integrator

Apart from chess, mountains and forests are my passions. I grew up in Tasmania which has plenty of both. Though knee problems now hamper my access I have my own eccentric ways of enjoying the outdoors. I enjoy my work as a research scientist but don't let work dominate my life. Apart from chess, table tennis and kayaking are some of my distractions. My favourite players are Nezhmetdinov and Tal which should tell you a lot about my style! (I was once dubbed "the Tasmanian Tal") I started playing regularly when I was a teenager. I haven't mellowed much with age but the ability and speed with which I can calculate tactics has declined. I play three or four tournaments a year with occasional flashes of good play. The pinnacle of my chess career came in 2006 when I defeated a GM.