MR ROBERT JOHN GAWLEY

My journey in chess has been erratic, compulsive, stubborn and, frankly, a bit crazy. That probably explains why I am still playing on Lichess as graanfer. I have worked since I was eleven years old. I was born in 1939 in glorious Bristol, five minutes from the famous suspension bridge. I was never particularly academic. I was always more practical than theo-retical, and perhaps that is why chess has appealed to me for so many years.

Now I am 87, and everyone seems to think I should relax. My wife cer-tainly does. She tells me to take it easy. I tell her, “In the box I will!” Chess and writing keep me motivated. I have had my share of health problems, and although I could bore you senseless telling you about them, I consider myself lucky. I have still got all my marbles. So here I am, an old man who has had a love affair with chess for more than fifty years, still playing, still writing, still losing games I should have won and occasionally winning games that leave me wondering how the hell I managed it.

Writing this blasted book is hard work. Why do it? I have no idea. I may be the only person who thinks it is a good project. But that is not going to stop me. So fingers up to all those people who keep telling me to “take it easy”. As far as I am concerned, I will carry on until somebody decides I have had enough. Perhaps one day I will be ready for the old folks' home. Until then, I have chess to play, stories to tell and books to write. And if I ever stop, it will probably be because the men in white coats have arrived to

I am Bob playing with the name Graanfer, and I have been with Lichess, the best chess site for cash-strapped players like me, for quite some time. I try to develop as quickly as possible, although I still lose many games through blunders. Every now and again, however, my 87-year-old brain starts firing and surprises me. So welcome to the world of my old Murmansk friend and the very humble Graanfer. I will tell you more about my visit to Murmansk as we go along. I only hope that cantankerous old fellow is kind about my game play.