KibBlitzing with...

Chris Dobbs!
Current place of residence: Cincinnati, OH
Date of Birth: November 22, 1989
USCF Rating as of 12/26/08: 1614
WCL Junior Grand Prix Points: 65

Photo: Dobbs with his favorite chess tie.

- What are you looking forward to most about the Pan-Ams?

Seeing the top collegiate players in the Americas in action, and hopefully Miami will get to play at least one of the top schools. This is also my first trip to Texas.

- Who is the highest-rated player you've played in a tournament game and what was the result?

John Miller, a local Expert currently rated 2007, but will hopefully be rated 2009 for the New Year. My position was winning but I flagged.

- Name a skill that benefits you only in chess but not in life.

I can memorize book theory extremely easily, but that isn't helpful in Latin class or when trying to get a date!

- What advice would you give to other college students?

Don't get rusty. Spending even ten minutes a day on tactics will go a long way when the next tournament comes around.

- Fill in the blank: Gata Kamsky should _____ Veselin Topalov.

"Achieve a fair number of draws but ultimately lose to".

- What are you most known for by your friends?

I am most known by my friends for my outspokenness, dry wit, and "book smarts".

- Which weighs more, a pound of feathers or a pound of bricks?

A pound of feathers and a pound of bricks weigh the same: a pound. However, the feathers are a much less compact solid, so the heap of feathers will be much larger than the brick.

- True or false: chess is primarily a social activity.

False. It's an art form, a money-making endeavor, a means to expand one's creativity and academic prowess, and so much more!

- How many ties do you own?

I absolutely love business formal and dress clothes, especially ties. I have not counted, but I would say I have at least twenty ties of all colors and designs.

- Who's buried in Grant's tomb?

Technically, nobody is buried in Grant's tomb, but the eighteenth President of the Unites States of America, Ulysses S. Grant, and his wife Julia are both "entombed" there. ♦

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