How’s it going, winner? I am Mihail Marin and I am here to hand you your one-way ticket to GM. This is my journey so far:

Around the age of four I have learned to play chess from my father. Even though I never neglected my studies (I graduated from the Bucharest Polytechnic Institute), I have since childhood aimed at dedicating my life to chess, a dream which I fortunately fulfilled. My first international success was qualifying for the Szirak Interzonal tournament in 1987, a performance I repeated in 1990, when the Interzonal took place in Manila. In 1988 I won the bronze medal on the third board at the Thessaloniki Olympiad (the first of a series of 12 Olympiads I took part in, the last one so far being Baku 2016).

At national level I won the Romanian individual championship three times. In the beginning of the third millennium I became active as a chess writer and trainer. Three of my books received the Book of the year award.

Throughout the years my writings have been published in English, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Romanian and Mongolian. For many years I have been a helper for Judit Polgar and in 2005 I have accompanied her as a second to three elite tournaments, including the San Luis World championship. I feel fortunate to have been able to live in the unique chess world and am happy to share my experience with the readers.