-------' [RATING] 1282 [BIOGRAPHY] As the head of the HR department of a large international company, Dian a 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 curr ently " working on her doctoral thesis on 'Exploiting inner competitive tendenc ies to maximize productivity', for which her day-to-day experiences prove to b e 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 rati ng 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 an d is very good at figuring out difficult moves and positions. Though her par ents 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 o r even two rooks. Her rating is 1274. .------. ( IOAN ) '------' [RATING] 1255 [BIOGRAPHY] A competitive nature, Ioan is quick to take a challenge and never misse s the opportunity to try new things. After dipping his toes into bridge, kart ing, paintball and every multiplayer computer game ever made, Ioan found a c hess set and was eager to prove his mettle. He soon realized he needs too mu ch 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. H is actual rating is 1255. .------. ( ERIC ) '------' [RATING] 1241 [BIOGRAPHY] During college, Eric's favourite pasttime was 'training' by hacking int o 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 tri es to simplify the game as much as possible, trading when he has the opportun ity. .---------. ( 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. I

t was the chess set that initially captured Griffin's imagination. After beco ming 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 s chool. His love for chess and chess imagery resurfaced years later in his now wellknown 'Bishop Series' of offset lithographs. [SYLE] Griffin is a balanced player with no glaring weaknesses. He is rated 12 37. .-------. ( 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 kickb ox. If there were more hours in the week, he'd also play rugby and hockey.A bout the only time he sits still (except when he's doing his homework) is wh en 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 fi eld. [SYLE] Shaun is a ferocious attacker. He will charge at an opponent the same w ay 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 lat er, Andy still spends every summer here, hiking, freeclimbing and playing c

hess 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 f or hire. He stumbled on some old chess books in a used bookstore, and beca me 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 whe n 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 Yo rk City when he was 6 years old. His early teachers were old retired men a nd chess hustlers, tough players who moved the pieces trying to eke out a living. Josh was a gifted tactician and a fierce competitor, perfect fo r 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 s ay that when he sat down at the chess board the little boy went away and a n old man came to play. [SYLE] As a 6-year-old Josh was pure aggression. Rated at 1200, Josh didn't kn ow much about positional subtleties or opening theory, but when the game g ot 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 safe ty. .-----. ( 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 yea rs later, Seb is a polyvalent athlete who likes to spend many hours joggin g, skating or longboarding in the parks. When he's tired of running, he li kes 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 me ans 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 Fou ntain, to a woman sending back Steak Tartare because it was undercooked. An av id chess player, Trudy spotted an opportunity to expand her business and organized a chess tour of Russia, where participants received instructi on from some of the finest chess minds in the Soviet Union. [SYLE] Trudy is a solid all-around string player (1189) with no specific weakn esses. 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 t he 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 cu rrent 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 w in a tennis scholarship at a California University, and eventually become a tennis pro or tennis coach. As part of his parents' academic regimen, Hayden i s required to play chess several afternoons per week. In truth, he kind o f 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 h is 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 knowl edge of folk and blues artists, Gil puts together popular shows with unexpec ted 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 hou rs of the morning, when most club patrons have long since gone home, Gil ofte n 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, sp eaks fluent English. After she graduated from college with a Masters in Busi ness, her professional path was set. She now free-lances to large corporation s as an interpreter, with special capability in the area of large-scale merg ers. She often gains respect from her clients by engaging them in chess matc hes. 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 pla ns to retire within the next five years. When he does retire, he plans to tra vel

the world and dedicate himself to a deeper study of art, music, languag es, 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 indu stry and is now an in-demand Webmaster. Many of the companies Mark has worke d for have created instant millionaires among their employees. Unfortunately, Mark has demonstrated a serious talent for bad timing, and has jumped ship j ust 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 online chess game. [SYLE] Mark is good at attacking with his bishops. He uses them as sharp, vici ous weapons. His weakness is that he inhibits their effectiveness by blocki ng 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 n ext: 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 ch ess 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 def ensive " by nature, but likes to attack; he spends time analyzing, but makes ra ndom " " moves; he likes his queen, but he fears the opponent's queen more... H is " current rating is 1136. .------. ( JEFF ) '------' [RATING] 1133 [BIOGRAPHY] Jeff is a college student who is looking forward to someday being a web site developer. He enjoys the speed required by the industry, where impossib le deadlines can appear out of nowhere. It is for the very same reasons th at 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 ga me seriously enough to put in the same amount of study and research that h e puts into learning Java and other web languages, however. [SYLE] Jeff is a natural player (rated 1133), who has a reasonable understandi ng of the basics of chess. However, he occasionally makes questionable sacrif ices 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 end ure 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 h is 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 112

8. .------. ( ADAM ) '------' [RATING] 1119 [BIOGRAPHY] Adam is a computer game addict. His parents have instituted strict rule s about when he can and cannot play games on the computer, because otherw ise he'd never get his homework done, or spend any time with friends and fa mily. 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 earn ed a rating of 1119 online. .---------. ( MIRANDA ) '---------' [RATING] 1106 [BIOGRAPHY] A recent college graduate from UC Santa Barbara, Miranda is currently w orking 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 tre ndy things to do in Hollywood, Miranda began sharpening up her game. It's b een 8 years since she first learned to play chess. [SYLE] Miranda is a beginning to intermediate player with a rating of 1106. Sh e is not familiar with opening book theory and will tend to neglect the cent er 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 m odels, 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 aggressiv e 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 to gether complex strategy, but his hockey experience has taught him the importan ce of controlling the center of the chessboard. .------. ( JOEY ) '------' [RATING] 1086 [BIOGRAPHY] Joey is really into computers, but nobody would ever call him a nerd. H e's also the president of his class and one of the best gymnasts at his sch ool. His friends love to come to Joey's house to see all of the coolest comp uter 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 t he 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 chi ld 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 ro om. [SYLE] Willow's playing style reflects her gentle nature. She is more than wil ling 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 b alls 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. a nd New York City to European capitols every day. On her days off, she makes li beral use of the free airfare available to her and has visited almost every m ajor airport in the world. Some of the regulars on her overnight flights lik e 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 si ght 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 rea ders complain that you can't even find the Eiffel tower using his Paris guid e. 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 dis regard 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 riv als.

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 th en tries to promote one of her pawns. It seems to work often enough, her r ating is 1006. .-----. ( RAJ ) '-----' [RATING] 967 [BIOGRAPHY] Raj is determined to find a cure for cancer. As part of a team of genet ic engineers, Raj is working on ways in which DNA can be used to combat di sease 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 str ength 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 drea m 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 scien ce at the local college. His favourite comic writer is Scott McCloud, and aft er reading about his obsession with chess, he learned the game and plays i t 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 hol ds 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 an d 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 real ly enjoys a good game of chess with one of his sisters. He has a horse tha t 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 eve n 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 abou t 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 ava ilable 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 automat ic dialer to locate a live human being, Jonesie and his fellow telemarkete rs 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 flamboy ance. 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 challenge d 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, f ixed 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 s pare moments, he enjoy playing chess or cards with his work buddies. [SYLE] Anders is constantly divided between dreaming of wild conquests and car ing for his own pieces, and this indecision is sometimes his doom. His curr ent rating is 859. .--------. ( ARGYLE ) '--------' [RATING] 844 [BIOGRAPHY] Argyle is the bass guitarist in a rock band that travels the country pl aying over 250 performances each year. During their long bus trips, one of th e ways the band members keep themselves occupied is by challenging each o ther 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 r ated 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 an d 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-t ime 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 st rategy 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 bri lliant play, but her games are thwarted by erratic moves and an over-dependenc

e on the value of queens. .------. ( MONA ) '------' [RATING] 806 [BIOGRAPHY] As a personnal assistant for a Jordanian oil sheik, Mona's duties are n ot 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 a rabic 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 glari ng defaults and is able to keep her mind on the board during the whole gam e. .--------. ( KENDRA ) '--------' [RATING] 790 [BIOGRAPHY] Kendra is a teenager who loves to cook, or to be more accurate, she lov es to bake. Whether it's lasagna, or cookies, or double chocolate hazelnut to rte, Kendra is an expert at making good things come from the oven. Perhaps t his 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 point s 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 attenti on 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 famo us enough to live from his drawings. In the meantime, he's doing small job s in advertising and interior decoration. While remodelling an old coffee sh op, he " found an antique chess set and fell in love with it; before long, he s tarted " designing new chess sets and eventually found the time to learn the gam e. 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 t hen. His rating is 742. .------. ( TEEA ) '------' [RATING] 723 [BIOGRAPHY] A reluctant player, Teea only plays to please her grandfather in the fe w occasions when the old man comes to visit. It's not that she doesn't li ke 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 trave lling 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 h ostel near Boulder, Colorado and has since had a few more opportunities to pl ay. [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 Centr al America for the last year and a half. She was quite surprised to discov er that the local citizens are avid chess players. So, on many evenings sh e finds herself engaged in chess matches using beautiful, hand-carved che ss 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 prote ct her king. .-------. ( SIMON ) '-------' [RATING] 664 [BIOGRAPHY] Simon's dad was a professional soccer player in England, which may be o ne of the reasons Simon is such a great soccer goalie. When not playing socce r, Simon also enjoys playing in a rollerblade hockey league and playing st rategy 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 overachieve r, she's active in student government, theatre, the school newspaper, and several local charities. Though she knows a little about chess, she has n't really had the opportunity to learn the game well enough to become a go od 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 n ext 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 t hought to the game. He will often drop pieces and has no sense of positional p lay. Wait for him to give the game away. .------. ( TINA ) '------' [RATING] 611 [BIOGRAPHY] After secretly watching a James Bond movie, eight years old Tina decide d to become a stuntman. Her first stunt (riding down a hill on her pink bicy cle) sent her flying into the swimming pool. During the week when she was grounded, her grandmother taught her chess. She hasn't had much opportu nities 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. S o, he collects blankets for the homeless and volunteers every Sunday at a local soup kitchen. Sometimes he organizes games for children at a local home less shelter. After somebody donated a chess set to the shelter, Jesse start ed 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 o ut 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 convi nced her dad to help her build a greenhouse in their backyard. Since then sh e's had the perfect place to grow orchids and conduct experiments on creati ng 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 frustrat ed 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 sca nning the skies for new discoveries. His dream is to one day have a comet nam ed 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 star s. [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 rat ed 553 .-------. ( LYDIA ) '-------' [RATING] 532 [BIOGRAPHY] Lydia is a construction foreman who just began playing chess recently w hen progress on the building she was working on was delayed by torrential r ains. Though she's only just begun playing, she thinks she's going to like th e 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. D uring 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 mistak es: 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 o nto chess. She never misses a sunny day to go out in the park with the ches s 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 most ly 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, i s 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 Te x 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 g ame going in the garage where they work. Since their hands are always greas y, they created a chess set out of used oilcans. [SYLE] Tex is a defensive player (rated 427). He tries to frustrate his oppone nt 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 fr om home. A favorite babysitter for neighborhood families, Darcy also works afternoons at a daycare center. Darcy knows how to play chess because s he 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 he r opponent's queen. Sometimes she gets so worried that she overlooks othe r 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 c ount backward from 1000 (which drives her big brother crazy). Kamika loves t o make up stories and taught herself to play chess by making up stories a bout the chess pieces. Her second favorite chess piece is the Knight, and he r most favorite is the Queen. Sometimes she leaves the chess pieces in he r dollhouse (which also drives her big brother crazy). [SYLE] Kamika is a beginning player with a rating of 347. She knows how all th e pieces move but doesn't organize them very well. She values her queen a

nd knights dearly and will only trade them if her opponent is willing to d o the same. .-------. ( ANDRE ) '-------' [RATING] 317 [BIOGRAPHY] Andre realized he had a special talent for drawing at the age of four w hen all of his friends kept asking him to draw monsters and dragons for the m. Andre and his older brother, Brett, are very close, and when Brett help s Andre with his math homework, Andre draws illustrations for Brett's sci ence 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 m iddle 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 sa w 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 desig ner, 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 ch ess. [SYLE] Parker has learned the basics of chess pretty well except that he forge ts 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 wa s using her fingernails as a ploy to distract her opponent in a champions hip 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. He r 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 lear n the rules and the usual terms. To be sure she uses chess vocabulary in a pr oper manner, she even played a few games. [SYLE] Monique seems to understand the need for mobility and tries to make spa ce for her long-range pieces. However, she has yet a lot more to learn about c hess. .---------. ( 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 matt

er of games, including chess. She lost at chess, but took her revenge at Scra bble. [SYLE] Sabrina has played only two games so far - she understands how the piec es 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 (most ly 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 h ave an iguana named Slippery Sam. Ben's dad just taught him how to play che ss 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. H is 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 famil y'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 te nds to make him reckless with his queen and forget about the safety of his kin g. He is rated 57.

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.------. ( PETE ) '------' [RATING] 37 [BIOGRAPHY] Pete would like to be a veterinarian when he grows up. So far, his pare

nts 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 g ood care of his pets and hardly ever has to be reminded to feed them. One t ime 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 ches s set where the pieces all looked like animals. [SYLE] Pete's favorite chess piece is the knight (because it looks like a hors e) 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 do lls, Cassie rarely plays with hers. She just makes things for them, like clo thes, 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 mach . 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 clut ters up her side of the board and makes it hard for her pieces to move. She is rated 23.

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