GM Walter Browne |
Walter Browne has won more open Swiss
chess tournaments than any other American player. He is a living
legend, often referred to by other Grandmasters as six-time, for his
six U.S. Championship victories, a number topped only by Bobby Fischer
and Sammy Reshevsky. Walter is known for precise calculation skills. He plays main lines like the Najdorf and derives enjoyment from both play and post-mortems. He rattles off variations in analysis rooms with the energy of a teenager who just drank a gallon of coffee. Browne had very good opening preparation. He was easy to prepare for, but he knew his stuff very well,said Pal Benko, a Grandmaster in the generation just before Browne's. Pal continued, "He's a tactician, a calculator and this is the cause of his endless time pressure." Browne is both a fine blitz player and a time-trouble addict. He founded the World Blitz Chess Association, and the magazine Blitz Chess. Time after time, Browne's serious tournament games turn into blitz. He spends most of his time in the opening and early middlegame, leaving himself with seconds for his final moves. This quest for perfection often results in a series of highly imperfect moves blitzed out toward the end of a time control. Browne's intensity during time pressure often intimidates and rattles his opponents, even if they have plenty of time. Despite being relatively skilled at playing with little time on the clock, this tendency towards extreme time pressure hurts Browne more than it helps him. Browne has been a professional poker player since the 70's. Even before the poker boom of the past couple years, Walter found it was easier to make a living at cards than in chess. Despite this monetary career switch, Browne's passion for chess has never wavered. |