Player Profile: John Watson
It's Monday, at that means it's time for another player profile. Last week we introduced British IM Andrew Martin; this week we return to my side of the pond to present American IM John Watson.
Watson's accomplishments and contributions to the chess world are many. As an author, he has written many acclaimed books on opening and general chess theory - to say nothing of his famous Chessman comics! His book reviews for TWIC are excellent, and he has worked successfully as a trainer, too, most notably helping Tal Shaked become World Junior champion in 1997 - ahead of players like Morozevich, Kasimdzhanov and Movsesian! And in his free time, he plays chess, too.
Name:
John Watson
Age:
55
Title:
International Master
Other interests:
Literature, Socio-political Issues/Economics, sports, Electrical Engineering (I was in the field).
Favorite authors (not chess):
Off the top of my head: Flann O'Brian, Heinrich Boll, Dostoevsky, Pynchon, Faulkner... Shakespeare [almost forgot!], and many others. Numerous non-fiction writers, especially political and historical.
When (and how/from whom) you learned to play:
My father, age 11(?), briefly; began to play regularly at age 14.
Favorite/most influential chess book (if any):
?? There are so many, for example, while growing up: My System, Tal-Botvinnik, Alekhine: Best Games + NY 1924. Too many modern ones to mention.
Favorite player (other than yourself):
Older players: Steinitz, Petrosian, Tal; Modern players: Karpov, Kasparov, Shirov
A game (not your own) that made a big impact on you:
Not very original, but Johner-Nimzowitsch, and later, Kasparov-Topalov.
Your best game:
Can't pick one offhand.
Your greatest moment in chess so far:
Winning a New York International. Winning Opens is more random and less satisfying.
The most valuable thing you did to become the player you are:
Playing through high-level games, playing and studying a very wide variety of opening systems/structures (see below).
What you value most about the game:
The fact that after all these years we know so little about it and that it continues to confound us.
Three tips for amateurs:
Study your own games critically (yawn - such original advice); and top-level games, sometimes covering up the moves (ditto). Experiment with new kinds of positions, even if you think your results will suffer (they normally won't, and they will steadily improve). Always be sure that you're having fun, whether playing or studying, but you have to practice basic endings and tactics once in a while.
A tip for ambitious players:
Same as above, and be sure to play most every opening, not just a few, as both White and Black. This is both in order to learn how to handle middlegames and to learn how to think.
Any of your work/services you’d like to plug:
My recent two-volume 'Mastering the Openings' is suitable for quite inexperienced players, moving from the ground up and only then on to more advanced material. It emphasizes 'ideas behind the openings'. My priority is instruction, unlike my earlier and rather advanced books on strategy. I think everyone can learn a lot from it, but then, I'm the author!
Click here to see Johner-Nimzowitsch, Kasparov-Topalov, and, in lieu of a best game suggestion, a 1995 win over Eduard Gufeld.
Watson's accomplishments and contributions to the chess world are many. As an author, he has written many acclaimed books on opening and general chess theory - to say nothing of his famous Chessman comics! His book reviews for TWIC are excellent, and he has worked successfully as a trainer, too, most notably helping Tal Shaked become World Junior champion in 1997 - ahead of players like Morozevich, Kasimdzhanov and Movsesian! And in his free time, he plays chess, too.
Name:
John Watson
Age:
55
Title:
International Master
Other interests:
Literature, Socio-political Issues/Economics, sports, Electrical Engineering (I was in the field).
Favorite authors (not chess):
Off the top of my head: Flann O'Brian, Heinrich Boll, Dostoevsky, Pynchon, Faulkner... Shakespeare [almost forgot!], and many others. Numerous non-fiction writers, especially political and historical.
When (and how/from whom) you learned to play:
My father, age 11(?), briefly; began to play regularly at age 14.
Favorite/most influential chess book (if any):
?? There are so many, for example, while growing up: My System, Tal-Botvinnik, Alekhine: Best Games + NY 1924. Too many modern ones to mention.
Favorite player (other than yourself):
Older players: Steinitz, Petrosian, Tal; Modern players: Karpov, Kasparov, Shirov
A game (not your own) that made a big impact on you:
Not very original, but Johner-Nimzowitsch, and later, Kasparov-Topalov.
Your best game:
Can't pick one offhand.
Your greatest moment in chess so far:
Winning a New York International. Winning Opens is more random and less satisfying.
The most valuable thing you did to become the player you are:
Playing through high-level games, playing and studying a very wide variety of opening systems/structures (see below).
What you value most about the game:
The fact that after all these years we know so little about it and that it continues to confound us.
Three tips for amateurs:
Study your own games critically (yawn - such original advice); and top-level games, sometimes covering up the moves (ditto). Experiment with new kinds of positions, even if you think your results will suffer (they normally won't, and they will steadily improve). Always be sure that you're having fun, whether playing or studying, but you have to practice basic endings and tactics once in a while.
A tip for ambitious players:
Same as above, and be sure to play most every opening, not just a few, as both White and Black. This is both in order to learn how to handle middlegames and to learn how to think.
Any of your work/services you’d like to plug:
My recent two-volume 'Mastering the Openings' is suitable for quite inexperienced players, moving from the ground up and only then on to more advanced material. It emphasizes 'ideas behind the openings'. My priority is instruction, unlike my earlier and rather advanced books on strategy. I think everyone can learn a lot from it, but then, I'm the author!
Click here to see Johner-Nimzowitsch, Kasparov-Topalov, and, in lieu of a best game suggestion, a 1995 win over Eduard Gufeld.
Posted by Dennis Monokroussos on
Monday April 9, 2007 at 10:43pm
Interestingly enough, his father hired Koltanowski (I believe) to teach chess to his boys. I knew Brian's brother Gerry quite well as he was a long time member of my club, Dublin CC. He was a chain smoking 1700 player, who always played mad gambits. He would completely forget about his cigarette until the inch and half of ash dropped off and landed on the board. His excuse for smoking was that it helped him cough at night!
To honour his 50 years a member of the club, we organized a tournament. 4 days before the tournament, he walked out of a pub in Donegal town at about 2 in the morning, and dropped dead. We swiftly renamed the tournament, the Gerry O'Nolan Memorial. I believe this is the fastest organized memorial tournament in history.